Living the World War

A century ago Americans entered and fought 'a war to end all wars.' In Living the World War: A Weekly Exploration of the American Experience in World War I we use the Congressional Record and the New York Times to see how an American citizen of that era would have experienced the World War without knowing what would come next. In addition to the War, Americans living during the weeks of October 1, 1916 to December 31, 1917 also debated women's suffrage, race relations, Prohibition, the rights of organized labor, reconciliation of North and South, and coal and fuel shortages. That experience of war, and the emerging national issues, profoundly shape America in the 21st century.

Donald N. Zillman is the Edward Godfrey Professor of Law at the University of Maine School of Law. He majored in history at the University of Wisconsin and graduated from the Wisconsin (JD) and the Virginia Law Schools (LLM). In his career he served as an Army Judge Advocate officer and a professor of law at Arizona State University and the University of Utah before coming to Maine as the Dean of the University of Maine Law School. He also served as the President of the University of Maine at Presque Isle and as a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the University of Southampton (UK). His writings have focused on military law, energy law, and tort law.

Elizabeth Elsbach received her JD from the University of Maine Law School in 2016. She majored in history, political science, and English at Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana. During her time at Saint Mary's she lived abroad in Innsbruck, Austria where she immersed herself in the cultures, the languages, and the history of Europe. While in Law School, Elizabeth collaborated on an article on energy and natural resources for the Oxford University Press in addition to co-authoring Living the World War. She is pursuing a career in intellectual property law.

The authors are law trained by profession and amateur historians by avocation. We bring the differing perspectives of men and women, military veteran and non-veteran, baby boom generation and millennial generation to our work. Join us in the experience of "Living the World War."