Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II

During World War II, American servicemen married approximately 1,800 women from New Zealand and the island Pacific, and fathered an estimated four thousand nonmarital children with Indigenous women. Angela Wanhalla's book "Of Love and War" explores the intimate relationships forged during wartime between women and U.S. servicemen stationed in the South Pacific, tracing the fate of wartime marriages and addressing the consequences for the women and children left behind. Wanhalla argues that Pacific war brides are an important cohort whose experiences expand our understanding of global war.

Format: Hardback
Length: 252 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2023
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

Between 1942 and 1945, over two million servicemen occupied the southern Pacific theater, the majority of whom were Americans serving with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. During the occupation, American servicemen married approximately 1,800 women from New Zealand and the island Pacific, creating legal bonds through marriage and through children. Additionally, American servicemen fathered an estimated four thousand nonmarital children with Indigenous women in the South Pacific Command Area.

In her book, Of Love and War: Intimate Relationships and the Consequences of Wartime Marriage, Angela Wanhalla delves into the intricate connections formed during wartime between women and U.S. servicemen stationed in the South Pacific. Wanhalla explores the fate of wartime marriages, shedding light on the consequences for the women and children left behind. With a particular focus on the experiences of women in New Zealand and the island Pacific, including Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, and the Cook Islands, Of Love and War aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of global war on these women, their families, and Pacific societies. Wanhalla argues that Pacific war brides constitute an important yet often overlooked cohort whose experiences during U.S. military occupation contribute significantly to our understanding of global warfare. By examining the effects of American law on the marital opportunities of couples, their ability to reunite in the immediate postwar years, and the citizenship status of any children born of wartime relationships, Wanhalla makes a substantial contribution to the growing scholarship exploring the intersections between race, gender, sexuality, and militarization during the World War II era.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496205100