[MGSA-L] (TAN) _The Music of World War II: War Songs and their Stories_ by Sheldon Winkler
Christos D. Katsetos
cd_katsetos at yahoo.com
Sat Aug 3 16:06:23 PDT 2013
Book review: The Music of World War II: War Songs and their Stories by Sheldon
Winkler. Merriam Press Military Monograph 120. First Edition (March 2013)
ISBN-10: 1482536269 -- ISBN-13: 978-1482536263
http://www.amazon.com/Music-World-War-II-Stories/dp/1482536269/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375566847&sr=1-1&keywords=sheldon+winkler
The Music of World War II: War Songs and their Stories, authored by Sheldon Winkler,
is a delightful and captivating book which I cannot praise highly enough. The book identifies specific World War II events, happenings, and individuals that have been
the subjects of popular wartime songs (and to a lesser degree movies), many of which are still popular today. Meticulously researched and thought provoking, the book compliments the author's expertise in music and history. The author has catalogued
and compartmentalized war songs into six groupings, namely love, separation, and homecoming; patriotic; tribute; military service; faith, hope, and devotion; and novelty. The author brilliantly deciphers from a unique multifaceted perspective the lyrics and music of popular wartime songs including The White Cliffs of Dover, A Nightingale
Sang in Berkeley Square, and My Sister and I (all three of which are discussed in
detail). Additional songs discussed are As Time Goes By, Der Fuehrer’s Face,
God Bless America, Johnny Zero, Lili Marlene, Miss Pavlichenko, Praise the Lord
and Pass the Ammunition, Rosie the Riveter, The Ballad of Rodger Young, The Last Time I Saw Paris, and We’re Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line.
A unique and fascinating aspect of this book is the critical appraisal of the relationship between several popular World War II songs and British Security Coordination in Rockefeller Center, an intricate secret-operations organization, whose objective was
to encourage American participation in World War II. The author asserts that World
War II was indeed one of the most creative and productive periods of American popular music and wartime songs were vital for bolstering morale and support for the war effort both at home and among our fighting troops stationed abroad.
Once started, it is difficult to put this book down. A must read for World War II history buffs and music lovers.
Christos D. Katsetos
P.S. YouTube links to wartime songs discussed in Sheldon Winkler's book:
The White Cliffs of Dover -- Vera Lynn (1942)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUx3MU9iM6c
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square -- Vera Lynn (1940)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTeiYN_Vq6E
My Sister and I -- Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra, with Bob Eberly on the
vocals (1941)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrAZmmTzYrg
As Time Goes By -- Vera Lynn (1942)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cS0fXZkbao
As Time Goes By -- Dooley Wilson (1942)
Music theme in the movie "Casablanca" (1942)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcFIT3xHNp0
Der Führer’s Face -- Spike Jones (1942)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MReV9dkAVhY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFta4iTZasM
God Bless America -- By Irving Berlin/rendition by Kate Smih (1938)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zF7a0wB-Lg
Lili Marlene -- rendition by Marlene Dietrich in German
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO0lUXnAs-U
Rendition by Vera Lynn in English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSMuTm649Hk
Miss Pavlichenko -- Woody Guthrie (1944)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quZb-i50fdk
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition -- Kay Kyser and his orchestra (1943)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJfJPxLntZU
Rosie the Riveter -- The Four Vagabonds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CQ0M0wx00s
The Ballad of Rodger Young
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MEJM0cboDg
The Last Time I Saw Paris -- Noel Coward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvGVC3HpLsk
We’re Gonna Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WPted_ihs
============
CDK
08/03/13
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