The Bonus Army

In 1932, 45,000 World War I veterans marched on Washington, D.C., demanding payment of the bonus promised to them eight years earlier. The "bonus bill" was defeated in the Senate, and the U.S. Army deployed tanks in the capital's streets to rout the protestors. Based on extensive research, this highly praised history traces the Bonus Army's history and its connection with the GI Bill of Rights, which transformed postwar American society.

"The account by Dickson and Allen recalls the subliminal force of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men with gaunt stories of character at the limits of dignity." ― Taylor Branch, New York Review of Books

"A revealing and fascinating account . . . The book's most haunting aspect is its verbal and pictorial record of the marcher's individual experiences." ― Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Exactly the kind of book publishers should be giving us more of ― responsible popular history, researched to the footnoted standards of the academy but written for the pleasure of general readers who are looking for a good story . . . A rewarding book." ― Kevin Coyne, Newsday

"A feat of research and analysis ― a thoughtful, strong argument that these marches were among the most important demonstrations of the 20th century." ― Bookmarks Magazine

"A lively, engaging work of history." ― Kirkus Reviews

"A fascinating and readable book. Recommended." ― William D. Pederson, Library Journal

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"As Dickson and Allen show throughout this empathetic and well-researched volume, the Bonus Expeditionary Force] meant different things to a number of groups vying for power in the tumultuous political climate of the early '30s. Their important and moving work will appeal to both professional historians and casual readers interested in the history of America's changing attitudes towards its soldiers." ― Publishers Weekly