Words at War

by Howard Blue. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MD. 2002. Hardcover in dust jacket. Black boards with gold lettering on spine. 407 pages.

"Words at War" was series of radio broadcasts made before the U.S. entry into WWII that was designed to turn a feeling of apathy felt by most citizens toward Germany and the rising power of the Nazis into one of antipathy. This was done through the use of dramatic stories, and by all reports, it was done well, using exceptionally good writing, as well as good acting.

The point of the book is that the human interest "lessons" presented in these tales sought to illustrate the inequities in German society. All well and good ... until the war ended and it was realized that OUR country was not without its inequities, too. The same people that taught that "equality" was a basic human right, soon found themselves under intense scrutiny by the FBI and anti-communist members of congress. Most were blacklisted, and many were jailed.

An interesting premise and an intimate look into two periods of our history, one that was very memorable and one that many would rather forget.