Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: "Washington Goes to War" is an extremely insightful and interesting book. It provides a unique view of history. I learned things that I could never have found in a text book. The book often dealt with individuals and how they had an impact on the whole, rather than just explaining events. I learned a great deal about what Washington was like during the time surrounding WWII and how that connects to what is like today. I also learned a lot about WWII and how Roosevelt dealt with issues he was confronted with. I definitely recommend this book to people who want to see the personal side of history rather than just the facts.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent on the merits
Review: By sheer coincidence, I read Ben Bradlee's memoir, A GOOD LIFE, Andy Rooney's MY WAR and David Brinkley's WASHINGTON GOES TO WAR in immediate succession.Each of these books covers a different aspect of America's involvement in World War II. Taken as a grouping, these three may be the definitive report of the social history of the moment, as impacted by that War. Obviously, Tom Brokaw's book of individual reminiscences, THE GREATEST GENERATION, must be included with this list as well. In common with all of these others, David Brinkley, too, is an excellent writer who makes history lively and interesting. As with each of the other books mentioned in this group, WASHINGTON GOES TO WAR can stand alone on its own merits. Yet each of these books gains synergistically by being read in tandem with the others. This was a fascinating moment in modern history, and David Brinkley tells tales that most readers would have no other way of learning.
Rating: 
Summary: "I never knew that DC had professional, legal Brothells."
Review: David Brinkly,a highly esteemed journalist, wrote, recorded, and explained Washington, DC's history in a journalistic fashion thus remaining true to his profession. Rather than writing a drol and lifeless synopsis of the cities past, he wrote an exciting, somewhat humurous yet fully accurate 'tell all' book about the United States nation's capital, Washington, DC.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Brinkley is great at taking you back
Review: I am only 17 years old but when I was reading this book I felt like I really knew the world that Brinkley was talking about. Ashley in DC
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: I found this book very interesting. As someone who is currently living in the D.C area, I was fascinated to travel back in time while reading this book and picture how D.C. has become what it is today. There is much to learn in this book especially about Roosevelt's presidency and the turmoil around the war and it is presented in a very fun, easy to read style. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about the development of our nation's capitol.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Imagine, being able to eat your lunch on the White House lawn! This was once possible. David Brinkley brings out the humor and silliness as well as seriousness of the storm clouds of approaching war. As he descirbed it, Washington was not like New York or Paris. It was a sleepy Southern town, that just happened to be the HQ of the Federal Government. Anyone interested in American history will have fun with this book. Much of it is downright funny. The diplomats who wont talk to each other is like scenes out of the movie Casablanca. The woman who was told by the Sanitation Dept. to get rid of her bricks by leaving them on the bus. I reread bits of the book when I need a laugh. Keep Washington Goes to War in a Prominent Place.
Rating:
Summary: A Bird's Eye View of World War II in Washington D.C.
Review: Imagine, being able to eat your lunch on the White House lawn! This was once possible. David Brinkley brings out the humor and silliness as well as seriousness of the storm clouds of approaching war. As he descirbed it, Washington was not like New York or Paris. It was a sleepy Southern town, that just happened to be the HQ of the Federal Government. Anyone interested in American history will have fun with this book. Much of it is downright funny. The diplomats who wont talk to each other is like scenes out of the movie Casablanca. The woman who was told by the Sanitation Dept. to get rid of her bricks by leaving them on the bus. I reread bits of the book when I need a laugh. Keep Washington Goes to War in a Prominent Place.
Rating:
Summary: How Washington, D.C. became WASHINGTON, DC
Review: In 1940 Washington, DC was a town that hosted our national government. By the end of 1945 it was a city and the central focus of a government that managed the sixteen million men and women in uniform who fought the Second World War and the other millions who supported the effort at home. This required office space, housing, entertainment and above all people, people, people. More people than anyone imagined could be supported in our ten mile square federal district. David Brinkley saw the transformation first hand. People and buildings could literally not be deployed fast enough in our nation's capitol city to keep up with the demands of World War. The effort to accomodate this change is an interesting story told well by the author. The pace and magnitude of change is fascinating to behold. One wonders how the bureaucracy that took a 250,000 man fighting force from wooden training rifles to the millions who had 50,000 aircraft alone to deploy against our enemies were able to undertake this phenominal expansion in reasonably good order. As Brinkley tells it, it was part good old American "can-do" attitude coupled with a near unanimous belief in our mission and dedication to winning the war. Somehow the City, and the people responsible for running its only true industry (government) managed the task and its transformation fairly well. Brinkley is a good story teller, and his chronicle of how Washington changed during the war years is also the story of America coming of age. He brings a fresh descriptive narrative to what turns out to be a pretty interesting story.
Rating:
Summary: How Washington, D.C. became WASHINGTON, DC
Review: In 1940 Washington, DC was a town that hosted our national government. By the end of 1945 it was a city and the central focus of a government that managed the sixteen million men and women in uniform who fought the Second World War and the other millions who supported the effort at home. This required office space, housing, entertainment and above all people, people, people. More people than anyone imagined could be supported in our ten mile square federal district. David Brinkley saw the transformation first hand. People and buildings could literally not be deployed fast enough in our nation's capitol city to keep up with the demands of World War. The effort to accomodate this change is an interesting story told well by the author. The pace and magnitude of change is fascinating to behold. One wonders how the bureaucracy that took a 250,000 man fighting force from wooden training rifles to the millions who had 50,000 aircraft alone to deploy against our enemies were able to undertake this phenominal expansion in reasonably good order. As Brinkley tells it, it was part good old American "can-do" attitude coupled with a near unanimous belief in our mission and dedication to winning the war. Somehow the City, and the people responsible for running its only true industry (government) managed the task and its transformation fairly well. Brinkley is a good story teller, and his chronicle of how Washington changed during the war years is also the story of America coming of age. He brings a fresh descriptive narrative to what turns out to be a pretty interesting story.
Rating:
Summary: A Great History of an important city, Washington DC.
Review: Living in DC, this book make you really think about what was once going on around the place where you live. This novel is about the mentality that people had during World War II, and what it meant to be living in the nations capital. The stories really let you into the minds of the characters, and how hard life could be sometimes. There was a lot going on in Washington, and it is amazing that such pure history can be so interesting to read.
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