How Books Designed for Soldiers’ Pockets Changed Publishing

[lludwig]

The entire article is well-worth reading imo. Some excerpts.

How Books Designed for Soldiers’ Pockets Changed Publishing Forever

In early June, 1944, tens of thousands of American troops prepared to storm the beaches of Normandy, France. As they lined up to board the invasion barges, each was issued something less practical than a weapon, but equally precious: a slim, postcard-sized, softcover book.

These were Armed Services Editions, or ASEs—paperbacks specifically designed to fit in a soldier’s pockets and travel with them wherever they went. Between 1943 and 1947, the United States military sent 123 million copies of over 1,000 titles to troops serving overseas. These books improved soldiers’ lives, offering them entertainment and comfort during long deployments. By the time the war ended, they’d also transformed the publishing industry, turning the cheap, lowly paperback into an all-American symbol of democracy and practicality.

. . . Although books were already considered an important source of troop morale—the Army Library Services had been established during World War I—Nazi Germany’s embrace of book-burning, propaganda and censorship imbued them with new wartime significance.

. . . Some soldiers reported that ASEs were the first books they had ever read cover to cover. Troops cherished their shipments, passing them around up to and beyond the point of illegibility. “They are as popular as pin-up girls,” one soldier wrote. “To heave one in the garbage can is tantamount to striking your grandmother,” quipped another.

. . . Sometimes, particular titles had lasting effects. Betty Smith, whose A Tree Grows in Brooklyn went out in Shipment D, received ten times more fan mail from soldiers than she did from ordinary civilians. (One, from a 20-year-old soldier who read the book while recovering from malaria, told her that it caused his “dead heart” to “[turn] over and become alive again.”)

. . . So the next time you dog-ear a page of your pocket paperback and slip it into your jacket to accompany you on your commute, think of a soldier. They’re a big part of why it fits.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/armed-services-editions-pocket-paperback-books

[bill11223]

This story was told in more detail by Molly Guptill Manning in "When Books Went To War"

[lludwig]

The article does refer to the book by Manning and provides a link to the River where the book is listed and reviewed. Books generally do provide more detail vs an article. 

[grammalindalee]

Thank you so much for this post! I'm just getting back into selling and I have one such book. I know that the mini-pocket Bible with the FDR letter are good sellers, or at least they were.

I was out of selling for two years or more, but kept paying for my store. Now that I'm getting back to the 1500 books I have stored, I'll have a lot to learn to get back into the grove. This post was not only a terrific read historically, but it's something a seller would like to know as well.

Maybe readers of this post could give me some tips on getting started again.

Thanks again,

grammalindalee

[figtree3]

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@grammalindalee wrote:

Thank you so much for this post! I'm just getting back into selling and I have one such book. I know that the mini-pocket Bible with the FDR letter are good sellers, or at least they were.

I was out of selling for two years or more, but kept paying for my store. Now that I'm getting back to the 1500 books I have stored, I'll have a lot to learn to get back into the grove. This post was not only a terrific read historically, but it's something a seller would like to know as well.

Maybe readers of this post could give me some tips on getting started again.

Thanks again,

grammalindalee

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I'm not a bookseller, and mostly a lurker here. Be patient and somebody may reply soon. You might also consider starting a new thread with your questions. This thread was started in September and some people may not check it for updates.

Best wishes with getting back to selling!

[beautifulbabyvintage]

Lovely story. My beloved Grandfather was prisoner if war in Changi for several years. Rarely get to hear stories like this.

[lludwig]

Grammalindalee - Neat that you have one of them! I wondered how many still exist.  Glad you enjoyed the article. To get back in the swing of bookselling you might want to review the posts on the thread titled "From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints". And as Figtree3 suggested you could start a new thread, especially if you have specific questions about a book or other book-related questions.

Beautifulbabyvintage - Nice to hear that you enjoyed the story.

[figtree3]

Just came back to this thread. Here's a New York Times review of the book:

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/books/review/when-books-went-to-war-by-molly-guptill-manning.html -- and now I want to read it.

I also recently read a magazine article about a similar project bringing books to deployed military in World War I.