SNAFU Situation Normal All F***ed Up: Sailor, Airman and Soldier Slang of World War II (General Military) - Hardcover

Rottman, Gordon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1782001751 ISBN 13: 9781782001751

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2013

Synopsis

A follow-up to 2007's highly successful FUBAR: Soldier Slang of World War II, SNAFU covers the slang of sailors and airmen, as well as soldiers.

Military life has always been ruled by its own language, specific sets of terms and phrases that separate the serving man or woman from their civilian counterpart. There is the official version of ranks and acronyms, and the more unofficial, colloquial language of the barrack room and battlefield - both are covered in this humourous look at soldier slang.

World War II saw vast numbers of young men and women pass through the ranks of the various armies involved, and they inherited and developed a vocabulary in response to their unique situations - many of whose words and phrases have passed into the common vernacular and are still in use right up to the present day. SNAFU explores the language and slang of the major combatant powers, delving into their origins and explaining their uses, all illustrated with contemporary cartoons and other images showing the phrases in use. Detailed sections are included for each of the major combatants of World War II, and additional appendices detail the nicknames given to the major surface vessels and aircraft types of the war.

About this title

About the Author:

Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969-70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol, and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas. The author lives in Cypress, TX.

Review:

“This book documents the origins of acronyms, expressions and phrases that formed the unofficial, colloquial language of barracks and battlefields before making their way into boardrooms and bedrooms. To parrot just a few of the words from this book, if you want to put a smile on your face while learning something about military history and the evolution of language, don't be a 'meathead.' Just 'get on the ball' and buy a copy of this book.” ―Toy Soldier & Model magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1782001751
• ISBN 13: 9781782001751
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 296