A life up front a deeply felt, vivacious and wonderfully illustrated biography. The world war ii years, by bill mauldin and edited by todd depastino. Bill mauldin a life up front, by todd depastino, chronicles the life and artistry of a man who during world war two, captured the struggle of the common american soldier through the eyes of his battle weary cartoon charcters willie and joe. Born in 1921, bill mauldin squeezed several lifetimes into his eightyone years. On a 3day pass in naples, joes penchant for wine and women involves the pair with. Gentelmen you have a movie in your possession that have been the sole of the 45th inf battalion for years and it has never been on dvd or tape. He teaches history and writes and lives in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. If you just want the cartoons, then pick up bill mauldin s army, which also includes the demobilization process. This taut, lushly illustrated biography the first of twotime pulitzer prize winner bill mauldin is illustrated with.
The first biography of bill mauldin, who was a young 22 soldier in world war ii when the cartoons he was contributing to yank and stars and stripes began attracting notice from soldiers throughout europe, the top brass including patton, who tried unsuccessfully to have his cartoons banned and the american public who till now had been shown only a sanitized and glorified view of the war. Mauldin repudiated it and refused his advising fee. Week after week, mauldin defied army censors, german artillery, and pattons pledge to throw his ass in jail to deliver his wildly popular cartoon, up front. Up front featured the wisecracking willie and joe, whose stooped shoulders, mudsoaked uniforms, and pidgin of army slang and slum dialect bore eloquent witness to the world of combat and the men who livedand diedin it. The soldiercartoonist bill mauldin helped americans understand what world war ii was really like. Bill mauldin makes the book funny and interesting to read. Up front by bill mauldin 1945 wwii cartoons humor hardcover.
Up front is one of the most famous books to emerge from the second world war and remains an icon of the greatest generation. Up front is a 1951 comedy film directed by alexander hall and starring tom ewell and david wayne very loosely based on bill mauldins world war ii characters willie and joe. With over 30 years of active duty in the united states army, including tours in panama, iraq x 2, and afghanistan, i still find bill mauldin s humor as motivating, deadly serious, and a primer for current and future leaders. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Feb 01, 2008 if you enjoy an action packed story that is filled with humor then bill mauldin. With david wayne, tom ewell, marina berti, jeffrey lynn. A look at the common soldier of the american revolution, diane pub co, 1978. He knew, as one who had been there himself on the front lines and in the. He told me when he gave it to me that it was his favorite book growing up he was age 1015 during world war two and that i should read it to better understand the human side of war. Bill talks about world war 2 and what is happening and how difficult the war is, but he also tells how the men entertain themselves and how they have fun every now and then. How a century of homelessness shaped america and bill mauldin.
He wanted to inform the world about the great life of bill mauldin. In his drawings of the infantry dogfaces willie and joe, done while he himself fought in campaigns in sicily and italy, bill mauldin created the immortal archetypes of the american fighting man. Patton, during a march 1945 meeting with mauldin, as quoted in the brass ring 1971 by bill mauldin. I was first introduced to bill mauldin by my late father who gave me his battered copy of up front that was printed in 1945. Mauldin talks about his experiences, what it was like at anzio, how much combat medics were appreciated, how people in the rear absconded with gear, and so on. Bill mauldin biographer, todd depastino, discusses the life and career of this pulitzer prizewinning cartoonist.
Up front text and pictures by bill mauldin famous wwii cartoonist vintage 1945. The book fittingly contains dozens of mauldins drawings, and not all from the war years. In his drawings of the infantry dogfaces willie and joe, done while he himself fought in campaigns in sicily and italy, bill mauldin created the. Up front is a phenomenal book about a man in the ww2 fighting but also writing comics about it too. Up front by bill mauldin the cover is quite worn, but its such a great opportunity to get a first edition of the collected cartoons of bill mauldin for just a few dollars. For a brief moment as world war ii drew to a close, bill mauldin was the most famous cartoonist in america. I dont know what you think youre trying to do, but the krauts ought to pin a medal on you for helping them mess up discipline for us. Cartoonist bill mauldin, in his furlined mountain cap, surrounded by his combat trophies, sits in his office on the fourth floor of il messagero building in romeone floor above the main editorial offices of the stars and stripes. The first civilian compilation of his work, up front, a collection of his cartoons interwoven with his observations of. The book is biography of bill mauldin who was a cartoonist during the second world war. The real war, said walt whitman, will never get in the books. This collection includes 53 line items, more than 100 individual items chronicling the life and publications of bill mauldin, the greatest editorial cartoonist of the greatest generation. With so few surviving veterans of wwii left we need a reminder of just.
