The Best War Ever: America and World War II Book

Adams' book is geared toward dismantling the myth of World War II that was generated during the end of the 20th century--especially exemplified in the writings of Stephen Ambrose and journalism of Tom Brokaw. The idea of this myth is that the generation that lived through World War II was the greatest generation and that WWII was a just war in which Americans saved the day--alone and virtuously. Each of Adams' chapters takes a common portion of this myth and breaks it down from the causes of the war (it was totally preventable and appeasement is always wrong) to American conduct overseas to the idea that the country was unified and had no problems with race to... well you get the idea.

It feels, at times, that Adams is arguing with a straw man--though my perception of this is undoubtedly colored by having studied US history in graduate school. In his defense I will say that the particularly rosy view of WWII is one that I sort of remember absorbing as a child in the 1990s--certainly its glorification and the emphasis on the Western European front that were dominant then stand out to me.

Its a work of synthesis--so don't come looking for original research here. It's also not probably idea for someone without any working knowledge of WWII--hard to imagine such a person in the USA, but I suppose it's possible. In general, lots of background knowledge is assumed. That being said, I read in the context of its use for a survey of post-1941 history, and students seem to be engaging with it. So, it is potentially useful pedagogically.