Publishers Gave Away Over One Million Books During World War II, Creating a Nation of Readers

In 1943, in the middle of the Second World War, America's book publishers took an audacious gamble. They decided to sell the armed forces cheap paperbacks, shipped to units scattered around the globe. Instead of printing only the books soldiers and sailors actually wanted to read, though, publishers decided to send them the best they had to offer. Over the next four years, publishers gave away 122,951,031 copies of their most valuable titles.

From small Pacific islands to sprawling European depots, soldiers discovered the addictive delights of good books.