State of War

A deeply researched history of Florida's strategic andmilitary roles in World War II

The first book to sharethe entire history of Florida's involvement in World War II, State ofWar explores how the war transformed the state into a major hub of militaryindustry and an important training base for ground, naval, and air forces.

Drawing onhistoric photographs, military archival data, and civilian reporting innewspapers of the time, Anthony Atwood explores Florida's military history andgeography during the war years. The state offered strategic potential in bothits available space and its location near critical sea lanes. This uniquecombination made Florida the site of over 250 military installations and a launchingpad for US military power around the globe. Florida was even a seat of war,serving as headquarters for the Battle of the Gulf-Sea Frontier against Nazi U-boats.

Atwood also usescensus data to show how the demographics of Florida were changed by the war. BeforeWorld War II, less than two percent of Americans lived in Florida and the statewas seen as a quiet, rural southern backwater. During the war there were moresoldiers than civilians in Florida and the influx of people led to rapidurbanization. Atwood describes how hundreds of thousands of women helped buildships and aircraft and African Americans fought a battle in two fronts?to winthe war against the Nazis and to win civil rights at home.

World War II acceleratedthe state's relationship with the military, and this book details the war'slasting impacts. In addition to the airports and other infrastructure builtduring wartime, Florida remains an important part of military operations. Floridais now the base of three unified combatant commands of the US Department ofDefense and is home to the third largest population of veterans in the nation.