In this book, Christopher M. Sterba examines the generation of artists who participated in the First World War and profoundly shaped American culture in the decades that followed. It explores figures as diverse as Mae West, Buster Keaton, and the Black director Spencer Williams, Jr. to gain valuable insight into how Americans lived through and made sense of the war. Challenging the familiar focus on the expatriate writers of the 'Lost Generation,' Sterba instead highlights the thousands of veterans who worked across the mass entertainment industries. Through a particularly influential group of writers, painters, filmmakers, and performers, the book uncovers the lasting cultural impact of wartime experiences long overlooked by scholars of American cultural history. Among the other critical artists profiled are Norman Rockwell, James M. Cain, Frank Capra, Noble Sissle, and Jack Benny.