SNAFU Situation Normal All F***ed Up: Sailor, Airman, and Soldier Slang of World War II

Military life has always been ruled by its own language, specific sets of terms and phrases that separate the serving man or woman from their civilian counterpart. There is the official version of ranks and acronyms, and the more unofficial, colloquial language of the barrack room and battlefield. This new title explores the language and slang of the major combatant powers, delving into their origins and explaining their uses. All of this will be illustrated with contemporary cartoons and other images showing the phrases in use. This title is designed specifically as a follow-up to 2007's FUBAR: Soldier Slang of World War II, and will differ from the original book in that it will cover the slang of sailors and airman, as well as soldiers. Detailed sections will be included for each of the major combatants of World War II, and additional appendices will detail the nicknames given to the major surface vessels and aircraft types of the war.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Author’s note Introduction Phonetic Alphabets PART I – American Slang US Navy US Aviation Services US Army and Marine Corps PART II – British Slang Royal Navy Royal Air Force British Army PART III – German Slang Kriegsmarine Luftwaffe Heer Appendix 1 – Crew Nicknames for Ships Appendix 2 – US Navy Ship Types Appendix 3 – US Aircraft Official Names Appendix 4 – Commonwealth Official Aircraft Names Appendix 5 – Aircraft Class and Manufactures’ Codes Abbreviations Select Bibliography

About the Author :
Gordon L Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.

Review :
"This book documents the origins of acronyms, expressions and phrases that formed the unofficial, colloquial language of barracks and battlefields before making their way into boardrooms and bedrooms. To parrot just a few of the words from this book, if you want to put a smile on your face while learning something about military history and the evolution of language, don't be a 'meathead.' Just 'get on the ball' and buy a copy of this book." --Toy Soldier & Model magazine