Dear John

By Susan L. Carruthers,

Book cover of Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America

Book description

Are 'Dear John' letters lethal weapons in the hands of men at war? Many US officers, servicemen, veterans, and civilians would say yes. Drawing on personal letters, oral histories, and psychiatric reports, as well as popular music and movies, Susan L. Carruthers shows how the armed forces and civilian society…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Dear John as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is one of those topics that seems obvious once someone writes a book about it—but Susan Carruthers is the one who recognized a topic crying out for attention, and she’s the very best person I can imagine writing this book.

She’s good at poignancy and irony and heartbreak. That may sound like a strange thing to say about a historian—she’s good at heartbreak—but she understands that history is made up of people. There’s an argument here, in addition to some absorbing stories, but she’s also asking us to stop and think: what role have Dear John letters played in…

If you love Dear John...

Ad

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor By FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan. The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced, it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run the…

Want books like Dear John?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Dear John.

Browse books like Dear John

Book cover of The Girls Next Door: Bringing the Home Front to the Front Lines
Book cover of Elvis's Army: Cold War GIs and the Atomic Battlefield
Book cover of Pulp Vietnam: War and Gender in Cold War Men's Adventure Magazines

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,583

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in letters, soldiers, and presidential biography?

Letters 34 books
Soldiers 112 books