Finally, a wonderfully detailed reference history of personal items issued to the soldiers in Europe. Individual gear, toiletries, tobacco and personal effects from North Africa to the Rhine are covered in intimate detail. Over 400 beautiful color images and numerous compelling period photographs, many never-before published, offer a thoughtful analysis of a soldier's most valued possessions. This book illustrates from a unique perspective a sentimental side of the soldier in the foxhole as it documents and categorizes the many personal items he carried into battle. Historians, collectors, and veterans alike will undoubtedly relish the information meticulously researched and appreciate the nostalgic period advertisements and anecdotes included in this extraordinary compilation. This book is by far the best and most complete study available of personal items of the American soldier during World War II and truly an indispensable resource.