The quote suggests that during World War II, it seems like every American involved—from high-ranking generals to ordinary soldiers—kept a personal diary of their experiences on the battlefield and later turned those diaries into memoirs about the war. However, the speaker points out that while many people may have kept such journals, relatively few actually published them as standalone books.
Exploring further, this statement highlights the prolific nature of literature surrounding World War II, where countless narratives recount personal accounts from different perspectives. The implication is that although diaries were common among soldiers and military personnel, only a select few made it to publication. This observation underscores the importance of those rare published diaries since they represent not just individual experiences but also unique historical documents capturing the reality of war firsthand. By acknowledging this rarity, the quote emphasizes the value of these memoirs as authentic sources for understanding the human side of military conflicts.
Nigel Hamilton is a renowned British historian and biographer known for his work on American military figures and political leaders. His expertise in writing detailed and authoritative accounts makes him particularly well-suited to comment on the significance and scarcity of published war diaries from World War II.
