Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II

A great introduction to the contributions of women to World War II, the reluctance of some employers to accept them and the government's propaganda efforts to "temporarily) break open social taboos against women working outside the home. Written at about a high-school level, the books is nonetheless informative and interesting. Lots of photos from the period, including many of handicapped, "older" and black women who did their part and more on radio, on farms, in news rooms and in factories. The book is stocked by the bookstore at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial in Washington DC, a tacit approval of its value.

...so this book is worth several volumes. During World War II, millions of American women joined the work force to replace men who had gone into the armed services and to expand war production. After the war, these women were expected to return to traditional female roles. Through anecdotes and statistics and priceless photographs, Penny Colman illuminates the wartime experiences of girls and women and suggests the toll that being kicked to the curb... I mean... returned to the home after the war took on many of them.

Colman combines masterful storytelling with criticalcutting-edge insight to create an imposing study of a crucial periodin U.S. history. Rosie the Riveter reveals the ways in which government and industry manipulated gender roles to serve their own interests both before and after the war. Colman's Rosie the Riveter is history at its best- engaging narrative, illuminating details, and fabulous photographs (including a picture of Marilyn Monroe as a war worker).