Was given this doc for an honest review.

I read this book months ago but have gotten so far behind on my reviews. Really a very telling story first about who were unprepared for any type of war if it would have happened in 1939, yet nineteen months later we were entering the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
Here the author takes you the reader through the outdated equipment that was still being used much of it from World War One. How we only had barely 200,000 personnel. Yet the President along with George C. Marshall decided to conduct war games. Which actually was a good thing for many of the problems that came out of those games could be fixed, not all but some. Also could see the need for a draft, more equipment not just guns and ammo, but vehicles, tents, boots, socks, etc.
You also get to see which men truly start to stand out, Eisenhower, Bradley, Clark, and others. They have to deal with segregation and many other things that we really don’t think about in this day and age. Yes at times it was a little dry reading but overall I found this book to be very informative and worth the read.

This is an interesting look at the United States' Declaration of War in 1941. The comprehensive research and brilliant writing make this a book that anyone can enjoy and understand. This is an important part of history that many need to learn more about and this book is a great resource.

I highly recommend this detailed and comprehensive, yet engaging and readable, non-fiction study of the years leading up to America’s declarations of war in 1941. At times in history, great men and women arise to lead. In the United States, we know of the Founding Leaders. In the years before World War II, we were blessed with the similar ascension of citizens with vision and energy. Were these people perfect? No, but they creatively persevered. Some of them have names that we still remember. Many are lost to history- especially the brave men and women who volunteered to serve in our citizen army.

What was America like before World War II? It was an isolationist country, dealing with the effects of the Great Depression. The armed forces had basically been disbanded after World War I, about 180,000 members remained, about the size of Portugal’s army, with old and limited equipment and resources. In 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, some leaders realized that we were ill-prepared to even defend our country, let alone participate in a war.

How did we go in a little over two years, from a skeleton service to a force that waged war in Europe and Japan? That journey is the heart of this book. We get to know Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and Marshall. We learn how they started the selective service and drafted 5 million to serve, how they trained these regular folk to be dedicated soldiers, how the Officer Candidate School was created, how factories were mobilized to work around the clock, how Patton developed his tank command. Many of us who enjoy reading about WWII may not have realized how important the various army maneuvers, such as in Louisiana, were in creating fighting force.The book also highlights the dreadful issue of segregation in the armed forces, a terrible blight on the armed forces.

Near the end of this inspiring book, a woman who was 12 years old when a large-scale military maneuver was held near her farmhouse, recalled watching the soldiers relaxing in her yard. She wondered how many of those precious boys made it back.

This is the forgotten story of how America forged a powerful Army before World War II. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

I gained such insight into military history and the development of the armed forces needed to fight World War II. I learned how they were trained and the resolve it took to get the plan rolling. I appreciate the leadership we had in those days. If you enjoy history, this book will keep you enthralled.

Really interesting to read and a new perspective of WWII that I have not yet read until now.
This text was well referenced.

My knowledge of pre-WWII U.S. history was that FDR endeavored to supply the Allies, despite a sizable percentage of the country preferring to stay out of the war, and that America ramped up after the Pearl Harbor bombing. This book opened my eyes to all that went in to preparing the army in anticipation of a crisis. It is a highly illuminating read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Even though the timeframe of this book is pre-Pearl Harbor it can rightly be included with histories of World War 2. Very little had been written about the struggles of Marshall, Patton, Eisenhower, and Roosevelt in getting the United States ready for a war they could see coming. Much is said here about the draft and its controversies and the war games used to prepare the troops and generals for the coming fight. With this finely crafted book we now have a better understanding of the pre-war army and its leaders.