About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherUniversity of Alabama Press

ISBN-100817305386

ISBN-139780817305383

eBay Product ID (ePID)945250

Product Key Features

Number of Pages192 Pages

Publication NameJohn Steinbeck Goes to War : the Moon Is Down As Propaganda

LanguageEnglish

SubjectMilitary / World War II, Military / Strategy, Subjects & Themes / Historical events, American / General, Propaganda

Publication Year1991

TypeTextbook

AuthorDonald V. Coers

Subject AreaLiterary Criticism, Political Science, History

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.6 in

Item Weight16 Oz

Item Length9.8 in

Item Width5.9 in

Additional Product Features

Edition Number2

Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional

LCCN90-026583

Reviews"Coers's careful research, logical organization, and clear presentation suit his purpose well. His study tells a fascinating story filled with colorful and intriguing details, which add to the reader's knowledge of Steinbeck and the Nazi occupation in Europe." - Modern Fiction Studies, "The freshest and most thorough study of the effects of Steinbeck's mid-career work on foreign audiences. This indexed and annotated text, with a useful bibliography, is a surprising contribution to the reexamination of Steinbeck. Recommended." -- Choice, "The freshest and most thorough study of the effects of Steinbeck's mid-career work on foreign audiences. This indexed and annotated text, with a useful bibliography, is a surprising contribution to the reexamination of Steinbeck. Recommended." - Choice, "Coers's careful research, logical organization, and clear presentation suit his purpose well. His study tells a fascinating story filled with colorful and intriguing details, which add to the reader's knowledge of Steinbeck and the Nazi occupation in Europe." -- Modern Fiction Studies, "The freshest and most thorough study of the effects of Steinbeck's mid-career work on foreign audiences. This indexed and annotated text, with a useful bibliography, is a surprising contribution to the reexamination of Steinbeck. Recommended." -- Choice "The Moon is Down was an important propaganda instrument, and this study of its effectiveness is unlikely to be superseded in the foreseeable future. . . .Coers has given us a testimonial to the written word and to the depth of Steinbeck's imaginative understanding of the human condition. To read this book, with its stories of translators, printers, and booksellers trying to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo, is to be reminded of the importance of ideas." -- American Literature

Dewey Edition20

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal813.52

SynopsisThe fascinating story of The Moon is Down 's publishing history, how it was received by audiences around the world, and its effect in the war against Fascism., Winner of the Elizabeth Agee Prize in American Literature, 1990 When words became weapons?Steinbeck?s novel and the underground war for freedom. In March 1942, a desperate period for the allies in World War II, John Steinbeck published his propaganda novel The Moon is Down ?the story of ruthless invaders who overrun a militarily helpless country. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck underscored both the fatal weakness of the ?invincible? unnamed aggressors and the inherent power of the human values shard by the ?conquered? people. The Moon is Down created an immediate sensation among American literary critics; fierce debate erupted over Steinbeck?s uncommonly sympathetic portrayal of the enemy and the novel?s power as a vehicle for propaganda. Fifty years later, Coers continues the debate, relying heavily on unpublished letters and personal interviews with the lawyers, book dealers, actors, publishers, and housewives associated with the resistance movements in Western Europe. Clandestine translations of The Moon Is Down quickly appeared and were widely circulated under the noses of the Gestapo. Coers documents the fate of Steinbeck?s novel in the hands of World War II resistance fighters and deepens our appreciation of Steinbeck?s unique ability to express the feelings of oppressed peoples., In John Steinbeck Goes to War , Donald V. Coers explores the extraordinary wartime journey of Steinbeck?s 1942 novel The Moon Is Down, a work crafted as Allied propaganda during World War II. Coers traces how the novel, initially controversial for its nuanced portrayal of enemy occupiers, became a powerful symbol of resistance across Nazi-occupied Europe. Drawing on unpublished letters, interviews, and historical records, this compelling study reveals how literature became a weapon of hope, smuggled across borders and cherished by underground movements fighting for freedom.

LC Classification NumberPS3537.T3234M683