Taken by Force (book)
Encyclopedia
Taken by Force: Rape and American GIs in Europe in World War II is a book by Northern Kentucky University
sociology
and criminology
professor J. Robert Lilly that examines the issue of rape
by U.S. servicemen in the European theater of World War II
.
between the years of 1942 and 1945, as well as the reaction of the American army in response to the crimes. The book draws upon court records, newspaper articles and trial transcripts, covering the 14,000 rapes that Lilly estimated, using a formula created by Leon Radzinowicz
, occurred in Britain, France and Germany at the hands of US soldiers.
Chapter 2 covers "explanations for sexual violence during war", which includes discussion about rape being used as a "tool of genocide
", as a "inherent feature of military culture", and as a "means of revenge."
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 consecutively act as "analyses of rape and rape prosecutions" in the countries of England, France, and Germany and how the number of rapes in each country differ because of views American soldiers held toward the civilian population in each country.
which called it a "detailed study". Writing for The Guardian
, Cambridge University historian Richard Drayton stated that the moral of the book was the "brutalising momentum" of war.
Sarah Armstrong of the Probation Journal considered Taken by Force to be a "foundation on which we can and should build up knowledge about, and analysis of, rape and war", though also found it "difficult reading" due to the "essential horror" of the descriptions. Armstrong wondered "if some of this material could be reduced...in favour of increasing the presentation of statistical information". This is echoed by Kathleen J. Ferraro of Contemporary Sociology
, who "became somewhat numb from the repetition of graphic depictions of rape in each country" and felt that "it would have been helpful to have further analysis of the conditions that aggravate or reduce wartime rape."
Northern Kentucky University
|type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...
sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
professor J. Robert Lilly that examines the issue of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
by U.S. servicemen in the European theater of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Synopsis
Taken by Force explores the patterns of rapes committed by US servicemen during the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
between the years of 1942 and 1945, as well as the reaction of the American army in response to the crimes. The book draws upon court records, newspaper articles and trial transcripts, covering the 14,000 rapes that Lilly estimated, using a formula created by Leon Radzinowicz
Leon Radzinowicz
Sir Leon Radzinowicz was an academic criminologist and the founding director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge.He was born in Łódź, Poland and arrived in Cambridge in the late 1930s...
, occurred in Britain, France and Germany at the hands of US soldiers.
Chapter 2 covers "explanations for sexual violence during war", which includes discussion about rape being used as a "tool of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
", as a "inherent feature of military culture", and as a "means of revenge."
Chapters 3, 4, and 5 consecutively act as "analyses of rape and rape prosecutions" in the countries of England, France, and Germany and how the number of rapes in each country differ because of views American soldiers held toward the civilian population in each country.
Critical reception
Taken by Force was reviewed in the Australian Army Journal and described the book as "extensively researched and referenced" with Lilly setting himself to the difficult task of dealing with the highly sensitive topic of rape in an approachable, confronting and transparent manner but criticized the book for dealing with the victims with an overly broad brush. The book was also reviewed by The Journal of Military HistorySociety for Military History
The Society for Military History is an United States-based international organization of scholars who research, write and teach military history of all time periods and places. It includes Naval history, air power history and studies of technology, ideas, and homefronts. It publishes the...
which called it a "detailed study". Writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Cambridge University historian Richard Drayton stated that the moral of the book was the "brutalising momentum" of war.
Sarah Armstrong of the Probation Journal considered Taken by Force to be a "foundation on which we can and should build up knowledge about, and analysis of, rape and war", though also found it "difficult reading" due to the "essential horror" of the descriptions. Armstrong wondered "if some of this material could be reduced...in favour of increasing the presentation of statistical information". This is echoed by Kathleen J. Ferraro of Contemporary Sociology
Contemporary Sociology
Contemporary Sociology is an academic journal in the field of sociology, published bimonthly by Sage Publications on behalf of the American Sociological Association since 1972. Contemporary Sociology publishes reviews and discussions of the most important recent works in sociology and in related...
, who "became somewhat numb from the repetition of graphic depictions of rape in each country" and felt that "it would have been helpful to have further analysis of the conditions that aggravate or reduce wartime rape."
Publication history
The book was published in France in 2003 before the United States. The American edition contains twenty-one pages of introduction, including acknowledgements, foreword, and a preface to the English and French edition. According to the book reviewer for the Australian Army Journal, the author of the French preface "goes to extremes to point out that this book was selected for the French market before being accepted in the US market because of American distaste towards negative stories relating to the US military."External links
- Taken by Force on Google Books