Takes you inside the lives and experiences of 15 unknown women heroes from the Greatest Generation, the women who served, fought, struggled, and made things happen during WWII.
... captivating ... As Eder capably recounts, each of these women has a captivating story to tell. The book relies on extensive primary sources and includes several photographs of people and places to complement the inviting narrative ... Eder’s engaging writing makes these compelling histories read like a suspense novel. A highly recommended account that will draw in readers of U.S. history and women’s history.
In this straightforward, eye-opening, and invaluable collection of concise biographies, Eder, a retired U.S. Army major general, shares the stories of 15 women who played heroic roles in WWII yet have been largely overlooked. Highlighting the lives of both civilians and military personnel, Eder draws on a vast array of previously published materials (all documented in thorough endnotes), including the reminiscences of the women themselves, to give readers an appreciative look at courageous and generous individuals she easily proves deserve a place in history ... Based on presentations the author has made over the years to a variety of audiences, this group biography offers a breezy tone, historic photographs, and plenty of lively anecdotes to bring its subjects to vivid life. While primarily focusing on the women’s wartime activities, these portraits also include welcome and compelling coverage of their postwar lives.
... enthusiastic ... Most did not seek fame and were not 'trailblazers by choice,' but readers will share the author’s outrage upon learning that many were deliberately written out of history and treated badly even as they served ... The author fills her accounts with invented dialogue and novelistic thoughts, but her subjects worked hard, often behaving heroically and suffering for it, so that’s a minor quibble ... Inspiring stories of women warriors who deserve greater attention.
