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FIGHTING FORCES: PENGUIN SPECIALS
- PENGUIN IN AMERICA





THIS PAGE 'S' (U.S.)


See also other American Penguins:
Penguin Books (New York) 501 - 599 (page 1)
Penguin Books (New York) 600 - 659 [Penguin Signet 660-661] (page 2)
Pelican Books (New York) P1 - P25
'AB' Pelican Shakespeare (U.S.) (AB1 - AB38)





Penguin collectors might be forgiven for being confused by a series of Penguin books which bears the pre-fix 'S', but are not the series of Specials developed for topical interest on contemporary political and social issues which began with 'S1' Germany Puts the Clock Back by Edgar Mowrer, issued in November 1937. So what are they?

In short - these are American Specials. Soon after the United States entered the Second World War, Penguin Books (which had established a base in New York in August 1940) began production of their own 'Penguin Specials'. At first the titles were taken from books already published in Britain, but the majority came from a joint project with an existing magazine Infantry Journal. Penguin was able to persuade the journal to supply them with the necessary paper (something difficult after the outbreak of war and the onset of rationing) on the basis that Penguin would publish books in support of the War effort. These books were jointly branded with the 'Penguin' logo and the Infantry Journal emblem of an American GI with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Thus was born the FIGHTING FORCES - PENGUIN SPECIALS.

The focus of the series, with their cover illustrations, was very much a practical approach. These were considered handbooks for those who wanted to improve their fighting and winning approaches.


Note: We acknowledge the inclusion of images of Infantry Journal - Penguin Books from the web-site www.coverbrowser.com - however these images have a lower resolution - and are included for completeness. Where images are photographed by us from the original - additional entry details are given and the image quality provided is standard.


Information and cover photographs of Fighting Forces: Penguin Specials Series:
Number: S75
Series No.: S75
Title: NEW WAYS OF WAR
Author: Tom Wintringham
Date Published:
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S75' in August 1940
Number: S81
Series No.: S81
Title: RUSSIA
Author: Bernard Pares
Date Published: January 1941; the Fighting Forces in April 1944
Pages: 282pp.
Price: 25¢
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S81' in January 1941

The second image shows the Fighting Forces Penguin Special Format
Number: S82
Series No.: S82
Title: AIRCRAFT RECOGNITION
Author: R. A. Saville-Sneath
Date Published: October 1941
Printer: Robert Teller Sons and Dormer, New York
Price: 25¢
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S82' in February 1941.
The second image is of a May 1943 reprint, with 256 pages.

Second image courtesy of Andrew Malin
Number: S201
Series No.: S201
Title: WHAT'S THAT PLANE
Author: Walter B. Pitkin, Jr
Date Published: 1942
Number: S202
Series No.: S202
Title: NEW SOLDIER'S HANDBOOK
Author: an official publication
Date Published: 1942
Pages: 280pp.
Printer: Garrett and Massie, Richmond V.A.
Price: 25¢
The first two images show the Penguin publication, the third the joint Penguin-Infantry Journal printing. The second image is of the back page and advertises 'Flight to Victory'.

First two images courtesy of Andrew Malin
Number: S203
Series No.: S203
Title: GUERRILLA WARFARE
Author: Bert 'Yank' Levy
Introduction: by Tom Wintringham
Date Published: 1942
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S102' in January 1942
Number: S204
Series No.: S204
Title: HOW THE JAP ARMY FIGHTS
Author: Four US Army Officers (Lt. Col. Paul W Thompson, Lt. Col. Harold Doud; Lieut. John Scofield, and Col. Milton A. Hill
Cover illustration: by
Illustrations: 18 pages of black and white photographs
Date Published: June 1942
Pages: 170pp. + 18pp.
Printer: H. Wolff
Price: 25¢
Number: S206
Series No.: S206
Title: HOW RUSSIA PREPARED
Author: Maurice Edelman
Date Published: 1942
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S110' in March 1942
Number: S207
Series No.: S207
Title: CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL ORDER
Author: William Temple
Date Published: August 1942 by Penguin Books Inc., New York
Pages: 96pp.
Printer: Robert Teller Sons and Dorner
Price: 25¢
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S104' in February 1942
Number: S209
Series No.: S209
Title: AMERICANS vs GERMANS
Author: individual battle experiences
Date Published: September 1942 by the Infantry Journal
Pages: 192pp.
Printer: H. Wolff
Price: 25¢


The second image shows the Fighting Forces Penguin Special Format
Number: S210

Series No.: S210
Title: MODERN BATTLE
Author: Paul W. Thompson
Date Published: October 1942
Pages: 254pp.
Printer: H. Wolff Inc
Price: 25¢

Second cover image from later in 1942.

