Rating: 
Summary: A Must for World War II Veterans
Review: Every story in here is a gem. A great gift for any history fan. Lots of World War II details come to light here. A fun read. Get this gift for you Dad or Grand Dad for Christmas.
Rating: 
Summary: WW2 may have had some laughs, but this book didn't
Review: I laughed, at maxium, 4 times during this whole book. The stories aren't funny whatsoever. Most of the time the punchline is hardly delivered or isn't at all. The fact that more than half the stuff in this book is taken from other books is sad and frightening. It's sad because the author is just taking other people's stuff. It's frightening because if he's picked the best humor he could find from those books, then those books are a pretty sorry case or he has horrible tastes.
Bottumline, buy an actual humor book if you are looking to laugh.
Rating:
Summary: Humor is the greatest weapon...
Review: I really enjoyed this little book.I was only 10 at the end of WW2;but remember a lot of what went on.I was growing up in Nova Scotia at the time.At school, each of us had our own personal gas mask hanging on a hook in our classroom.We had drills and everyone got into their masks.I shudder to think what an outcry would be made today if such a program was instituted.Everyone just got on board and no,the kids didn't have physiological problems or nightmares.We all brought anything made of aluminium to school and threw it at effigies of Hitler and Togo hanging from trees.After; the pots ,pans, etc were collected up and sent off to be mented down to use in making airplanes to help beat the enemy.Unlike today;there was no doubt by anyone who the enemy was.Every kid in the class brought their quarter to school to buy War Savings Stamps.At home, in the evenings, there would be Air Raid Blackout Drills.I lived in a town with a nearby Army Camp,an Airforce Base about 30 miles away in one direction and several Navy Baseswithin less than 80 miles.Needless to say,there were military personnel everywhere and Troop Trains with windows covered passing through our town.Airplanes were seen daily practicing manouvers overhead and endless army vehicles going through town.I even remember sitting on my steps and hearing the Army firing big guns only a few miles away.On Saturday afternoons we went to the movies and watched the newsreels showing the real war.Was it scarry being a kid at that time?No,not that I remember,we all believed we were going to win in the end.Thanks to the author for bringing back a lot of those memories at the beginning of this book.
As the years went on, I spent quite a few years in the Army Cadets,Militia the Officer Training Corps;fortunately none of it in active warfare.
However;the humor Osgood brings to us reminded me of the humor that sustains one whenever involved in military life.Without humor, a sane person would be driven to madness;and this would be particularly true in wartime. Humor,trickery,cunning,subterfuge,chicanery,deception,circumvention,friendships,loyalty,and most of all,living by one's wit are all important in any area of life;but in the military are practiced as a fine art.
It was also good to see the Bill Mauldin's drawings again.They brought to me two other good books that anyone who liked "Kilroy Was Here";should also enjoy namely;"The Brass Ring" and "Up Front", both by Mauldin.
I highly recommend it to anyone who has spent any time in the military.To someone who has not,they probably wouldn't believe how things were.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty funny stuff!
Review: Osgood has sifted through the mountains of GI books and papers, such as "Stars & Sripes" and "See Here, Private Hargrove," to find some of the funniest bits from WWII. There are the famous cartoons by Bill Mauldin, short pieces by celebrities, but most of all, humor written by the men at war.
As Osgood says:
"War is hell, but it can also be hilarious. And in no war was this more true than World War II. While there is nothing remotely funny about the war itself, it's clear that some of the hardship endured in that conflict was made more bearable by generous doses of humor."
Rating:
Summary: No Privacy for the Privates!
