Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, 1942: Reproduced from the original typescript, War Department, Washington, DC / Edition 2

by Bodleian Library

Overview

In 1942, the United States War Department distributed a handbook to American servicemen that advised them on the peculiarities of the "British, their country, and their ways." Over sixty years later, this newly published reproduction from the rich archives of the Bodleian Library offers a fascinating glimpse into American military preparations for World War II.

The guide was intended to alleviate the culture shock for soldiers taking their first trip to Great Britain, or, for that matter, abroad. The handbook is punctuated with endearingly nostalgic advice and refreshingly candid quips such as: "The British don't know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don't know how to make a good cup of tea. It's an even swap." By turns hilarious and poignant, many observations featured in the handbook remain relevant even today.

Reproduced in a style reminiscent of the era, Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain is a powerfully evocative war-time memento that offers a unique perspective on the longstanding American-British relationship and reveals amusingly incisive American perceptions of the British character and country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851240852
Publisher:	Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
Publication date:	09/01/2004
Series:	Instructions for Servicemen
Edition description:	1
Pages:	31
Product dimensions:	4.50(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

The Bodleian Library produces beautiful and authoritative books which help to bring the riches of Oxford’s libraries to readers around the world. They publish on a very wide range of subjects, including catalogues and other titles related to their exhibitions, illustrated and non-illustrated thematic works and facsimiles, gift books, and children’s books and stationery.  

Table of Contents

Foreword by John Pinfold

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, issued by the War Department, Washington, D.C., 1942
    Introduction
    The Country
    The People—Their Customs and Manners
    Britain at War
    English Versus American Language
    Some Important Do’s and Don’ts
    Table of British currency

Editorial Reviews

"an intriguing little pamplet"—Ed Perkins, Bournemouth Daily Echo

Bournemouth Daily Echo

"A book warning US soldiers about British pecularities has become a surprise bestseller — 60 years after it was first published."

Sunday Express

"Its tips may be based on the stereotypical — and probably mythical — Englishman, but they seem to ring true and are delivered with surprising wit. . . . a real gem."

Armchair General

"as much a guide to the American psyche, as to the British... The guide's apparant simplicity belies its complexity. It deserves to be a set text in schools and universities, and should be compulsory reading for all philologists." —Eluned Price, The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph - Eluned Price

"as much a guide to the American psyche, as to the British... The guide's apparant simplicity belies its complexity. It deserves to be a set text in schools and universities, and should be compulsory reading for all philologists." --Eluned Price, The Daily Telegraph

— Eluned Price

The Daily Telegraph

"A book warning US soldiers about British pecularities has become a surprise bestseller — 60 years after it was first published."

Sunday Express