HOME FRONT ON PENOBSCOT BAY — Rockland During the War Years, by Paul G. Merriam, Thomas J. Molloy and Theodore W. Sylvester Jr., Rockland Cooperative History Project, 330 pages, illustrated, hardcover, $25.

Few historical events evoke the emotion and sentiment that emerge from the mention of the landmark years of World War II in American history.

The impact of that war on Rockland, Maine, has changed forever a city that was once a quiet, coastal burg, hidden from much of the state and certainly from most of the world.

In a flash, Rockland became a boom town, as government money manifested itself in the construction of an airport, a Navy and Coast Guard base, and millions of dollars for the construction of wartime vessels.

“Home Front on Penobscot Bay — Rockland During the War Years” is a fine piece of recorded Maine history. This book represents a voluntary collaboration of sorts by the members of the Rockland Cooperative History Project, most notably Paul G. Merriam, Thomas J. Molloy and Theodore W. Sylvester Jr.

Illustrated profusely with photographs from the war years, this book will serve to enlighten any student of World War II with the sights, sounds and characters who engaged in wartime efforts as seen through the eyes of the local citizenry.

Beginning with an excellent narrative by author Merriam, the reader embarks on a journey through the war years that starts with a historical look at Rockland, with emphasis on the Depression years and then the war year themselves.

Merriam, a former professor of history at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, captures the true flavor of the coastal community. His sensitivity to the trials of loved ones during the worrisome times of anticipation of news from the front is perhaps the book’s early indication of the authors’ collective dedication to telling of the war’s real impact on any town during the crisis years.

Merriam is joined in his efforts by insightful essays from Molloy and Sylvester on many facets of coastal life. Topics ranging from local crime to the use of sardines during battles as foodstuffs for both Allied and Axis troops are highlighted.

A third section of the book dealing with first-person recollections is particularly fascinating as the authors were boys at the time of the conflict.

Youthful memories serve notice of children who often felt the war’s impact at the news of the death of a family friend or a loved one. A chilling familiarity in these pages echoes the fears of Desert Storm, so recently in the forefront of our minds.

The narrative ends with a section of interviews by Sylvester, One with Francis D. Hendrich, a native New Yorker, who was stationed in Rockland for 13 months, where he met his future wife, exemplifies those who came back to the city after the war and helped in its continued growth.

The book concludes with an honor roll of natives who lost their lives during the war, and is appropriately supplemented with a detailed bibliography, a necessary tool for the history buff or dedicated student.

Students of Maine history, teachers at all levels, and those who revel in Maine’s past should snatch this one up quickly.

Hats off to the Rockland Cooperative History Project for a concise and thorough effort.

Ron Brown is a free-lance writer who resides in Bangor.