World War II: an Encyclopedia of Quotations

Contemporary Review, Nov, 1999

Howard J. Langer, editor. Fitzroy Dearborn. [pounds]35.00. 449 pages. ISBN 1-57958-158-7. Interest in the Second World War is as large as it has ever been, if not larger. World War II was a 'pre-television' war; indeed, it was a radio war and the spoken word was paramount. Words mattered. In this handy reference book we have words by the thousands which embody almost every aspect of the war.

Admittedly the bias is towards American involvement but this does not undermine the value of the work. There are eighteen separate sections dealing, among other things, with war leaders, diplomats, chaplains, scientists, historians, war movies, war songs, soldiers, officers, 'institutional quotations', miscellaneous quotations and influential personalities. Within each section quotations are organised by name. An appendix lists quotations by category and there is a bibliography, a name and a subject index.