56 pages • 1 hour read
Studs Terkel“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1984A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Introduction
Book 1, Section 1
Book 1, Section 2
Book 1, Section 3
Book 1, Section 4
Book 1, Section 5
Book 1, Section 6
Book 1, Section 7
Book 2, Section 1
Book 2, Section 2
Book 2, Section 3
Book 2, Section 4
Book 2, Section 5
Book 3, Section 1
Book 3, Section 2
Book 3, Section 3
Book 3, Section 4
Book 4, Section 1
Book 4, Section 2
Book 4, Section 3
Book 4, Section 4
Book 4, Section 5
Book 4, Section 6
Epilogue
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaBook 2, Section 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
“John Ciardi” Summary
Poet John Ciardi served as a bomber in Japan during World War II. He notes, “I had to condition myself to be a killer. This was remote control” (200). Even though he was a reluctant bomber, John admits he feels more sympathy for soldiers in Vietnam because, unlike those who fought in World War II, they did not know the reasons for the Vietnam War.
“Akira Miuri” Summary
Although at the time of his interview, Akira is a professor of Japanese language in Wisconsin. He lived in Tokyo during World War II and experienced the bombing of the city. In particular, he notes how afraid Japanese civilians were of the Americans during the occupation, but how, despite the bombings, American generosity to the Japanese public helped foster pro-American attitudes.
“John Kenneth Galbraith” Summary
A former British ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith provides a higher-up’s view of the bombing of Germany and Japan. He admits, “Strategic bombing was designed to destroy the industrial base of the enemy and the morale of its people. It did neither” (209). He further argues that the bombing of Dresden and the use of the atomic bombs in Japan were both militarily unnecessary.
“Eddie Costello and Ursula Bender” Summary
This dual interview involves American journalist Eddie Costello and German American Ursula Bender, who works for a publishing house. Ursula was a resident of Frankfurt when Eddie participated in the bombing of the city during World War II. Eddie remarks, “There is no such thing as a just war” (215). Both Eddie and Ursula note that there was a veil of silence drawn around the war in the immediate postwar era.
“Jean Wood” Summary
A British dancer, Jean Wood experienced the London Blitz. After the war ended, she notes that society did not go back to normal. She and her family experienced poverty and trauma. Still, she concludes, “with all its horrors, it made people behave better toward each other than they thought they could” (224).
Book 2, Section 2 Analysis
This section focuses on the material hardships endured by civilians who suffered from bombing raids and how bombers coped with the moral implications of the type of warfare they carried out. More broadly, though, this chapter explores the limits of bombing as a military strategy and the solidarity that can arise among the citizens of a bombed city. However, Jean Wood’s interview suggests that bombing does not inspire complete social solidarity between people of different classes and geographical backgrounds. Meanwhile, Akira Miuri’s interview demonstrates how populations who experience bombing can forgive the very nation that dropped the bombs if the latter’s treatment of the civilian population is generous.
