Program Director Susan Zeiger Examines 20th Century War Brides

In her new book, Entangling Alliances: Foreign War Brides and American Soldiers in the Twentieth Century, Primary Source's Susan Zeiger presents a unique perspective on the history of war and gender in the United States.

Entangling Alliances, which will be published by NYU Press in March 2010, is the first work of its kind to take a comprehensive look at the relationships between American male soldiers and foreign women over the past century. "What I didn't expect when I launched the research was how global a story this was," she notes. "Most people are familiar with the white, English-speaking brides from allied Britain and Australia who came to the U.S. in large numbers following World War II. But soldiers also married women from North Africa, the Philippines, China, the Middle East and South East Asia. Racial and cultural differences complicated the picture in surprising and important ways."

Dr. Zeiger joined Primary Source's staff in 2008 and has developed numerous courses for K-12 educators that expand their knowledge of the history of the United States and the world.

Entangling Alliances is currently available for pre-order from NYU Press.