Unofficial Ambassadors

American Military Families Overseas and the Cold War, 1946-1965

Inbunden, Engelska, 2007

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As thousands of wives and children joined American servicemen stationed at overseas bases in the years following World War II, the military family represented a friendlier, more humane side of the United States' campaign for dominance in the Cold War. Wives in particular were encouraged to use their feminine influence to forge ties with residents of occupied and host nations. In this untold story of Cold War diplomacy, Donna Alvah describes how these "unofficial ambassadors" spread the United States' perception of itself and its image of world order in the communities where husbands and fathers were stationed, cultivating relationships with both local people and other military families in private homes, churches, schools, women's clubs, shops, and other places.Unofficial Ambassadors reminds us that, in addition to soldiers and world leaders, ordinary people make vital contributions to a nation's military engagements. Alvah broadens the scope of the history of the Cold War by analyzing how ideas about gender, family, race, and culture shaped the U.S. military presence abroad.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2007-04-01
Mått152 x 229 x 30 mm
Vikt522 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor291
FörlagNew York University Press
ISBN9780814705018

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This is a valuable and important study on a long-neglected but vital part of military life and the cold war. The research is impressive and the book is filled with entertaining and moving vignettes that illuminate the experience of the overseas community. The book is a testimony to the generosity, patriotism, self-sacrifice, and spirit of adventure of military families, and also makes a convincing argument for their importance in &#8220winning” the cold war. (The Register) In this excellent monograph, Donna Alvah combines gender history and political history to produce a comprehensive and engaging examination of the role, experience, and significance of American service families based overseas during the first twenty years of the Cold War. (The Journal of American History)