Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, 1942: Reproduced from the Original Typescript, War Department, Washington, DC

United States War Department Bodleian Library, University of Oxford; 2004; 31 pp. This is a charming book I received from a dear friend from Devonshire, England. It is a reproduction of an original pamphlet produced by the War Department in 1942. It was meant to give a brief introduction to Britain and its people and some words of advice to the servicemen shipping over to England to join the Allies in destroying Hitler. The writing comes across quaint and nostalgic from the modern perspective. I actually did learn a little about the geography and demographics of England. The discourse on the characteristics of Britons as seen from the American viewpoint was relatively true to form, I believe, and sometimes humorous as well.

My English boyfriend gave this to me, an American, as a gift. I think it's absolutely charming, quirky and amusing. Definitely great as a little token for someone with a sense of humor and an appreciation for history.

This eight page typescript contains an enormous amount of information. And, over 60 years later, it contains a great deal of entertainment for my British friends. It's fun to share with friends in this country as well. "You will naturally be interested in getting to know your opposite number, the British soldier, the `Tommy' you have heard and read about. You can understand that two actions on your part will slow up the friendship - swiping his girl, and not appreciating what his army has been up against. Yes, and rubbing it in that you are better paid than he is." On courage: "Don't be misled by the British tendency to be soft- spoken and polite. If they need to be, they can be plenty tough. The English language didn't spread across the oceans and over the mountains and jungles and swamps of the world because these people were panty-waists." On servicewomen: "Now you understand why British soldiers respect the women in uniform. They have won the right to utmost respect. When you see a girl in khaki . . . with a bit of ribbon on her tunic - remember she didn't get it for knitting more socks than anyone else in Ipswich." "Let this be your slogan: It is always impolite to criticize your hosts. it is militarily stupid to criticize your allies." The advice about not criticizing your hosts is great advice for any traveler, military or civilian. I found the pamphlet an interesting bit of cultural and military history. Robert C. Ross 2008

There's an old saying: "It is always impolite to criticize your hosts; it is militarily stupid to criticize your allies." No kidding. Which is why, in 1942, when the Americans took up residence in Britain, a seven-page long pamphlet was distributed, essentially to help the Yanks understand their British "cousins." Little did they know that those seven pages, some six decades later, would be read aloud on bus routes in London as amusing historical relics for the entertainment of passengers. Short, sweet, and hysterically funny to the modern ear, this books gives a very good view of how Americans saw the British people, both during WW2 and even now, by comparing how we saw them then to how we see them today. The book goes into everything, using clear language and astonishing detail for all its length: sports, weights and measures, monetary units, rationing. Some of the instructions bring home the fact that America was itself a drastically different place sixty years ago; some of it brings into stark relief that by the time the US entered the war, Britain had been involved for over two years already. But perhaps what makes it so funny now is the language itself, since phrases have changed so drastically in the last sixty years, something quite ironically stated in the first few pages: "The British have phrases and colloquialisms of their own that may sound funny to you. You can make just as many boners in their eyes...." Indeed.