A Librarian's War: The Man Who Fought World War II with Books and Brought the Joy of Reading to Millions

The untold story of Ray Trautman, the Greatest Generation's librarian, who made reading central to the Allied fight in World War II and transformed the role of books in American life. Though unknown to most readers, no one made a greater contribution to reading habits in America than Ray Trautman.Growing up in the rural Midwest, Trautman looked to reading as a way of exploring the world--as both escape and enlightenment--and yet, as with many Americans, discovered that with no community library and limited funds finding books was a challenge.This sparked in him a lifelong passion to build libraries and ensure free access to books for all.After working his way through college, Trautman became an independent bookseller, and then joined the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression, building libraries and teaching people how to read.In late 1940, after earning a degree in library studies from Columbia, he landed the job of a lifetime: Chief Librarian of the Army.Many military lead