“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II

John Baker, editor of Publisher’s Weekly, recalls being a child during the London Blitz. Luckier than some civilians, John had the opportunity to live with an aunt in the countryside. However, John and other children from London experienced discrimination in these rural communities.

This account is from a girl who experienced life in Japan under American bombing. In addition to detailing the hardships she endured, Yasuko describes her education under the authoritarian regime of Imperial Japan and how different childhood became after the war. She notes that the school curriculum began to incorporate ideas friendlier to democracy and gender equality.

A German national, Werner recalls his experience growing up under Nazi authoritarianism and anti-Semitism. There were people who subtly resisted the Nazi regime, like one of Werner’s teachers, but most were afraid to talk about the disappearance of Jews.