Synopsis
Building for Peace traces the U.S. Army's engineering construction activities in Europe, beginning immediately after World War II in 1945 and ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In their fine organizational account that details the twists and turns of the Cold War's history, Robert P. Grathwol and Donita M. Moorhus describe the often less glamorous but nonetheless critical missions of conscientious Army engineers-military officers, civilians, and local-national employees and contractors-who worked tirelessly to prepare the physical infrastructure in Europe, the battleground of what was perceived as the next Armageddon. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers played a central role in building and maintaining the infrastructure in support of the U.S. and NATO forces that stood on the front lines of the Cold War. Grathwol's and Moorhus's study, covering almost a half-century of military construction in Europe that cost more than $5 billion, serves to record not only the achievements of Army engineers but also their contribution to the legacy of the peaceful triumph of democracy. This story is worth reading and remembering.
About the Author
In 1988 Robert P. Grathwol, Ph.D., and Donna Moorhus formed a partnership to conduct historical research and provide services in organizational development. They are coauthors of Berlin and the American Military, A Cold War Chronicle (1999); American Forces in Berlin, Outpost of the Cold War, 1945-1994 (1994); and Oral History and Postwar German-American Relations: Resources in the United States (1997, with Douglas J. Wilson). They are also coauthors of “Bricks, Sand, and Marble: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Military Construction in the Mediterranean and Middle East, 1947-1991” (Hardcover format available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00518-2 --Paperback format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00492-5 ).
Grathwol has more than thirty years of experience as a professional historian and publishing scholar. He has worked extensively with archival documents in Europe, as well as in the National Archives, federal records centers, and the Library of Congress. He taught twentieth century European history at Washington State University, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Arkansas. Academic publications include Stresemann and the DNVP and numerous scholarly articles and book reviews in both English and German. Grathwol studied in France on a Fulbright Scholarship and spent two years as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow in Germany. He holds a Diplome Superieur frothe Centre des Hautes Etudes Europeenes, Universite de Strasbourg, and a P.h.D. from the University of Chicago.
Donita Moorrhus is an oral historian, researcher, and writer. In addition to managing several historical research projects, she has written historical reports and activities in Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1988-1992, and 1992-1996. For U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC), she as the coauthor of “Annual Historical Review, Fiscal Years 1991-1992,the “Annual Historical Review Fiscal Years 1992 through 1995,” and sole author of a “Historical Report of the Investigations of Sexual Misconduct in the Army, September 1996 through July 1997.” Ms. Moorhus has interviewed senior officers of the U.S. military, civilians in government service, members of Congress, business leaders, foreign nationals, and journalists. She has an M.S. from Fordham University.
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