Up front book by bill mauldin 4 available editions. The two most famous american combat soldiers of world war ii never. Up front by bill mauldin is one of the most famous books to emerge from the second world war, a classic in every sense of the word. Mauldins pencil was offering a far more accurate catalogue of the events. How bill mauldins cartoons captured the truth of wwii. If you just want the cartoons, then pick up bill mauldins army, which also includes the demobilization process. Tight spine, intact end pages that are tanned, name and address in pen and a small spot on front. Up front by bill mauldin the cover is quite worn, but its such a great opportunity to get a first edition of the collected cartoons of bill mauldin for just a few dollars. The book is biography of bill mauldin who was a cartoonist during the second world war. In his drawings of the infantry dogfaces willie and joe, done while he himself fought in campaigns in sicily and italy, mauldin created the immortal archetypes of the american fighting man.
Born in 1921, bill mauldin squeezed several lifetimes into his eightyone years. Cartoonist bill mauldin, in his furlined mountain cap, surrounded by his combat trophies, sits in his office on the fourth floor of il messagero building in romeone floor above the main editorial offices of the stars and stripes. This is up front by bill mauldin, dated 1945, first edition6th printing hardcover book in good condition. Week after week, mauldin defied army censors, german artillery, and pattons pledge to throw his ass in jail to deliver his wildly popular cartoon, up.
I dont know what you think youre trying to do, but the krauts ought to pin a medal on you for helping them mess up discipline for us. Up front by bill mauldin and a great selection of related books. Up front has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Patton, during a march 1945 meeting with mauldin, as quoted in the brass ring 1971 by bill mauldin. Even now, with seeming 2020 hindsight and countless historical examinations, these cartoons have an authenticity about.
During world war ii, the truest glimpse most americans got of the real war came through the flashing black lines of twentytwoyearold infantry sergeant bill mauldin. The book fittingly contains dozens of mauldins drawings, and not all from the war years. William henry bill mauldin was a twotime pulitzer prizewinning editorial cartoonist from the united states. Bill mauldin has 24 books on goodreads with 3569 ratings. The book, up front, was a huge success, and offered a much more accurate portrayal of life on the front lines than the papers and newsreels. The real war, said walt whitman, will never get in the books. He told me when he gave it to me that it was his favorite book growing up he was age 1015 during world war two and that i should read it to better understand the human side of war.
Up front is a phenomenal book about a man in the ww2 fighting but also writing comics about it too. The world war ii years, by bill mauldin and edited by todd depastino. Up front by bill mauldin hardcover third printing before. If you enjoy an action packed story that is filled with humor then bill mauldin. Even a reprint will cost you more and this book has been reprinted a lot. Only in his early 20s when he filed penandink dispatches for his divisions newspaper during the bloody, grueling italian campaign in 1943, mauldin looked even younger. Up front featured the wisecracking willie and joe, whose stooped shoulders, mudsoaked uniforms, and pidgin of army slang and slum dialect bore eloquent witness to the world of combat and the men who livedand diedin it.
Bill mauldin mauldin, bill used books, rare books and new books. Up front text and pictures by bill mauldin famous wwii cartoonist vintage 1945. If you just want the cartoons, then pick up bill mauldin s army, which also includes the demobilization process. October 29, 1921 january 22, 2003 was an american editorial cartoonist who won two pulitzer prizes for his work. He defied army censors, german artillery, and pattons pledge to throw his ass in jail to deliver his wildly. Up front by bill mauldin 1945 wwii cartoons humor hardcover. I was first introduced to bill mauldin by my late father who gave me his battered copy of up front that was printed in 1945. Stephen ambrose, introduction to the 2000 edition of up front. In 1945, at age 23, his series up front with mauldin, featuring willie and joe, won him the first of his two pulitzers for editorial cartooning. This is an excellent book for those who are interested in the dogfaces view of the war. Joe sprinkled throughout to illustrate different phases in mauldins drawing career.
Bill talks about world war 2 and what is happening and how difficult the war is, but he also tells how the men entertain themselves and how they have fun every now and then. Open books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books. Bill mauldin was born in mountain park, new mexico, in 1921, and started drawing young. The hell this aint the most important hole in the world. This taut, lushly illustrated biographythe first of twotime pulitzer prize winner bill mauldin is illustrated with. In his drawings of the infantry dogfaces willie and joe, done while he himself fought in campaigns in sicily and italy, bill mauldin created the immortal archetypes of the american fighting man. Up front is one of the most famous books to emerge from the second world war and remains an icon of the greatest generation. I have not read this book, it has 228 pages and is about world war ii and the different divisions the author was in during his time in the army. Willie and joe made their weekly appearence in the military newspapers such as stars and stripes, and.
