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Young Sailor at War : The World War II Letters of William R. Catton Jr by Theodore Catton (2020, Hardcover)

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While a number of published collections of World War II letters are available to readers, few rise to the level of war literature. He learned how to rebuild an aircraft engine and fire a 50-caliber machine gun before he was 18 and made two voyages across the Pacific and saw a year of combat before he was 20.

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherKent State University Press

ISBN-101606353934

ISBN-139781606353936

eBay Product ID (ePID)16038790891

Product Key Features

Book TitleYoung Sailor at War : the World War II Letters of William R. Catton Jr

Number of Pages250 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicMilitary / World War II, World

Publication Year2020

IllustratorYes

GenreHistory

AuthorTheodore Catton

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1.5 in

Item Weight21.7 Oz

Item Length9 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

LCCN2019-055017

TitleLeadingA

Dewey Edition23

Reviews"Through publishing these letters, Bill's son Theodore . . . has given us an opportunity to share the life and opinions of a bright young serviceman in training and in combat."--The Journal of America's Military Past "A Young Sailor at War is a meticulously researched book which carefully draws upon the more than 400 letters of William R. 'Bill' Catton Jr. who enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and was stationed stateside and in the Pacific during World War II. Editor Theodore Catton, son of the letter writer, is to be congratulated for the impressive way he places these letters within the larger context of the voluminous literature on World War II. Indeed, this work captures both the major Naval events of the war as well as the captivating, coming-of-age story of one young sailor." --Judy Barrett Litoff, professor of history, Bryant University and author of We're In This War II: World War II Letters of American Women in Uniform, "A Young Sailor at War is a meticulously researched book which carefully draws upon the more than 400 letters of William R. 'Bill' Catton Jr. who enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and was stationed stateside and in the Pacific during World War II. Editor Theodore Catton, son of the letter writer, is to be congratulated for the impressive way he places these letters within the larger context of the voluminous literature on World War II. Indeed, this work captures both the major Naval events of the war as well as the captivating, coming-of-age story of one young sailor." --Judy Barrett Litoff, professor of history, Bryant University and author of We're In This War II: World War II Letters of American Women in Uniform

Dewey Decimal940.545973092

SynopsisWhile a number of published collections of World War II letters are available to readers, few rise to the level of war literature. A Young Sailor at War: The World War II Letters of William R. Catton Jr. is remarkable for the narrative skill of its letter writer, for his exuberance and candor, and for his youthful but thoughtful commentary. Edited by his son Theodore, Catton's letters give us a truly intimate look into an essential piece of history. William R. Catton Jr. volunteered for navy service on his 17th birthday in January 1943 and served as a plane handler onboard the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga from August 1944 through the end of WWII. He learned how to rebuild an aircraft engine and fire a 50-caliber machine gun before he was 18 and made two voyages across the Pacific and saw a year of combat before he was 20. He was wounded in a devastating kamikaze attack in January 1945, and he was on deck to watch the sunrise on Mount Fuji when Ticonderoga entered Tokyo Bay after the Japanese surrender seven months later. Bill was a prolific correspondent who displayed a wide-eyed sense of adventure and a self-conscious pride in being a witness to history. He reported events and personal interactions in clear, often colorful prose. Upon returning home, his sea stories mostly went untold, his Purple Heart medal and stripes went into a box of mementos never to be shown, while his letters from the war--carefully saved by his mother--went unread until his son began to examine them after his father's death. Bill Catton, who went on to become a sociologist well known for his work on the environment and human ecology, has indeed left us a unique commentary.

LC Classification NumberD774.T53C38 2020