Switchboard soldiers : a novel / Jennifer Chiaverini.
"In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information. At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women-but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them. More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium. They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds. The risk of death was real-the women worked as bombs fell around them-as was the threat of a deadly new disease: the Spanish Flu. Not all of the telephone operators would survive.The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel...until now."-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063080690
- ISBN: 0063080699
- Physical Description: 453 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : William Morrow,
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
Search for related items by subject
Genre: | Historical fiction. War fiction. Novels. |
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Webb City Public Library | Fic Chiaverini, Jennifer (Text) | 38262300008214 | Adult Fiction | Available | - |
LDR | 03183cam a22004697i 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | 4408770 | ||
003 | ME | ||
005 | 20210802140132.0 | ||
008 | 210730s2022 nyu e b 000 1 eng | ||
010 | . | ‡a 2021036940 | |
020 | . | ‡a9780063080690 ‡q(hardcover) | |
020 | . | ‡a0063080699 ‡q(hardcover) | |
035 | . | ‡a(OCoLC)1262678297 | |
040 | . | ‡aDLC ‡beng ‡erda ‡eMK8 ‡dMP6 ‡dFS8 ‡dMUK ‡dMZ7 | |
042 | . | ‡apcc | |
043 | . | ‡an-us--- ‡ae-fr--- | |
049 | . | ‡aMQOA | |
082 | 0 | 0. | ‡a813/.54 ‡223 |
100 | 1 | . | ‡aChiaverini, Jennifer, ‡eauthor. ‡0(ME)9429 |
245 | 1 | 0. | ‡aSwitchboard soldiers : ‡ba novel / ‡cJennifer Chiaverini. |
250 | . | ‡aFirst edition. | |
264 | 1. | ‡aNew York, NY : ‡bWilliam Morrow, ‡b[2022] | |
300 | . | ‡a453 pages ; ‡c24 cm | |
336 | . | ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | |
337 | . | ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia | |
338 | . | ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier | |
520 | . | ‡a"In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information. At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women-but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them. More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium. They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds. The risk of death was real-the women worked as bombs fell around them-as was the threat of a deadly new disease: the Spanish Flu. Not all of the telephone operators would survive.The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel...until now."-- ‡cProvided by publisher. | |
504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references. | |
600 | 1 | 0. | ‡aBanker, Grace, ‡d1892-1960 ‡vFiction. |
610 | 1 | 0. | ‡aUnited States. ‡bArmy. ‡bSignal Corps ‡vFiction. |
610 | 1 | 0. | ‡aUnited States. ‡bArmy. ‡bSignal Corps. ‡0(ME)402775 |
650 | 0. | ‡aWorld War, 1914-1918 ‡xParticipation, Female ‡vFiction. | |
650 | 0. | ‡aTelephone operators ‡vFiction. | |
650 | 0. | ‡aWomen soldiers ‡zUnited States ‡y20th century ‡vFiction. | |
650 | 0. | ‡aAmericans ‡zFrance ‡vFiction. ‡0(ME)26745 | |
651 | 0. | ‡aFrance ‡xHistory ‡yGerman occupation, 1940-1945 ‡vFiction. ‡0(ME)27384 | |
655 | 7. | ‡aHistorical fiction. ‡2lcgft ‡0(ME)209 | |
655 | 7. | ‡aWar fiction. ‡2lcgft ‡0(ME)258 | |
655 | 7. | ‡aNovels. ‡2lcgft ‡0(ME)311 | |
904 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 2022 | |
904 | . | ‡aMARCIVE 2023 | |
901 | . | ‡a4408770 ‡bAUTOGEN ‡c4408770 ‡tbiblio |