The Best War Ever By Michael C. B. Adams

The American “way of war” can be seen politically through the evolution of military policy as political perspectives changed. Post-World War II reveals primary and consistent policies that lead American military policymakers to avoid major international conflict. Coined the Cold War, Americans began waging war

“War stories” are shared by people all over the world, describing exhilarating experiences one encompasses during a war. However, these stories have been known for hyperbolizing details of the story, deeming it a “lie.” Tim O’Brien, the author of “How to Tell a True War Story,” examines the complex relationship between war experience and storytelling. The tale is told partly from O’Brien’s role as a soldier, as a reprise of several Vietnam stories, and half of his role as a storyteller, as a discussion on the art of storytelling. O’Brien provides detailed commentary on storytelling and blurs the division between truth and fiction through a series of paradoxical commentaries.

Even though the United States emerged as a clear victor of World War I, many Americans after the war felt that their involvement in the conflict had been a mistake (Markus Schoof, “The American Experience During World War II,” slide 3). This belief, however, did not deter the country from engaging in many other international affairs in the future, most importantly the WWII and the Cold War. Right from the Manifest Destiny, which led to expand its empire at home and abroad, to the World War I, the country had come a long way from being somewhat a lonely-land to a global superpower of the 20th century. Its influence in the international arena grew unprecedently after its commitment to the World War II, and like they say, the rest is history. If the WWII was a resounding success to the American legacy, what followed, the Cold War, put many implications on the American diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and to the world. Although the rising Fascism in Europe and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drove the U.S. to enter the WWII, historians over the years have laid equal blames on both nations for starting the Cold War. These two events helped in shaping up many domestic and foreign policies for the U.S.

“If I truly believe the war is wrong, is it then also wrong to go off and kill people? If I do that, what will happen to my soul?” (pg 60). Tim O 'Brien is an American man who was drafted into the Vietnam War. O 'Brien is not a violent man and struggles because he believes that the war is wrong. He debates whether or not he should go to war or move to Canada to avoid the draft. Tim O 'Brien decides to join the army. O 'Brien uses his personal experiences as a foot soldier in the Vietnam War to convey his possible bias perspective that the Vietnam War was a waste of people 's lives and a shameful venture for the United States.

The non-fiction article, “Children of War” by Arthur Brice is about four children who were forced to flee war and relocate to the U.S. First off, children in warzones are not a big part of what caused the wars, but are still heavily, negatively affected. For many, life was great and jolly for children before times of war, but when war came about it changed their lives, they lived in fear and terror. They lost family, money, and most devastating, their homes. So they were forced to flee, to many countries around the world, but ultimately they came to the United States. At first life was tricky in the U.S, they struggled with language, culture, and homesickness. Although these teens are living in the U.S today, they hope to go back to their

On page 49 the setting is just outside of Holling’s house. The weather during November was like it alway had been, with a sky so gray and damp, “November ... The day turned gray and damp, and hovering mist licked everything” (Schmidt 49). Also, the rain continued on and on without the slightest of breaks, “The perfect white cement sidewalk in front of the Perfect House was always wet” (Schmidt 49). Not only, the gray sky’s carried away what used to be the azaleas bright blossom,”The azaleas lost the remnants of their white and pink blossoms, and then many of theirs leaves ... half naked and embarrassed” (Schmidt 49).

    Published in 1994, The Best War Ever, was written by Michael C.C Adams. The purpose he wrote this book is to feature the idea that the achievements made during the war has undermined its failures. He describes all the aspects of World War II, whether positive or negative. Adams aims to avoid glorifying the war and counterbalance these ideas with “vilification.” (1) However, his credibility is questioned as he fails to report each disturbing detail as it was. He stretches the negative truths, a primary source would be more beneficial than this book. Adam states it himself, “ This book does not claim to be a definitive

Timothy Findley in his novel The Wars uses a postmodern device where the narration is nonlinear in chronology, making it subjective and more based on memory, ultimately deeming the reader’s perception of the past and the present to be precarious and unreliable. The Wars focuses on a young Canadian WWI officer named Robert Ross. Robert’s story is recounted after his death through many other characters such as Marian Turner, Lady Juliet d’Orsey, and the archivists. Yet, these characters are separated from Robert Ross through one main medium: time. Since these characters are separated from Robert Ross through time and space, the consistency of their perception comes

