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At Ease: Navy Men of World War II | 
 enlarge | Authors: Evan Bachner, Wayne Miller (photographer), Horace Bristol (photographer), Victor Jorgensen (photographer), Barrett Gallagher (photographer)
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $24.77
You Save: $15.23 (38%)
New (26) Used (12) from $10.00
Rating:  14 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 160
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 11.3 x 10.6 x 0.8
ISBN: 0810948052
Dewey Decimal Number: 779.99405459730922
EAN: 9780810948051
ASIN: 0810948052
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In the years following World War II, images of comradeship, particularly of men being physically close, largely disappeared from the public record. But, as these stunning photographs attest, ordinary American men in the extraordinary circumstances of World War II were affectionate, winsome, and playful - disarmingly innocent in a time of cataclysmic peril. Led by photography giant Captain Edward J. Steichen, the U.S. Naval Aviation Photographic Unit was organized during the war to record the daily experiences of Navy men all over the world and to provide newspapers and magazines with images to promote the American cause. The unit's photographers, which included Wayne Miller, Horace Bristol, Victor Jorgensen, and Barrett Gallagher, took thousands of pictures of soldiers as they relaxed, trained, prepared for the next battle, and waited. This book brings together more than 150 of those photographs culled from the National Archives, including many that have never before been published. Whereas World War II imagery tends to be dominated by combat photography and monumental depictions of weaponry, these photographs offer a rare, intimate look at the Navy men themselves.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
Ooh La La! February 5, 2008
Thomas J. Macentee (Chicago, IL)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
It is unbelievable for someone 40 or under to realize that these pictures were not seen as "homoerotic" at the time. The author has put together a great collection of photos here.
And the Menz are HOT!
At Ease, Navy Men of WWII January 7, 2008
Dr. H. J. Foster (Seneca SC USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a beautiful book which gives a look into the lives of the men of WWII. This is NOT a homoerotic book, these are NOT homoerotic photographs. This is how men were before we became afraid to show affection, before we had to be afraid of every move we made. These are basically boys who grew up on farms and in cities all over America who found themselves on ships in the South Pacific. If your father didn't bring home pictures like this from WWII or if they have become lost, here is a good opportunity to see how life was like on the ships, for America's Greatest Generation.
Heyward Foster III DPM
Surprising! April 28, 2007
Colinda (Historic Virginia, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I picked up this book because my dad and my grandfather served in the US Navy in WW II. I didn't see them or their ships in this book but wow! There are some beautiful photos here! Crisp black and white prints, impressive use of light, some clever composition... and so many strong young men, muscled and slender.
There is a sensuousness to many of the pictures that reminded me of Mapplethorpe's work, although none of them show full frontal nudity. As a collection the photos appear a bit homoerotic, although individually many of the images are fine art. The book is more about excellent photography and gorgeous young men than it is about wartime.
A Picture Rarely if Ever Seen July 1, 2006
Dewey (USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
As an historical reenactor, and daughter of a WWII Navy veteran, I am constantly on the outlook for books and information on the lesser known ideas and culture surrounding WWII. This book was a real eye opener! While the author is open about his sexuality and the pictures were no doubt hand picked with a certain agenda, they show a world of innocence that was unconcerned with homophobic ideas of how a man should or should not act. Being together for long periods of time in uncertain circumstances, deep friendships definitely form. Your buddy could be the one to save your life during an attack, or you might loose him in a split second from a torpedo. As a woman, I can imagine the close friendships that would form today under similar circumstances among women, and I imagine men during that time were not held back by all the macho ideas of today. A beautiful book with striking photography, this stands as an important contribution to understanding our father's and grandfather's lives during WWII.
And this is how tender Maleness can be December 31, 2004
Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
Without a doubt this book will touch the memories and hearts of everyone who pauses to slowly peruse these casual photographs of men at sea in World War II. Without the overtones of trying to make a statement about the camaraderie that accompanies men off at war, these photographs simply follow a healthy group of sailors resting on board ship, working at their tasks, bonding in the bunk rooms and in play on the decks and the foc'sle. There is an obvious physical relationship that is transmitted in the gentlest ways, further proof that men together find the emotional and physical support so needed in the time of isolation from the world.
It is to Evan Bachner's credit that he shares this truly sensitive body of work with the public at a time when we all need to understand not only the plight of the men away at war today, but of the common threads of pansexuality that have never been a threat but only a solace in a world infected with prejudice. Grady Harp, December 2004
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