A vivid narrative of an ill-fated Pan American flight during World War II that captures the dramatic backstories of its passengers and, through them, the impact of Americans' global connections.On February 21, 1943, Pan American Airways' celebrated seaplane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from New York's Marine Air Terminal and island-hopped its way across the Atlantic Ocean. Arriving at Lisbon the following evening, it crashed in the Tagus River, killing twenty-four of its thirty-nine passengers and crew. Americans in a World at War traces the backstories of seven worldly Americans aboard that plane, their personal histories, their politics, and the paths that led them toward war.Combat soldiers made up only a small fraction of the millions of Americans, both in and out of uniform, who scattered across six continents during the Second World War. This book uncovers a surprising history of American noncombatants abroad in the years leading into the twentieth century's most consequential conflict. Long before GIs began storming beaches and liberating towns, Americans had forged extensive political, economic, and personal ties to other parts of the world. These deep and sometimes contradictory engagements, which preceded the bombing of Pearl Harbor, would shape and in turn be transformed by the US war effort.The intriguing biographies of the Yankee Clipper's passengers--among them an Olympic-athlete-turned-export salesman, a Broadway star, a swashbuckling pilot, and two entrepreneurs accused of trading with the enemy--upend conventional American narratives about World War II. As their travels take them from Ukraine, France, Spain, Panama, Cuba, and the Philippines to Java, India, Australia, Britain, Egypt, the Soviet Union, and the Belgian Congo, among other hot spots, their movements defy simple boundaries between home front and war front. Americans in a World at War offers fresh perspectives on a transformative period of US history and global connections during the "American Century."

PrefaceCast of CharactersMapsNote on Names and LanguageIntroduction: Into the VortexPart I: 1914-19201. Balloon Work: George hopes to fight in France2. Autumn Flies: Tamara survives civil war in Ukraine3. Blood of the Earth: Harry learns the oil business in Romania4. Tramp Trade: Manuel watches the Great War tear Spain apartInterlude: New York to Bermuda: Sully greets his passengersPart II: 1920-19395. Free Lunches: Frank competes in the Amsterdam Olympics6. Unfinished People: Tamara struggles in the Bronx7. The Silk-Stocking Revolt: George runs for Congress against the New Deal8. Twelve Mile River: Ben falls in love with Roosevelt's Washington9. Woman and Bird: Tamara finds fame on Broadway10. Tea-Time: Frank moves to the Philippines11. Stolen Soil: Manuel's schemes reach Mexico and CubaInterlude: Bermuda to the Azores: Sully flies past the Point of No ReturnPart III: 1939-194212. Three-Minute Channel: Ben endures the London Blitz13. Back to Porridge: Frank contends with the fall of the Netherlands14. Ship's Stores: Manuel is arrested for smuggling15. Easy Dish: Frank braves the invasion of Java16. Red Mississippi: Ben reports from Russia17. Hold Your Hats: George joins the armyInterlude: The Azores to Portugal: Sully prepares for arrivalPart IV: 1942-194318. Patent Denials: Harry manages his company's German ties19. Dangerous Acts: Tamara volunteers to entertain troops20. The Charter Offer: Manuel makes a bargain21. Small Potatoes: Frank broadcasts from Australia22. Acid Test: Ben witnesses the Quit India campaign23. Hot Questions: George testifies before CongressConclusion: A Strange and Frightening WorldAppendix: The Yankee Clipper's Last Passenger ManifestAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex