Where Every Number Comes From

The complete bibliography of all three volumes · generated October 2026 from the books themselves.

Every figure in these books traces to a named source, and this is the list of them — not a selection from it. Naming sources is not unusual in this field; other publishers and channels do it. What is on this page is the whole back matter of every volume, grouped the way the books group it, readable in full before anyone pays for anything.

This page is generated from the bibliography chapter at the back of each volume, so it cannot quietly fall behind them. Two rules govern what you see: a source with no verified public link is listed without one — we do not construct URLs — and where a book records a confidence level or admits it could confirm a figure only against a secondary compilation, that wording is carried over here word for word. Nothing is presented as verified that the book does not present as verified. A source cited by more than one volume is listed once, under the first volume that cites it, with the others named on the entry — except in Volume III’s plate log, which is a numbered run from plate 1 to plate 10 and keeps every line, so that no plate appears to be missing.

Volume IThe Ration Book, 1941–1945

Every figure in Volume I traces to a named source: a federal price bulletin, a published O.P.A. order, a Census or Bureau of Labor Statistics table, or an institutional archive holding the original document. Where a chart survived only as a scanned newspaper page, we read the scan visually, line by line, rather than trust an automated transcription. Every dollar figure carries a year and a Consumer Price Index conversion built on the BLS CPI-U series (CUUR0000SA0), anchored to May 2026.

Federal Orders & Charts

1. Office of Price Administration, "Official Table of Point Values for Processed Foods No. 1 — Effective March 1, 1943," pursuant to Ration Order No. 13 (O.P.A. Form No. R-1515), as printed in The Centre Democrat (Bellefonte, PA), Feb. 25, 1943, p. 3. https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn84009409/1943-02-25/ed-1/seq-9.pdf
2. Office of Price Administration, "Official Table of Consumer Point Values for Meat, Fats, Fish, and Cheese — No. 1, Effective March 29, 1943," as printed in The Centre Democrat (Bellefonte, PA), March 25, 1943, p. 2. https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn84009409/1943-03-25/ed-1/seq-2.pdf
3. Office of Price Administration, General Maximum Price Regulation, issued April 28, 1942, effective May 11, 1942, for manufacturers and wholesalers and May 18, 1942, for retailers (full text via BLS Bulletin No. 879). https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/general-maximum-price-regulation-4334/fulltext
4. Report of the Rubber Survey Committee (Baruch Committee), submitted Sept. 10, 1942. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-PR32_400-5ba5c11666f8237a0d7818f949cd87a7/html/GOVPUB-PR32_400-5ba5c11666f8237a0d7818f949cd87a7.htmAlso cited in Volume IIVolume II records it as: “govinfo.gov, "Report of the Rubber Survey Committee" (Baruch Committee, primary text).”
5. Office of Price Administration, Twentieth Quarterly Report, period ended Dec. 31, 1946. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-PR32_4200-8af1158e39b05fdaa697b666b292bed4/html/GOVPUB-PR32_4200-8af1158e39b05fdaa697b666b292bed4.htm

BLS Bulletins

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin No. 707, Retail Prices of Food and Coal, 1941 (Washington: GPO, 1942), Table 3. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_0707_1942.pdf
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin No. 799, Retail Prices of Food, 1942 and 1943 (Washington: GPO, 1945), Table 4. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_0799_1945.pdf
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin, Retail Prices of Food, 1944 and 1945. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_0899_1947.pdf
4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Compensation from World War II through the Great Society," Monthly Labor Review retrospective. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/cwc/compensation-from-world-war-ii-through-the-great-society.pdf
5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Public Data API, series CUUR0000SA0 (CPI-U). https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/CUUR0000SA0Also cited in Volume II
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Historical CPI-U supplemental table. https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/historical-cpi-u-202407.pdfAlso cited in Volume II

