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Lorraine B. Diehl
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Over Here!: New York City During World War II Kindle Edition

by Lorraine B. Diehl (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 156 ratings
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A wonderfully nostalgic and inspiring look at the center of the home front during World War II—New York City

More than any other place, New York was the center of action on the home front during World War II. As Hitler came to power in Germany, American Nazis goose-stepped in Yorkville on the Upper East Side, while recently arrived Jewish émigrés found refuge on the Upper West Side. When America joined the fight, enlisted men heading for battle in Europe or the Pacific streamed through Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station. The Brooklyn Navy Yard refitted ships, and Times Square overflowed with soldiers and sailors enjoying some much-needed R & R. German U-boats attacked convoys leaving New York Harbor. Silhouetted against the gleaming skyline, ships were easy prey—debris and even bodies washed up on Long Island beaches—until the city rallied under a stringently imposed dim-out.

From Rockefeller Center's Victory Gardens and Manhattan's swanky nightclubs to metal-scrap drives and carless streets, Over Here! captures the excitement, trepidation, and bustle of this legendary city during wartime. Filled with the reminiscences of ordinary and famous New Yorkers, including Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, and Angela Lansbury, and rich in surprising detail—from Macy's blackout boutique to Mickey Mouse gas masks for kids—this engaging look back is an illuminating tour of New York on the front lines of the home front.

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  1. Print length
    355 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    HarperCollins e-books
  4. Publication date
    February 27, 2010
  5. File size
    5.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for THE LATE, GREAT PENNSYLVANIA STATION:“Diehl has now brought the station vividly back to life with a highly readable and beautifully illustrated tribute.”

From the Back Cover

A wonderfully nostalgic and inspiring look at the center of the home front during World War II—New York City

More than any other place, New York was the center of action on the home front during World War II. As Hitler came to power in Germany, American Nazis goose-stepped in Yorkville on the Upper East Side, while recently arrived Jewish émigrés found refuge on the Upper West Side. When America joined the fight, enlisted men heading for battle in Europe or the Pacific streamed through Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station. The Brooklyn Navy Yard refitted ships, and Times Square overflowed with soldiers and sailors enjoying some much-needed R & R. German U-boats attacked convoys leaving New York Harbor. Silhouetted against the gleaming skyline, ships were easy prey—debris and even bodies washed up on Long Island beaches—until the city rallied under a stringently imposed dim-out.

From Rockefeller Center's Victory Gardens and Manhattan's swanky nightclubs to metal-scrap drives and carless streets, Over Here! captures the excitement, trepidation, and bustle of this legendary city during wartime. Filled with the reminiscences of ordinary and famous New Yorkers, including Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, and Angela Lansbury, and rich in surprising detail—from Macy's blackout boutique to Mickey Mouse gas masks for kids—this engaging look back is an illuminating tour of New York on the front lines of the home front.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003A7I2LY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books (February 27, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.4 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 355 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 156 ratings

About the author

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Lorraine B. Diehl

Lorraine B. Diehl

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Born and raised in New York City, Lorraine B. Diehl is the author of The Late, Great Pennsylvania Station; Subways: The Tracks That Built New York City; and The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn ' Hardart's Masterpiece. She has contributed to New York magazine, the New York Times, Travel & Leisure, American Heritage, and the New York Daily News, where her weekly feature, "Secret City," appeared. She lives in New York with her husband, Bill, an entertainment correspondent for ABC News Radio.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
156 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative with interesting details about World War II. They describe it as an enjoyable read with eye-opening pictures. The emotional content is heartwarming and inspiring, with first-hand accounts of life in NYC during the war years. However, opinions differ on the pacing - some find it readable and easy to follow, while others find the chronology difficult to follow.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Information qualityReadabilityPicture qualityEmotional contentPacing
21 customers mention "Information quality"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and interesting. They appreciate the well-researched content about events and life on the home front during World War II. The book provides a glimpse into life in New York City during and before the war. Overall, readers describe it as an enjoyable read that is educational and thought-provoking.

"...The author writes well and gives a good sense of how the war effected the city." Read more

"If your from NYC you have to read this book.lots of documented events I had no idea happened.well written.a little long like documentareis tend to be..." Read more

"Terrific book with many interesting B&W pictures. Well presented accounts of life in NYC during the 2nd World War, and makes for a very exciting..." Read more

"...Well written and researched. I loved it." Read more

21 customers mention "Readability"21 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it interesting, entertaining, and a must-read for WWII enthusiasts. The story is well-written and informative about blackouts and U boats. However, some readers feel the book is too long like a documentary.

"What a terrific book this is...." Read more

"...to read this book.lots of documented events I had no idea happened.well written.a little long like documentareis tend to be,but loved it." Read more

"...This book did a good job of that, but it was a bit disconcerting to always follow the time line since I was trying to visualize were we in Queens..." Read more

"Terrific book with many interesting B&W pictures...." Read more

8 customers mention "Picture quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pictures. They find the B&W images interesting and eye-opening, providing an interesting look at New York City during World War II. The book is readable and nicely structured, with many stories about life in the city during the war.

"What a terrific book this is. Over Here is beautifully structured with an ominous look at the Nazis in New York, and then the growing..." Read more

"Terrific book with many interesting B&W pictures...." Read more

"...The photos are excellent, but it's the author's narrative that truly plumbs the essence of the most remarkable city in America at the most..." Read more

"...The reader can almost feel being there during this time. The pictures were amazing...." Read more

3 customers mention "Emotional content"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's emotional content moving and inspiring. They appreciate the first-hand accounts of life in New York during the war years.