In april 2008, fantagraphics books released a twovolume set of mauldins complete wartime willie and joe. Up front by mauldin, used abebooks passion for books. Up front by bill mauldin is one of the most famous books to emerge from the second world war, a classic in every sense of the word. In addition to cartooning, he acted in hollywood movies, ran for congress, piloted airplanes, wrote several books and hundreds of articles, and won two pulitzer prizes, the first for his wartime cartoons. Willie and joe made their weekly appearence in the military newspapers such as stars and stripes, and. Up front by bill mauldin and a great selection of related books.
If you just want the cartoons, then pick up bill mauldins army, which also includes the demobilization process. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers. Only in his early 20s when he filed penandink dispatches for his divisions newspaper during the bloody, grueling italian campaign in 1943, mauldin looked even younger. This is up front by bill mauldin, dated 1945, first edition6th printing hardcover book in good condition. Up front book by bill mauldin 4 available editions half. A life up front real combat soldiers loved mauldin. Even now, with seeming 2020 hindsight and countless historical examinations, these cartoons have an authenticity about. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Mauldins pencil was offering a far more accurate catalogue of the events. Todd depastino the definitive biography of the greatest cartoonist of the greatest generation. He was most famous for his world war ii cartoons depicting american soldiers, as represented by the archetypal characters willie and joe, two weary and bedraggled infantry troopers who stoically endure the difficulties and.
If you enjoy an action packed story that is filled with humor then bill mauldin. He created two characters for which he will always be remembered. Up front by bill mauldin hardcover third printing before. However, the text in up front is what makes this book worth picking up. Stephen ambrose wrote the foreword, but this is bill mauldins book. William henry bill mauldin was an american editorial cartoonist who won two pulitzer prizes. October 29, 1921 january 22, 2003 was an american editorial cartoonist who won two pulitzer prizes for his work. Stephen ambrose, introduction to the 2000 edition of up front. Up front book by bill mauldin 4 available editions.
Even a reprint will cost you more and this book has been reprinted a lot. With over 30 years of active duty in the united states army, including tours in panama, iraq x 2, and afghanistan, i still find bill mauldins humor as motivating, deadly serious, and a primer for current and future leaders. Open books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for thousands of readers each year through inspiring programs and creative capitalization of books. Up front has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Up front by bill mauldin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
He defied army censors, german artillery, and pattons pledge to throw his ass in jail to deliver his wildly. I have not read this book, it has 228 pages and is about world war ii and the different divisions the author was in. Bill mauldin has 24 books on goodreads with 3569 ratings. Up front is a 1951 comedy film directed by alexander hall and starring tom ewell and david wayne very loosely based on bill mauldin s world war ii characters willie and joe.
Please release the willie and joe movies based on the characters by bill mauldin. The hell this aint the most important hole in the world. William henry bill mauldin was a twotime pulitzer prizewinning editorial cartoonist from the united states. The cartoon that won mauldin a pulitzer prize addresses that very fact. Up front by bill mauldin meet your next favorite book. During world war ii, the truest glimpse most americans got of the real war came through the flashing black lines of twentytwoyearold infantry sergeant bill mauldin. Tight spine, intact end pages that are tanned, name and address in pen and a small spot on front. Joe sprinkled throughout to illustrate different phases in mauldins drawing career. Up front book bill mauldin up front bill mauldin on free shipping on qualifying offers. In his drawings of the infantry dogfaces willie and joe, done while he himself fought in campaigns in sicily and italy, mauldin created the immortal archetypes of the american fighting man. Bill mauldin mauldin, bill used books, rare books and new books. His cartoons were well drawn and funny, and, as the famed correspondent ernie pyle reported to the civilian press.