Federal Statistics & Reports

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Family and Individual Money Income in the United States: 1945 and 1944. https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/1947/demographics/p-s-22.pdf
2. U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Gross Rents. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/coh-grossrents.html
3. U.S. Department of Labor, "The Revenue Act of 1942," historical note. https://www.dol.gov/node/22387
4. Internal Revenue Service, "Understanding Taxes — The Victory Tax of 1942." https://apps.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/teacher/whys_thm02_les05.jsp
5. U.S. BLS CPI-U historical table (regional mirror). https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/consumerpriceindexhistorical_us_table.htm

Institutional & Archival

1. National Park Service, "Sugar: The First and Last Food Rationed on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/sugar-the-first-and-last-food-rationed-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
2. National Park Service, "Food Rationing on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/food-rationing-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
3. National Park Service, "Coffee Rationing on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/coffee-rationing-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
4. National Park Service, "Meat Rationing on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/meat-rationing-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
5. National Park Service, "Restrictions and Rationing on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/restrictions-and-rationing-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htmAlso cited in Volume II
6. National Park Service, "Rationing of Non-Food Items on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/rationing-of-non-food-items-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
7. National WWII Museum, "Rationing During WWII." https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/rationing-during-wwii
8. National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Office of Price Administration (OPA), Record Group 188. https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/188.html
9. Eisenhower Foundation, "War Ration Book Number One." https://eisenhowerfoundation.net/primary-source/war-ration-book-number-one
10. Eisenhower Foundation, "War Ration Book Number Three." https://eisenhowerfoundation.net/primary-source/war-ration-book-number-three
11. Library of Congress, "First war ration book" facsimile record. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017700609/
12. Library of Congress, "O.K., buddy, the ban's off." https://www.loc.gov/item/2016678583/
13. Library of Congress, "Shoe rationing has hit us, gentlemen..." https://www.loc.gov/item/2016678595/
14. Library of Congress, "In Custodia Legis" — "What Not to Wear: Clothing Rationing During World War II" (2023). https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/01/what-not-to-wear-clothing-rationing-during-world-war-ii/
15. American Chemical Society, "U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program," National Historic Chemical Landmark. https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/syntheticrubber.html
16. Smithsonian Magazine, "These Photos Captured What Happened When the United States Started to Ration Shoes During WWII." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/shoe-rationing-wwii-america-180968428/
17. Smithsonian Magazine, "Stocking Series, Part 1: Wartime Rationing and Nylon Riots." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/stocking-series-part-1-wartime-rationing-and-nylon-riots-25391066/
18. U. Missouri Libraries, "1940–1949 — Prices and Wages by Decade." https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1940-1949
19. Genealogytoday.com, "Records from War Ration Books for Genealogy." https://www.genealogytoday.com/guide/war-ration-books.html
20. TreasuryDirect, "The History of U.S. Savings Bonds." https://www.treasurydirect.gov/timeline.htmAlso cited in Volume II
21. Panewsarchive.psu.edu (Pennsylvania Photo & Newspaper Archive), The Centre Democrat digitized run, Bellefonte, PA. https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn84009409/

Volume I cites 37 sources, and all 37 are listed above.

Volume IIThe House That Went to War

Volume II reaches past the federal record into the institutions that kept it, and the list below shows it: alongside National Archives record groups, Treasury program histories and NBER working papers sit encyclopedia entries, local press and specialist blogs. The book does not hide that. Where a research pass could confirm a figure only against a secondary compilation rather than a primary government report, the chapter text says so in plain language — “period documentation puts it near,” or a stated confidence level — rather than presenting it as settled. The caveat travels with the figure, on the page where the figure is.