Up front book by bill mauldin 4 available editions half. See more ideas about bill mauldin, cartoon and wwii. With over 30 years of active duty in the united states army, including tours in panama, iraq x 2, and afghanistan, i still find bill mauldin s humor as motivating, deadly serious, and a primer for current and future leaders. A life up front real combat soldiers loved mauldin. His cartoons were well drawn and funny, and, as the famed correspondent ernie pyle reported to the civilian press.
He created two characters for which he will always be remembered. Feb 01, 2008 if you enjoy an action packed story that is filled with humor then bill mauldin. The soldiercartoonist bill mauldin helped americans understand what world war ii was really like. The first biography of bill mauldin, who was a young 22 soldier in world war ii when the cartoons he was contributing to yank and stars and stripes began attracting notice from soldiers throughout europe, the top brass including patton, who tried unsuccessfully to have his cartoons banned and the american public who till now had been shown only a sanitized and glorified view of the war.
With over 30 years of active duty in the united states army, including tours in panama, iraq x 2, and afghanistan, i still find bill mauldins humor as motivating, deadly serious, and a primer for current and future leaders. The first civilian compilation of his work, up front, a collection of his cartoons interwoven with his observations of. For a brief moment as world war ii drew to a close, bill mauldin was the most famous cartoonist in america. However, the text in up front is what makes this book worth picking up. In his drawings of the infantry dogfaces willie and joe, done while he himself fought in campaigns in sicily and italy, bill. Gentelmen you have a movie in your possession that have been the sole of the 45th inf battalion for years and it has never been on dvd or tape. He teaches history and writes and lives in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. With david wayne, tom ewell, marina berti, jeffrey lynn. Up front by bill mauldin meet your next favorite book. With so few surviving veterans of wwii left we need a reminder of just.
This collection includes 53 line items, more than 100 individual items chronicling the life and publications of bill mauldin, the greatest editorial cartoonist of the greatest generation. Best sellers gift ideas new releases whole foods todays deals. Up front book bill mauldin up front bill mauldin on free shipping on qualifying offers. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. In april 2008, fantagraphics books released a twovolume set of mauldins complete wartime willie and joe. Mauldin repudiated it and refused his advising fee. Bill mauldin makes the book funny and interesting to read. How a century of homelessness shaped america and bill mauldin. Todd depastino the definitive biography of the greatest cartoonist of the greatest generation.
Up front by bill mauldin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. William henry bill mauldin was an american editorial cartoonist who won two pulitzer prizes. He knew, as one who had been there himself on the front lines. He was most famous for his world war ii cartoons depicting american soldiers, as represented by the archetypal characters willie and joe, two weary and bedraggled infantry troopers who stoically endure the difficulties and. Tight spine, intact end pages that are tanned, name and address in pen and a small spot. Please release the willie and joe movies based on the characters by bill mauldin. Up front is a 1951 comedy film directed by alexander hall and starring tom ewell and david wayne very loosely based on bill mauldin s world war ii characters willie and joe. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Mauldin called himself as independent as a hog on ice, and his nonconformist approach brought him a facetoface upbraiding from gen. Up front is a 1951 comedy film directed by alexander hall and starring tom ewell and david wayne very loosely based on bill mauldins world war ii characters willie and joe. In addition to cartooning, he acted in hollywood movies, ran for congress, piloted airplanes, wrote several books and hundreds of articles, and won two pulitzer prizes, the first for his wartime cartoons.
The cartoon that won mauldin a pulitzer prize addresses that very fact. Bill mauldin a life up front, by todd depastino, chronicles the life and artistry of a man who during world war two, captured the struggle of the common american soldier through the eyes of his battle weary cartoon charcters willie and joe. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers. A life up front a deeply felt, vivacious and wonderfully illustrated biography. His cartoons were well drawn and funny, and, as the famed correspondent ernie. Mauldin talks about his experiences, what it was like at anzio, how much combat medics were appreciated, how people in the rear absconded with gear, and so on.