Once There Was a War facts for kids
Once There Was a War is a book published in 1958. It's a collection of articles written by the famous American author John Steinbeck. He wrote these articles while he was a special war correspondent for a newspaper called the New York Herald Tribune. He reported from June to December 1943, during World War II.
Contents
What is 'Once There Was a War' About?
This book is different from many war reports. Instead of focusing on big battles or interviewing important generals, Steinbeck wrote about the everyday experiences of ordinary people. He wanted to show what life was like for the soldiers doing the actual fighting and the many people doing important support jobs. These jobs, though not glamorous, were vital to keeping the armed forces running.
Stories from the Front Lines
Steinbeck's articles share amazing stories from the war. For example, he described what life was like on a troop transporter, which is a ship that carries soldiers. He also wrote about the exciting moment when a small town in Sicily was set free.
He even shared a heartwarming story about homesick American soldiers. They tried to grow vegetables from their home country in the English gardens where they were staying. Another cool story tells how a group of American paratroopers cleverly tricked the German soldiers at Ventotene into giving up.
Steinbeck's Unique Reporting Style
John Steinbeck didn't report "straight news," meaning he didn't just list facts about battles. He focused on the human side of the war. He wanted to show the feelings and daily lives of the soldiers and the people affected by the war.
In his introduction to the book, Steinbeck said he felt like a "visitor" to the war. He knew he could go home anytime, but the soldiers couldn't. Because of this, he often told stories by saying someone else had seen it. He wrote, "I never admitted to seeing anything myself, but always put my story in the mouth of another."
Was Steinbeck an Eyewitness?
It's sometimes hard to know if Steinbeck saw everything he wrote about with his own eyes. For example, his descriptions of American and British torpedo boats fighting German forces sound very real, with convincing conversations and details. Yet, he never says he was actually there.
However, in another one of his books, Travels with Charley, Steinbeck mentions wearing a naval officer's cap. He said it was "Given me by a British torpedo boat captain, a very gentle gentleman and a murderer." This suggests that Steinbeck might have seen some of the action firsthand, even if he didn't always say so directly in Once There Was a War. He wanted to make sure the stories felt real and true to the soldiers' experiences.