Federal Records & Programs

1. National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Office of Civilian Defense, Record Group 171. https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/171.html
2. TreasuryDirect, "The Payroll Savings Plan." https://www.treasurydirect.gov/research-center/history-of-savings-bond/payroll-savings-plan/
3. TreasuryDirect, "The Volunteer Program and Series E Savings Bonds." https://www.treasurydirect.gov/research-center/history-of-savings-bond/volunteer-program/
4. The American Presidency Project, "Radio Address on the Scrap Rubber Campaign" (FDR). https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/radio-address-the-scrap-rubber-campaign
5. National Archives, Prologue Magazine, Winter 1993, "To the Rescue of the Crops" (Farm Mobilization Day address, victory garden program). https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/winter/landarmy.html
6. USDA National Agricultural Library, "Victory Garden Aids" exhibit. https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/small/exhibits/show/victory-gardens/victory-garden-aids
7. USDA / Agricultural Research Service, "Time for Victory Gardens Again?" https://scientificdiscoveries.ars.usda.gov/tellus/stories/articles/time-victory-gardens-again
8. USDA National Agricultural Library, "How Did We Can? World War II," Canning Through the World Wars exhibit. https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/canning/exhibits/show/wartime-canning/world-war-ii
9. Internet Archive, "Food Fights for Freedom," War Food Administration, Office of Distribution. https://archive.org/details/CAT31322853
10. Internet Archive, "[Tool kit for the Food Fights for Freedom program]," War Food Administration. https://archive.org/details/CAT31071172
11. Florida Memory, "Food Fights for Freedom campaign – Mobilization Guide, ca. 1943." https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/299298
12. UNT Digital Library, O.P.A. "Keep the Home Front Pledge" poster (1943), catalog record. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc514/Also cited in Volume III
13. HUD USER, "WWII Emergency War Housing" (Lanham Act program). https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-frm-asst-sec-040325.html
14. govinfo.gov / War Production Board, "Priorities, Orders in Force, 1942." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Production_Board