Review: Summary: This book has to be the best resource available for G.I. humor. Charles Osgood has put together a compendium of stories, jokes, one-liners, and cartoons that capture the military experience from boot camp through to going home. The stories capture a variety of perspectives from those in various branches of the military to the U.S.O. entertainers. The most humorous ones are the views of bureaucratic idiocy from the perspective of those in the foxholes. The collection is well edited, balanced, and contains an interesting memoir of Mr. Osgood's experiences as a youngster at the time. The book's main drawback is that much of the material is very long, and is takes awhile to get to the point. Review: The most outstanding work in this book are the Bill Mauldin cartoons. They are laconic and to the point. "Try to say sumpin' funny, Joe" is the invocation while heading off to fight. I also liked the Sad Sack cartoon where he builds an outdoor shower. Having finished and returning to take his shower, he finds a sign that says "Officers Only." I hope Mr. Osgood will consider doing a whole volume of such cartoons. They are wonderful! The subjects for the humor are most often spam (the food, not Internet junk mail), k.p. duty, sex, war bonds, ration coupons, fat cans, and the drawbacks of everyday military service. The humor is couched in a variety of ways, but dialects are used well. As Mr. Osgood writes, "The more ferocious and threatening the situation, the more we need a sense of humor to keep going and hang on to our sanity." Clearly, these stories and jokes helped. I was impressed that many stories that I always thought were old chestnuts, are even older than I thought. An officer is told to look up and describe what he sees. "I see millions of stars." The NCO replies, "Well, sir, it tells me that somebody stole our tent." Situations also provide the humor. "We're torpedoed! . . . You can't leave me now, I've got four aces!" "It's kind of hard to get credit for standing at attention because my uniform is all-ways [sic] at ease." A straw bed evokes this comment: "Its [sic] a matter of midn [sic] over mattress." The jokes about the officers are the best. "Apprehensive means I'm scared with a college education." Food is a good subject, as well: "Synthetic lemonade -- a mixture of carbolic acid with ersatz lemon powder" Be sure to read The Craven, which is a satirical poem based on Poe's, The Raven. "Private practice? NEVERMORE!" The only drawback is the book contains many long stories that develop slowly. Although most are fine in the end, they would have benefited from more editing. I graded the book down one star for this quality. Overall, the humor probably gives you a sense of what World War II was like more than any history. After you finish this book, ask people who lived at that time what their favorite funny stories are. You will probably add to your collection, and will also encourage veterans to talk about what is often a time of many painful memories. Honor the laughter of the human spirit that cries out to banish horror!
Rating:
Summary: A lighter note about World War Two
Review: The book "Kilroy Was Here" is a great insight into what went on behind the scenes during World War Two. Charles Osgood has done a spectacular job collecting different stories from so many sources; it's unbelievable! I loved how he focused on the humorous aspect of the war because it really gives you a first-hand glance at the determination of these soldiers and their strong will. They always managed to see the best of everything, even in the most trying times. I really liked the Dictionary of American Military slang at the beginning of the book. There were so many words in there that i had never heard of before, and it helped to keep me on track as i read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and who knows any history about World War Two or fought in World War Two. Some of the stories might be hard to understand if you don't have any knowledge of the war. Being able to see the optimism in our war heroes first-hand made me appreciate them even more.
Rating:
Summary: A lighter note about World War Two
Review: The book "Kilroy Was Here" is a great insight into what went on behind the scenes during World War Two. Charles Osgood has done a spectacular job collecting different stories from so many sources; it's unbelievable! I loved how he focused on the humorous aspect of the war because it really gives you a first-hand glance at the determination of these soldiers and their strong will. They always managed to see the best of everything, even in the most trying times. I really liked the Dictionary of American Military slang at the beginning of the book. There were so many words in there that i had never heard of before, and it helped to keep me on track as i read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and who knows any history about World War Two or fought in World War Two. Some of the stories might be hard to understand if you don't have any knowledge of the war. Being able to see the optimism in our war heroes first-hand made me appreciate them even more.
Rating:
Summary: True to life military humor
Review: The book was written in the type of language that the G.I's used during that time period. I think it would be of particular interest to the enlisted service members of WW2 and Korea through Vietnam. It is characteristic of the way G.I's would take distasteful or uncomfortable circumstances surrounding details and theirliving conditions and turn them into humor. It was a well written book, I enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Tepid humor edited by someone who should know better
Review: This book of humor lacked any of the bite that I would expect from veterans of the military bureaucracy so sharply satirized in "Catch-22." It's as if Osgood chose to reinforce the overblown portrayals of World War II veterans as demigods rather than as regular, vulgar, lusty, angry, scared humans. I've heard enough of Charles Osgood's work on the radio to know that he doesn't usually fear sacred cows, but he treats the vets and the war as such anyway. Hopefully, a future editor will explore a fuller range of humor from the war.
Rating:
Summary: Fun about World War II?
Review: This is a very informative book about the one side of our soldiers you wouldn't expect to see coming out of the history of World War II. This is a very humorous book and an even more enjoyable read. I am the grandson of many Second World War veterans and these stories and jokes are all very familiar to me as recounted from their memories, but it makes me feel good because I know that what Osgood is putting in here is true. Just a lot of fun.
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