This book was also published by Penguin in Britain as 'S113' in July 1942

Second image courtesy of Adrian King
Number: S211
Series No.: S211
Title: THE GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK
Author: Jaroslav Hasek
Translated: by Paul Selver
Illustrated: by Joseph Lada
Date Published: December 1942
Pages: 254pp.
Printer: H. Wolff
Price: 25¢
This book was first published by Penguin in Britain as 'S37' in October 1939
Number: S212
Series No.: S212
Title: PSYCHOLOGY FOR THE FIGHTING MAN
Author:prepared for the Fighting Man Himself by a Committee of the National Research Council
Date Published: July 1943
Pages: 456pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S213
Series No.: S213
Title: EMPIRE IN THE CHANGING WORLD
Author: W. K. Hancock
Date Published: August 1943; Fighting Forces in November 1943
Printer: Stratford Press Inc
Price: 25¢
Number: S214
Series No.: S214
Title: HITLER'S SECOND ARMY
Author: Alfred Vagts
Date Published: 1943
Price: 25¢
Number: S215
Series No.: S215
Title: HANDBOOK FOR ARMY WIVES AND MOTHERS
Author: Catherine Redmond
Date Published: 1943
Price: 25¢
Number: S216


Series No.: S216
Title: A HISTORY OF THE WAR
Author: Rudolf Modley
Date Published: November 1943
Pages: 184pp.
Price: 25¢

Two cover designs for this book. The third image shows detail of the back cover.

Second and third images courtesy of Andrew Malin
Number: S217
Series No.: S217
Title: THE NEXT GERMANY
Authors: a group of Anti-Nazi Germans
Date Published: November 1943
Pages: 160pp.
Printer: Stratford Press Inc., New York
Price: 25¢
Number: S218
Series No.: S218
Title: SHIPYARD DIARY OF A WOMAN WELDER
Author: Augusta H. Clawson
Date Published: 1943
Price: 25¢
Number: S219
Series No.: S219
Title: THE MOON IS DOWN
Author: John Steinbeck
Date Published: November 1943
Pages: 122pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S220
Series No.: S220
Title: GUADALCANAL DIARY
Author: Richard Tregaskis
Date Published: September 1943
Pages: 218pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S221
Series No.: S221
Title: THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO
Author: Captain Ted W. Lawson
Date Published: March 1944
Pages: 184pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S222
Series No.: S222
Title: THE BRITISH NAVY'S AIR ARM
Author: Owen Rutter
Date Published: 1944
Pages: 248pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S223
Series No.: S223
Title: THEY WERE EXPENDABLE
Author: William L. White
Date Published: May 1944
Pages: 122pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S224
Series No.: S224
Title: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ARMY AND NAVY
Author: Fletcher Pratt
Illustration: with 24 maps
Date Published: March 1944
Pages: 262pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S225
Series No.: S225
Title: GI SKETCH BOOK
Author: Aimee Crane
Design: by Ernst Reichl
Date Published: July 1944
Pages: 136pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S226
Series No.: S226
Title: THE BATTLE IS THE PAY-OFF
Author: Major Ralph Ingersoll
Cover illustration: by John Rogers
Date Published: July 1944
Pages: 182pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S227
Series No.: S227
Title: THIS IS THE NAVY
Edited: by Gilbert Cant
Date Published: August 1944
Pages: 220pp.
Price: 25¢
Printed again as 'S239'
Number: S229
Series No.: S229
Title: PSYCHOLOGY FOR THE RETURNING SERVICEMAN
Author: Marjorie van de Water
Date Published: February 1945
Pages: 244pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S230
Series No.: S230
Title: I KNEW YOUR SOLDIER
Author: Eleanor "Bumpy" Stevenson and Pete Martin
Date Published: February 1945
Pages: 250pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S231
Series No.: S231
Title: CARTOONS FOR FIGHTERS
Author: Frank Brandt
Date Published: 1945
Price: 25¢
Image of Infantry Journal print without 'Penguin' logo
Number: S233
Series No.: S233
Title: SOLDIER ART
Illustration: includes 8 pages of colour prints
Date Published: 1945
Pages: 200pp.
Price:
Image of Infantry Journal print without 'Penguin' logo
Number: S237
Series No.: S237
Title: PIPELINE TO BATTLE
Author: Peter W. Rainier
Date Published: August 1944
Pages: 310pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S238
Series No.: S238
Title: STORM (A Novel)
Author: George R. Stewart
Cover design: by H. Lawrence Hoffman
Date Published: June 1945
Pages: 310pp.
Price: 25¢
Number: S239
Series No.: S239
Title: THIS IS THE NAVY (An Anthology)
Edited: by Gilbert Cant
Date Published: August 1944
Pages: 220pp.
Price: 25¢
Previously issued as S227
Number: S240
Series No.: S240
Title: ISLAND VICTORY
Author: S. L. A. Marshall
Date Published: 1945
Price: 25¢
Number: 516
Series No.: 516
Title: GENGHIS KHAN
Author: Harold Lamb
Date Published: first issued in December 1942 in the main Penguin Books (New York) series
Price: 25¢
This is a reprint from the main Penguin Books (New York) series, published as No. USA-516
Number: S602
Series No.: 602
Title: THE NEW VETERAN - Citizens First, Veterans Second
Author: Charles G Bolte
Date Published: July 1946
Price:
Published as a Penguin Special



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: penguinfirsteditions.com gratefully acknowledges the kind permission of PENGUIN BOOKS LTD. (UK) to reproduce its book covers and, where incorporated, its various logos. We would remind users of this site that, as appropriate, Penguin Books Ltd. and its designers retain their copyright and/or intellectual property in the relevant material.


This page was last modified on 14 February 2018 (T)
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