Institutional Histories

1. National Park Service, "Material Drives on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/material-drives-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
2. National Park Service, "Canning and Food Preservation on the World War II Home Front." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/canning-and-food-preservation-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm
3. The National WWII Museum, "Victory Gardens: Food for the Fight." https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/victory-gardens-world-war-ii
4. The National WWII Museum, "Mail Call: V-Mail." https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/mail-call-v-mail
5. Smithsonian National Postal Museum, "Victory Mail" exhibition. https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/victory-mail
6. Smithsonian National Postal Museum, "The Art of Cards and Letters: Military Mail Call — V-Mail." https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/the-art-of-cards-and-letters-military-mail-call/v-mail
7. Smithsonian National Postal Museum, "How Did V-Mail Stack Up?" https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/victory-mail-introducing-v-mail/how-did-v-mail-stack-up
8. Smithsonian National Postal Museum, "V-Mail's Limitations." https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/victory-mail-using-v-mail/v-mails-limitations
9. American Red Cross, "World War II and the American Red Cross" (official history PDF). https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/National/history-wwii.pdf
10. Army Medical Department Center of History & Heritage, WWII Blood Program chapter. https://achh.army.mil/history/book-wwii-blood-chapter5/
11. Center for Knit and Crochet, "Knit Your Bit: The American Red Cross Knitting Program." https://centerforknitandcrochet.org/knit-your-bit-the-american-red-cross-knitting-program/
12. Smithsonian, National Museum of American History, "Feedsack Dress" object record. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1105750
13. Wikipedia, "Feed sack dress." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_sack_dress
14. Wikipedia, "Series E bond." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_E_bond
15. Wikipedia, "War savings stamps of the United States." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_savings_stamps_of_the_United_States
16. Wikipedia, "Schools at War." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schools_at_War
17. Wikipedia, "Office of Civilian Defense." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Civilian_Defense
18. Wikipedia, "Ground Observer Corps." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_Observer_Corps
19. Wikipedia, "V-mail." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-mail
20. Wikipedia, "United States home front during World War II." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_home_front_during_World_War_II
21. NYC Department of Records & Information Services (archives.nyc), "LaGuardia and Civil Defense." https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2017/11/16/laguardia-and-civil-defense
22. ww2civildefense.com, "Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) History." https://ww2civildefense.com/office-of-civilian-defense
23. americainwwii.com, "Busy With The Blitz-Proofing." http://www.americainwwii.com/articles/busy-with-the-blitz-proofing/
24. American Heritage, "American Civilians Defend Against U-Boats," Spring 2020. https://www.americanheritage.com/american-civilians-defend-against-u-boats
25. Library of Congress, "Aluminum salvage drive. July, 1941." https://www.loc.gov/item/2004668553/
26. Omaha World-Herald (omaha.com), "67,000 tons: Nebraskans' 1942 scrap metal drive." https://omaha.com/news/local/history/67-000-tons-nebraskans-1942-scrap-metal-drive-paved-way-to-victory-in-wwii/article_f3f1e8c0-15c6-11ed-a5e1-b372aab3c298.html
27. H-Net review, Cohen on Kimble, Prairie Forge. https://networks.h-net.org/node/12840/reviews/35114/cohen-kimble-prairie-forge-extraordinary-story-nebraska-scrap-metal
28. Farm Collector, "When Plowshares Built Swords: Scrap Drives During World War II." https://www.farmcollector.com/farm-life/scrap-drives-zmbz15deczhur/
29. American Affairs Journal, "The U.S. Synthetic Rubber Program." https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2025/02/the-u-s-synthetic-rubber-program-an-industrial-policy-triumph-during-world-war-ii/
30. La Crosse Public Library archive, "How Tin Cans Helped Win the War" (1945 clipping). https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/sites/default/files/u117/34-how_tin_cans_helped_win_the_war_0.pdf
31. Times Observer, "A look at an unorthodox element of World War II" (fat salvage). https://www.timesobserver.com/history/2023/08/a-look-at-an-unorthodox-element-of-world-war-ii/
32. Sylva Herald, "Grease war." https://www.thesylvaherald.com/history/article_c59f8f3e-dfb6-11e9-8ab9-3bdcad002238.html
33. Sarah Sundin, "Make It Do – Rationing of Butter, Fats & Oils in World War II." https://www.sarahsundin.com/make-it-do-rationing-of-fats-oils-in-world-war-ii-2/
34. Sarah Sundin, "Make It Do — Metal Shortages in World War II." https://www.sarahsundin.com/make-it-do-metal-shortages-in-world-war-ii/
35. westcloxmuseum.com, "The Clock that Caused a Near-Riot." https://www.westcloxmuseum.com/post/2016/11/05/-the-clock-that-caused-a-near-riot
36. HUD USER / ncph.org, "Housing and the WWII Home Front" (PDF). https://ncph.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Housing-and-the-WWII-Home-Front_pdfversion.pdf
37. Healthy Canning, "The USDA's Role in Home Canning." https://www.healthycanning.com/the-usdas-role-in-home-canning/
38. Heinz History Center, "Food, Fitness, Food Fights for Freedom." https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/food-fitness-food-fights-freedom/
39. History Facts, "By 1944, 40% of U.S. produce came from victory gardens." https://historyfacts.com/us-history/fact/wwii-victory-gardens-40-percent/
40. Wessels Living History Farm, "Victory Gardens." https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farming-in-the-1940s/crops/victory-gardens/
41. Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive, "Growing Pains: Victory Gardens and Agriculture on the WWII American Home Front." https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/IULMIA/exhibits/show/growing-pains--victory-gardens/victory-gardens
42. Rare Historical Photos, "V-Mail: The WWII Program..." https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/v-mail-photos/
43. Crest Capital, "War Loans and Bonds: A Working History." https://www.crestcapital.com/tax/war_loans_and_bonds
44. EBSCO Research Starters, "War bonds." https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/war-bonds
45. TIME archive, "Radio: Kate's Appeal" (1943). https://time.com/archive/6789555/radio-kates-appeal/
46. Warfare History Network, "Any Bonds Today?" https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/any-bonds-today/
47. Duke University Libraries, "Loans & Bonds," Ad*Access guide. https://blogs.library.duke.edu/digital-collections/adaccess/guide/wwii/bonds-loans/
48. Imperial War Museum, "8 Objects Air Raid Wardens Used In The Blitz" (UK comparative context only). https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/8-objects-used-by-air-raid-wardens-during-the-blitz
49. USC Libraries, "Shadow War: Southern California's WWII Dimout Restrictions." https://libraries.usc.edu/article/shadow-war-southern-californias-wwii-dimout-restrictions
50. capemaymag.com, "Lights Out." https://capemaymag.com/feature/lights-out/
51. International Military Antiques, U.S. WWII O.C.D. air raid warden helmet, object listing. https://www.ima-usa.com/products/original-u-s-wwii-office-of-civilian-defense-air-raid-warden-helmet
52. course-notes.org, WWII home front summary. https://course-notes.org/us_history/unit_notes/unit_nine_1940_1960/homefront
53. postergroup.com, O.P.A. "Keep the Homefront Pledge" poster listing. https://postergroup.com/products/keep-the-homefront-pledge-13867

