Book Review: Of War and Men: World War II in the Lives of Fathers and Their Families

Abstract

Reviews the book, Of War and Men: World War II in the Lives Off Fathers and Their Families by Ralph LaRossa (2011). This book explores the immense impact of World War II. The author separated his subject into two distinct categories. The first is the culture of fatherhood, including the public discussion of fathering in popular culture, advice books on parenting, novels, politics, films, newspapers, and so forth. The other is the conduct of fatherhood as measured in surveys, studies of behavior, and personal reminiscences and accounts. One of the most interesting themes that runs through the book is fathers' participation in child care, both in the culture of fatherhood and in the behavior of fathers. Another major theme through the book is the measure of the historical residue of the 1930s, and in particular, the effects of the war itself on the men and their attitudes toward postwar family life. The attention to minorities suggests another strength of the book. There are minor criticisms mostly to do with generalizations of the book. Overall, this book is a powerful, well written, and interesting narrative and an exhaustive and creative job of research on a complex and still-current topic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)