Summary Of David Reynolds 'Rich Relations'

Rich Relations is precisely what the title implies. It is about the impact American GI’s had on Britain during the Second World War, between 1942 and 1945; and the relations between those three million American troops and their British hosts. David Reynolds organizes his concepts in short, meaty chapters that address the essence of the relationship between the United States and Britain at every level- social, political, military, civilian, diplomatic, male and female, black and white, formal and informal….
“The encounter of the Yanks and Limeys is, then a fascinating story in itself, but much more” (p. xxix). The author’s thesis is arguing that this is more than a story. It highlights America and Britain at a point of modernization. It reveals the realities inside an Army. Young people must grow up quickly and are forced away from their homes, where they make love and make war. Reynolds contends that the American GI’s were more than “over-sexed, over-fed, and over-here,” a stereotype impressed upon them. They were homesick, low on morale and
He pulled from official documents, personal letters and diaries, and testimonies from the soldiers of that time. It is clear that he engrossed himself in research to construct this scholarly book. In fact, during my background research on the book, I discovered that he worked on it for thirteen years. His chapters do not simply focus on the soldiers, but also the politics and strategy of both British and American. Including the relationships between American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, and between both British and American generals. Reynolds entwined politics, society, culture, power, experiences, and real life to reveal the neglected aspects of the American occupation of Britain and what it meant to the