Stars and Stripes, World War I, Complete Bound Collection, Excellent Condition
The newspaper was created at the behest of General John J. Pershing for the morale and information of the uniformed personnel serving in the American Expeditionary Force, AEF, during the U. Participation in World War I.
The entire run of the newspaper was reprinted in its original format after the war by the National Tribune Foundation in an oversized bound volume measuring 16 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches and weighing in at nearly 12 pounds. The volume covers show minor signs of wear and the binding, while intact, also shows signs of wear and loosening. The newspaper is printed on good stock. There no signs of yellowing or brittle pages. There are a few very minor tears to some pages.
Overall, this is an antique book in good to very good condition. This collection provides the reader an interesting, fascinating and informative insight into the history, culture and social priorities of American society and uniformed personnel during the throes of World War I. The newspaper reflects the interests of its doughboy readers in sports, humor and news from the battlefield and home front.
On the front page of the first issue, Pershing stated. Th(is) paper, written by the men in the service, should speak the thoughts of the new American Army and the American people from whom the Army has been drawn. The Stars and Stripes of World War I grew to a high-circulation newspaper that reached well over half a million readers by its one-year anniversary. Like its latter-day successor, the Stars and Stripes, re-incarnated during World War II and continuing to the present day, has earned the trust, appreciation, approval and loyalty of millions of U. Military personnel for more than a century.
This is a collection that will be of particular value to military and social historians writing about World War I. Novelists who are planning to place their characters in the time frame of this period will find that these newspapers provide a contemporary sense of time, place and language.
Collectors and students of America's role in World War I and its immediate aftermath will also find this collection a veritable treasure trove of information not available elsewhere. As noted, this is an oversized and heavy volume.