To the United States, World War II is believed to be a good war, and why wouldn’t it be considered as such? During World War II, in addition to stopping mass genocide and stopping the spread of Nazism and Fascism, the United States beat Japan after their attack on Pearl Harbor. As a result, the U.S. was no longer in the Depression and the United States became a world power. However, in “The Best War Ever,” Michael C.C. Adams argues that as a result of Hollywood’s glamorization of the war, government propaganda/censorship, and the widespread of economic prosperity, Americans were kept in the dark about the truth regarding World War II resulting in the popular belief and myth that World War II was a good war.

No one truly knows what exactly happened during the Revolutionary War, however, the book Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson describes the brutality of the war through a teenage boy’s eyes. Curzon was forged by the hardships of war and slavery, and endured the long winter in Valley Forge, where he forged friendships through hard times in the “mixing pot” of the Valley Forge camp. There are many interpretations for the word forge, and in the book Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson, Curzon explores the meanings of the word forge through the perils of war, the hardships of slavery, and enduring a harsh winter at Valley Forge. In the beginning of the book Forge, Curzon found himself in the middle of a gruesome battle.

After viewing the documentary film ‘The War You Don’t See’ by John Pilger, my previous feelings towards the war and the way people are treated grew more immense as I felt more informed as to what was going on behind closed doors. I have always found the thought of war pointless, destructive and inhumane, this documentary supports my previous attitudes. The way certain media associations manipulate and hide the truth is a scary thought, this film shows how the media lacks honesty on a destructive level. How can one take a position and make an informed decision towards what they should do or how they should react towards these global issues? They can’t, it is impossible to make an informed decision when one is not told the whole truth. ‘The War You Don’t See’ also informs the viewers to see how poorly the innocent civilians are treated and in many cases how their lack of rights results in cruel deaths. Pilger presents these issues to the viewers of this film in a way which looks down upon the people of the military and media and sympathise toward those innocent civilians of these war stricken countries, which I personally strongly support and am left feeling pleased with Pilger’s work.

Stalin, in a toast to his brief allies, made it “to American production, without which this war would have been lost”, while Churchill, in his book recalling the war, claimed, “Through the materials and weapons [the U.S.] gave us we were actually able to wage war as if we were a nation of fifty-eight millions instead of forty-eight”.

The Second World War was one of the most terrifying events in the world’s history. The U.S.A fights back like never before against Italy, Japan and Germany. Previously the WWII by the 1930’s America was completely poor and lost. By entering in the War, The U.S. becomes a superpower in just four years. The disruption of World War II arouses the mobilization of American industrial and in the military section. The preparation for the battle and the mobilization of the War was a complete success; purpose and determination led the U.S.A to win the WWII.

Death; destruction; crawling, bloody men without jaws; and a child in the middle of it is just a glimpse of the grotesque short narrative “Chickamauga” by Ambrose Bierce. Chickamauga Creek is an area near Chattanooga, Tennessee and northwestern Georgia, plagued by war, suffering, and bloodshed from the Civil War (Bohannon). Bierce served in the Union Army during the American Civil War (Campbell). Many Americans then, and today, romanticize war with glory, heroism, and patriotism. Bierce defied literary status quo, creating graphic accounts of war, in an age of sentimentalism and melodrama (Morris). Lesser publicized were the perspectives, thoughts, and realities of the soldiers after serving and surviving in the civil

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman is a classic work of military science fiction depicting a war between the human race and an unfamiliar alien entity known as the Taurans. The overall plot line follows a fairly typical path, but Haldeman’s real genius is realized through the interactions that take place between the protagonist, William Mandella, and the Earth he returns to between military operations. Developing beneath the ever-present war of the two species lies a much subtler conflict between generations of human thought and culture. Brought about by the way troops are transported in space, time dilation creates an interesting dichotomy between the early soldiers of the war and the rapid evolution of human society and culture remaining on Earth. The Forever War questions the stability of human nature by creating a scenario where its fluidity is exposed through an invariable link to time. The expression of human nature changes as cultural and personal identities adapt to new situations; viewing these changes through Mandella, we begin to see how different expressions of human nature can impact human nature itself.