Commentator's note / by Robert Johnston -- pt. 1. Before Pearl Harbor -- In the name of national security -- The great debate -- "The good war" -- Commentary / by Robert Johnston -- pt. 2. To "create a will to win" -- "It's everybody's job" -- A matter of private obligations -- Gendered patriots -- Commentary / by Robert Johnston -- pt. 3. Experiences of war -- "Their world can never be known to you" -- Writing home : intimate conversations about war -- Identities -- Commentary / by Robert Johnston -- Conclusion -- Afterword / by Robert Johnston.