Description
Lost Voices of the Great War: Summit County in the First World War expands upon the award-winning PBS documentary of the same name, bringing readers even deeper into the stories of thelocal women and men whose lives were shaped by World War I. This companion volume restores the full, unfiltered voices that were brought to life through period photographs, rare film footage, and dramatic historic reenactments.
Since the documentary’s debut in 2018, audiences, historians, and family members alike have sought more—more stories, more context, and more voices from a generation nearly lost to time. Inspired by this continuing interest, and by the realization that many powerful accounts never made it onto the screen, Fleischer and Motter have assembled this collection of complete letters and firsthand accounts drawn from local libraries, museums, and archival repositories.
Within these pages are the rediscovered words of Summit County residents such as Mary Gladwin, an Akron nurse who volunteered to serve with the International Red Cross overseas, and Fred Seiberling, son of Goodyear Tire and Rubber cofounder F. A. Seiberling, as well as several Goodyearites, like Lester S. Himmelberger, who served in the balloon division, and Charles C. Jackson, the only known decorated African American officer from Ohio. These voices, along with those of newly arrived immigrants and southern migrants who came to Akron’s booming rubber industry before answering the call to serve.
Together, these letters reveal how individuals of vastly different backgrounds—across class, race, faith, and nationality—were united by a global conflict simply known then as the Great War. Set against the backdrop of industrial transformation and a devastating worldwide pandemic, Lost Voices of the Great War preserves the intimate testimonies of those who lived during a moment that irrevocably reshaped the twentieth century.
About the editors
S. Victor Fleischer holds a BA and MA in American history and an MLIS from Kent State University. He has worked as a professional archivist for over twenty-five years and currently serves as university archivist, head of Archives & Special Collections, and professor of bibliography at The University of Akron. He has published numerous scholarly articles in professional journals. His first book, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company: A Photographic History, was published in 2020. He was an associate editor and contributor to Hail We Akron! and lead researcher and coproducer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Lost Voices of the Great War.
Toivo Motter has worked in the education and instructional design/media fields for over twenty years. In 2018, he established and led a county-wide World War I commemoration project that initiated new research, joint programming, and the production of the Emmy-nominated, PBS-aired documentary film Lost Voices of the Great War. Toivo holds an MS in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in educational technology from Cleveland State University and a BS in social studies education with a submajor in history and geography from Kent State University.
Praise for Lost Voices of the Great War
What an interesting book. These eyewitness accounts from World War I provide vivid glimpses of the battlefield in Europe. You can smell the smoke, hear the artillery fire, and feel the earth shudder as Summit County residents describe in detail their harrowing experiences “over there.” From the drudgery of camp to the horror of war to the jubilation of armistice, these candid narratives will hold your attention from start to finish. Biographical materials and vintage photographs further enhance this remarkable collection of letters. The editors have really done their research. Truly a good read.
—Mark J. Price, Akron journalist and author
Lost Voices of the Great War is a welcome companion to the documentary film of the same name, which Fleischer and Motter also produced. The editors have curated a wonderful set of letters from Summit County residents during WWI. With a focus on men and women engaged in various aspects of the war effort in Europe, the letters convey compelling stories filled with details and emotion. Fleischer and Motter consulted several different archival collections to select a rich and valuable set of letters that add depth to our understanding of the WWI era. They adeptly address the difficulty in finding extant letters from WWI, especially from Black and female writers. The film and the book together make an important contribution to not only local history, but also state and national history as well.
—Gregory Wilson, Distinguished Professor of History, The University of Akron, Coauthor of Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State
This volume is an extraordinary and thorough piece of research that deftly weaves letters, archival manuscripts, images, and other contemporary published works into an engaging story of how Akron and Summit County experienced one of the most important events of the twentieth century. Although it effectively addresses the “big picture” of this momentous event, it does so through a series of compelling “small picture” human stories representing the broad range of the area’s population, meaningfully addressing issues of class, race, and gender. Anyone interested in this period of history will find something of interest in this book.
—Kevin F. Kern, Associate Professor of History, The University of Akron