Statistical Series & Economic Research

1. National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper w31969, "Inflation, War..." https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31969/w31969.pdf
2. National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper w13418, "Keep on Scrapping: The Salvage Drives of World War II." https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w13418/w13418.pdf

Volume II cites 74 sources. 69 are listed above; the remaining 5 are printed once under an earlier volume, where they were first cited.

Volume IIIThe Home Front Almanac

Volume III reproduces no scans. Every plate is re-set — new type, new rules, new fields, built to the original document’s layout rather than photographed from it — and the plate log in the book records, for each one, whether it is verbatim or abridged: five plates cleared the verbatim bar, five are marked RE-SET, ABRIDGED on their own page, and one (the gasoline windshield sticker) had no confirmed printed text at all. The per-plate entries below keep that confirmation status attached to the source, in the book’s own words. Five plates were transcribed from primary scans held in the project’s research files; those scans are not redistributed, so those entries carry a named source and no link.

Sources Consulted (per plate)

1. Plate 1 — War Ration Book No. 3: Wikimedia Commons, "WWII USA Ration Book 3 Front.jpg," visually transcribed from the primary scan.
2. Plate 2 — War Ration Book Four: Digital Public Library of America / Commons, "War ration stamp book four, Garfield, Washington, 1943," visually transcribed from the primary scan.
3. Plate 3 — War Savings Bond Series E: Wikimedia Commons, "1944 $100 War Savings Bond Series E.jpg," visually transcribed from the primary scan.
4. Plate 4 — V-mail letter-sheet: Wikimedia Commons, "V-mail from Joseph Utz to Marie Utz, 12 July 1943," layout and printed form elements transcribed from the primary scan; private message content not reproduced.
5. Plate 5 — "How to Shop With War Ration Book Two": Wikimedia Commons / Online Archive of California, OPA poster, February 1943, full printed text visually transcribed from the primary scan.
6. Plate 6 — War Ration Book One: Digital Commonwealth catalog record ("United States of America war ration book one, no. 254690," US Office of Price Administration, 1942); Ames History Museum, https://ameshistory.org/content/world-war-ii-rationing-us-homefront; Eisenhower Foundation, https://eisenhowerfoundation.net/primary-source/war-ration-book-number-one. Title and property statement confirmed; field labels and penalty wording not independently confirmed for this book.
7. Plate 7 — Gasoline "A" windshield sticker: National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/rationing-of-non-food-items-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm; Car Coach Reports, https://carcoachreports.com/gas-rationing-gas-ration-stickers/. Existence and purpose of the sticker confirmed; no primary source supplied its exact printed wording.
8. Plate 8 — Home Front Pledge card: UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc514/. Title and inset captions ("Food Fights for Freedom," "Produce and Conserve," "Share and Play Square") confirmed; full pledge oath text not verified verbatim.Also cited in Volume II
9. Plate 9 — "OPA Ceiling Prices — Refuse to Pay More!": Smithsonian National Museum of American History object record, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/ac-component/sova-nmah-ac-0433-ref15000; Northwestern University Digital Collections (title-level reference). Title confirmed as a catalogued object; body copy not confirmed.
10. Plate 10 — "Plant a Victory Garden. Our Food Is Fighting.": National Archives DocsTeach, https://docsteach.org/document/victory-garden-food-is-fighting/, National Archives Identifier 513818. Title and agency attribution confirmed; full leaflet body text not retrievable via this session's tooling.

Volume III cites 10 sources, and all 10 are listed above.