The New Deal's Forest Army

"Alexander's short work is useful in that it offers an introduction to the program overall and insight into its participants' experiences, with a clear narratuve distilled from an impressive array of sources."

"Alexander has undertaken an impressive amount of primary research for this project... As a result, he has un-earthed some extremely significant, and understudied, information on the Corps. involving the history of several female CCC camps as well as the experiences of African-American, Native-American, and Mexican-American enrollees. Although I, myself, have written a book about the CCC, The New Deal's Forest Army taught me new, interesting, and important facts about the program."

"An informative history of America's "tree army"... The author's organizational method is outstanding for general readers with little or no knowledge of the CCC as well as appealing to readers who have read extensively about the Roosevelt presidency... This volume will be of interest to all readers. The next time you visit a state park with a rustic lodge, take a long look at the bronze plaque noting that it was built by the CCC and be sure to say "Thank you.""

"In this concise and deliberate study, Benjamin F. Alexander demonstrates the origin, implementation, and ultimate demise of a program that gained tremendous popularity during the 1930s and ably presents why the CCC remains such a prominent part of New Deal history. Alexander's book is a snapshot of the 1930s with an explicit focus that provides significant depth to the CCC story... the book moves at a swift pace and is an eminently readable look at one of the most important periods in American history. Alexander succeeds in explaining how the CCC worked and in doing so provides a book will make a great text for use in the classroom."

"Benjamin Alexander fills an important gap in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) literature with his detailed description of the program from its inception in the trough of the Great Depression to its demise at the beginning of World War II... Alexander weaves statistics and details about events during the program with colorful narratives that make this book an engaging read... I believe that anyone interested in the Great Depression era or in relief programs like those in the New Deal will benefit from reading it."

"This is an impressive history of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Alexander artfully balances granular detail with a sure sense of the larger narrative, surpassing the most authoritative account of the CCC we’ve had to date."

"This book delivers an extraordinary and valuable examination of one of the New Deal’s most well-known relief and recovery programs, the Civilian Conservation Corps. Readers will appreciate the continued relevance that Benjamin Alexander’s well-written history holds for understanding our present moment."