Little Books and War

Morale was a huge issue for WWII servicemen and women as many found themselves away from home, some for the first time. Boredom and homesickness, caused by long stays on ships, in camps, or in the hospital, created a need for recreational activities.

In 1943, the head of the Army’s library section, Raymond Trautman, proposed to mass produce paperbacks. Over 70 publishers and a dozen printing houses collaborated to produce Armed Services Editions specifically for service members. The books were printed in four columns across a horizontal layout and cost the Army an average of 6 cents a copy. The book cover was standard, featuring the author and title, as well as a reproduction of the original book cover. They were pocket-sized, around 4 by 5 ½ inches and 3/4 of an inch thick. And...the books could be read anywhere—on a ship, in a foxhole, or in the hospital!

Reading was also considered a patriotic act—the celebration of the protection of the 1st Amendment’s freedom of speech— in response to Hitler’s famous book burnings which symbolized censorship and the suppression of free thought.

1,322 titles were published in 46 series—more than 122 million books in all from September 1943 to June 1947.

The distribution of these little books helped to create lifelong readers and learners, many of whom would take advantage of the GI Bill to pursue further education.