Coming of Age in the Great Depression: The Civilian Conservation Corps in New Mexico, 1933-1942

Based on archival material and interviews with former enrollees, Melzer (history, U. of New Mexico-Valencia) tells the story of some 50,000 young men who worked in the Corps, an initiative of the New Deal program, to support their families and learn skills when the private sector failed them. Great pains were taken, he notes, to keep the Corp from becoming a paramilitary organization, but when World War II broke out, military recruiters plundered it to acquire well disciplined and highly skilled soldiers. He also describes the enduring contributions the program made to the state. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)