In episode 37 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with author Molly Guptill Manning about her new book, “A Librarian’s War: The Man Who Fought World War II with Books and Brought the Joy of Reading to Millions.”
Manning is a historian, curator, and associate professor of law at New York Law School whose work centers on the power of the written word. Her books include “The War of Words: How America’s GI Journalists Battled Censorship and Propaganda to Help Win World War II,” “When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II,” and “The Myth of Ephraim Tutt: Arthur Train and His Great Literary Hoax.” Manning’s new book, “A Librarian’s War: The Man Who Fought World War II with Books and Brought the Joy of Reading to Millions,” tells the story of Ray Trautman, the Chief Librarian of the U.S. Army during WWII.
A lifelong champion of books and literacy who moved in the same circles as Ernest Hemingway, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Presidents Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Truman, Trautman put nearly half a billion books and other reading materials into the hands of U.S. military members serving around the world during WWII. It can be argued that no one in American history has made a greater contribution to the reading habits of Americans than Trautman, and the ripple effects of his work can still be felt today.
“A Librarian’s War” is also a riveting look at a world torn apart by war and how books and reading helped boost morale both on the battlefield and on the homefront.
Manning joins the podcast to discuss the writing of “A Librarian’s War,” Trautman’s life and legacy, her thoughts on book bans, and more.
“How I Library” is available for download or streaming on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or listen below.
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