Description
Book SynopsisThis collection examines the Young Men’s Christian Association’s support for soldiers and civilians during World War I and World War II. The contributors approach the topic from various angles and argue that the YMCA’s efforts routinely resulted in conflict with governments, other civic organizations, and individuals.
Trade ReviewA diverse and compelling edited volume, The YMCA at War reveals a new social understanding of twentieth century warfare. The Y’s global reach and immense influence in wartime make its social-service soldiers an intriguing counterpart to the soldiers on the battlefield. -- Jon Davidann, Hawai'i Pacific University
It is a pleasure to read such a comprehensive and deeply engaging discussion of the YMCA’s wartime programs around the globe and their attendant critical discourses. This collection vividly illustrates the complexity and intersectionality of race, ethnicity, gender, and social class confronting the Y secretaries in their highly contested humanitarian endeavors. The YMCA at War is a major gift to scholars, educators, and practitioners who grapple with the challenges of an increasing globalized political economy today. -- Jun Xing, California State University, Los Angeles
Table of ContentsForeword, Matthew Lee Miller
Introduction: Collaboration and Conflict: The YMCA at War, Jeffrey C. Copeland and Yan Xu
Chapter 1: The Damn Y Man in WWI: Service, Perception, and Cigarettes, Joel R. Bius
Chapter 2: Huts in the Holy Land: The YMCA and British Empire Soldiers in the Sinai and
Palestine Campaigns, 1916–1918, Edward C. Woodfin
Chapter 3: To Help and To Organize: The YMCA in Italy during the Great War, Ugo Pavan Dalla Torre
Chapter 4: The American YMCA and War Work Service in Russia in World War I and the Russian Civil War, 1914–1923, Kenneth A. Steuer
Chapter 5: The YMCA and the Science of International Civil Statecraft in Post-World War I
Czechoslovakia, Erika Cornelius Smith
Chapter 6: The YMCA with the American Occupation Force in Germany after World War I,
Larry A. Grant
Chapter 7: “Character Conservancy in Shanghai’s Emergency”: The YMCA in Shanghai, 1931–1942, Kristin Mulready-Stone
Chapter 8: Befriending Soldiers: The Emergency Service to Soldiers Program of the Chinese YMCA during the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937–1945, Yan Xu
Chapter 9: “In Harmony with American Democracy”: The YMCA in California during the Japanese American Internment and Resettlement, Jeffrey C. Copeland
Chapter 10: “Canadians for Canadians Only...It's Like a Paradise”: Sport, Leisure, and the Canadian YMCA in England during the Second World War, John J. Maker
Chapter 11: The YMCA, YWCA, and the "Civilizing" of Australian Servicemen in Postwar Japan, John Moremon