"...all books about that period in history, Over Here becomes a real emotional experience - you root for the Allies and the city at the same time...." Read more

"Rich with detail of the people, the places, the feelings , the experiences that abounded during the wartime era of NYC...." Read more

"First hand accounts of life in NYC during the war years. Great pics in the Kindle edition. Interesting details. Great resource for research" Read more

7 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it readable and easy to read, providing many stories about life in the home. Others mention that the chronology is difficult to follow, with the author jumping from date to date without rhyme or reason. Overall, the book provides an informative overview of life during World War II in New Yorkers' homes.

"...The author writes well and gives a good sense of how the war effected the city." Read more

"...of what was actually happening I found it very interesting, just hard to follow." Read more

"...So happy to see the part of history preserved in a logical, readable presentation." Read more

"...The chronology is very hard to follow; I found that I had to re-read several passages, even pages back, to connect the disjointed narrative threads...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • act3
    5.0 out of 5 stars Educational, entertaining, thought-provoking
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    What a terrific book this is.
    Over Here is beautifully structured with an ominous look at the Nazis in New York, and then the growing realization of the danger they (and the war) represent. New York's response to the threat of war is heartwarming and inspiring. The creation of the Bundles for Britain program is a great example - it even inspired a motion picture, Mr. Lucky, with Cary Grant. When America finally gets in the war for good the entire city becomes part of the War Effort from the shipbuilding in Brooklyn to the scanning for enemy U-Boats to the welcoming, entertaining, and sheltering of hundreds of thousands of servicemen. All the drama of the war itself is reflected in the reactions of the city and its inhabitants. Like all books about that period in history, Over Here becomes a real emotional experience - you root for the Allies and the city at the same time.
    I kept thinking about another non-fiction book that had a similar effect on me - Seabiscuit Seabiscuit: An American Legend- an emotional roller coaster about a race horse.
    Over Here is as exciting and as rewarding as that book proved to be with NYC taking the role of the horse.
    Plus you'll find hundreds of little known facts that will start lots of interesting conversations. (The future rock empresario, young Bill Graham, for instance came to America with boatloads of child refugees from England at the beginning of the war).
    I read it on my Kindle DX and I was pleased with the quality of the formatting and the reproductions of the many, many photographs. I'm glad I read the book and I'm looking forward to reading it all over again.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Paul Bennett
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    If you enjoy reading about World War II and you have a fondness for New York City, you will probably enjoy this book. The author writes well and gives a good sense of how the war effected the city.
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  • Bob m
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    If your from NYC you have to read this book.lots of documented events I had no idea happened.well written.a little long like documentareis tend to be,but loved it.
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  • Lyn Marie
    3.0 out of 5 stars Would have appreciated events to be chronological.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Chronologically could have been better. I wanted to read this as I was born in Brooklyn during this time period, moved shortly after to NJ, and then to OH. Was curious what it was like to live there during the pre and early war years--what my parents were experiencing. This book did a good job of that, but it was a bit disconcerting to always follow the time line since I was trying to visualize were we in Queens then? Would my father have seen or experienced that as he went to the Chrysler Building for work? Did the tanker destruction encourage the move to NJ? How much of this was an influence to keep going west? The fact that most of the war years move back and forth made this much more difficult for me.
    As a history of what was actually happening I found it very interesting, just hard to follow.
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  • fiddlemuse
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book; and history we should know
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Terrific book with many interesting B&W pictures. Well presented accounts of life in NYC during the 2nd World War, and makes for a very exciting history lesson. As a former New Yorker, born a decade after WW2 ended, I knew very little of this and I know it's not taught in their schools now. I highly recommend the book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • J. Fay
    4.0 out of 5 stars "It was the best of times; It was the worst of times"
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I grew up in the Bronx listening to my mother and father, aunts and uncles, and neighborhood "old timers," often using the statements, "Remember, during the Depression....?" and "Well, that was during 'the War,' and no one could get anything...." etc. I often tried to get the true feel and "flavor" of those times, specifically in NYC, and the book, "Over Here" did indeed help me shed some light on those days. The book is aptly named. Everything from metal and paper drives, blackouts, around the clock shipbuilding, and the Bund meetings in Yorkville in Manhattan, are talked about, with input from people from the various neighborhoods and how their individual lives were affected. Newspaper accounts of the times are discussed, and how Mayor LaGuardia rallied the population to rise to the occasion. Now that the author, Ms. Diehl, has done the research, she probably has enough material for a good novel on the subject of WWII NYC, and should seriously considers it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bob F
    5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Took me back and further enlightened me on what was truly happening on the east coast, in those difficult but exhilarating times. The war certainly did unite us as a nation, with one common goal to survive and defeat the axis. Well written and researched. I loved it.
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  • Stan Lieberman
    5.0 out of 5 stars My life in NYC during my first 4-7 years of life
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Informative history when I was too young to know what was happening. I vaguely recall some scenes and events. I recommend this book for pre-boomers like me.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great pictures, good writing.
    Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A lavish, loving portrait of New York City during World War II, this book is consistently well written, entertaining and frequently thought provoking. Over Here! is brilliantly illustrated with dozens of carefully chosen photos (many from the author's collection) which greatly add to the book's impact. Highly recommended.
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