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 3, Section 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
“Thomas G. (Tommy the Cork) Corcoran” Summary
Thomas G. Corcoran was a corporate lawyer who worked for the Roosevelt administration. His narrative illustrates how the world of international corporate commerce took shape in the 1940s, despite the anticorporate thrust of FDR’s policies. He also describes how Joe Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, opposed the United States entering World War II.
“James Rowe” Summary
Another veteran of the FDR administration who became a corporate lawyer, James Rowe describes how he “believed business had been a bad influence on the country” (322). However, his attitude later became more conservative and pro-corporate. James argues that it was the war and the resulting prosperity that made the American public, even the working class, more pro-big business.
“John Kenneth Galbraith” Summary
This narrative from John Kenneth Galbraith discusses how difficult it was to impose price controls and rationing with the opposition of big businesses.
“Joe Marcus” Summary
An economist who worked under the FDR administration, Joe Marcus describes battling with industrial businesses for the resources necessary to conduct the war.
“W. Averell Harriman” Summary
The US ambassador to the United Kingdom, W. Averell Harriman argues that FDR “had the vision to change our policy from isolationism to world leadership. […] Our country’s never been the same since” (330).
“Hamilton Fish” Summary
Providing an anti-FDR perspective is Hamilton Fish, a New York Republican congressman who served from 1920 to 1945. He argues that he was instrumental in preventing the United States from entering World War II before the Pearl Harbor bombing. He strongly supported action against the Soviet Union when possible, but he is also sure that the United States will never use the nuclear bomb.
“Virginia Durr” Summary
A white civil rights activist from Alabama, Virginia Durr claims that her activism was driven by her knowledge of the Holocaust (333). Although she shared in the optimism that followed World War II, the Cold War and the McCarthy era made her activism more difficult.
“Joseph L. Rauh Jr.” Summary
A government lawyer, Joseph L. Rauh Jr. recalls fighting discrimination in the federal government and corporations for the war effort. After the war, however, many officials who formerly worked for the New Deal started working for businesses. Also, after the war, Joseph recalls that public opinion became more hostile to government regulation.
“Earl B. Dickerson” Summary
An African American lawyer who worked with the FDR administration, Earl describes when Roosevelt set up the Fair Employment Practices Committee to improve representation of the employees of major businesses involved in the war effort. However, he was perceived as too aggressive in the hearings he wanted against business owners, which damaged his political career.
Book 3, Section 2 Analysis
This section emphasizes how transitional the FDR administration, World War II, and the postwar period were in American history. In particular, this chapter draws attention to the Fair Employment Practices Committee, which was established through FDR’s Executive Order 8802, which outlawed discriminatory hiring practices by the federal government and all businesses involved in the war effort.
Overall, the narratives agree on several key points in how US political history changed due to the FDR administration’s actions and the economic and political impacts of World War II. For example, the federal government worked decisively against racial discrimination, improving career and economic opportunities for racial minorities. Because Executive Order 8802 was largely passed in response to protests, it was a signal that public activism could be employed to pressure the government into using its power to combat racism.
The narratives also recount how the New Deal and the war effort involved clashes between the federal government and private businesses. At the same time, World War II was pivotal in the development of modern international corporations. Ultimately, the beginning of the Cold War era saw a shift in political attitudes that were more hostile toward anti-racist activism and government regulation, and more supportive of big business.
