The Rise of the G.I. Army, 1940-1941

The Forgotten Story of How America Forged a Powerful Army Before Pearl Harbor

By: Paul Dickson

Narrated by: Shawn Compton

The story of America's astounding industrial mobilization during World War II has been told. But what has never been chronicled before Paul Dickson's The Rise of the G. I. Army, 1940-1941 is the extraordinary transformation of America's military from a disparate collection of camps with dilapidated equipment into a well-trained and spirited army 10 times its prior size in little more than 18 months. From Franklin Roosevelt's selection of George C. Marshall to be Army Chief of Staff to the remarkable peace-time draft of 1940 and the massive and unprecedented mock battles in Tennessee, Louisiana, and the Carolinas by which the skill and spirit of the Army were forged and out of which iconic leaders like Eisenhower, Bradley, and Clark emerged, Dickson narrates America's urgent mobilization against a backdrop of political and cultural isolationist resistance and racial tension at home, and the increasingly perceived threat of attack from both Germany and Japan.

An important addition to American history, The Rise of the G. I. Army, 1940-1941 is essential to our understanding of America's involvement in World War II.

©2020 Paul Dickson (P)2020 Tantor

Impact of Leadership

An excellent review of the affect of insightful and persistent leadership on the outcome of WWII

Insightful

The author shone a light into an easily overlooked dark corner in the history of the pre-war US.

A Well Told Tale

An important story, of how rapid demobiluzation after WWI and ignoring Lessons Learned, left America disarmed in the lead up to WWII. Advetsaries fid not believe America could ovetcome internal dessension and political obstruction. Seemed to take strident isolationism, incipient pacificism and nascent Fascism as foregone conclusion. Similarities in America First movements then and now, same tactics similar foreign antagonists (Hitler and Putin), same tactics to obstruct preparedness, big difference is party's in power. Stakes are the same. Narration was great.

History Nerds will love this.

I’ve seen a lot of documentaries on manufacturing in the US during WW2. This was similar to that, but people. Many of the events and people I’ve heard of or knew. This brings them together and gives the details of the organization and politics to make a military.

constant relation and reference to race inequality

glad I didn't waste a credit on this one. conflation of modern race relations to WW2 era ruined what turned out to be a misleading title. America's record on race issues is a black eye in our history, but most people in this country were not primarily concerned with race then, neither black nor white. To use the titles premise as yet another attack on race division, only prolongs that division. author should be ashamed