Review of The War Correspondents

November is National Nonfiction Month so I'm shooting for one nonfiction book each month. I'll try to mix it up with some history(my favorite) as well as some memoirs, gardening and more on Thursdays. I'm starting off the month with a book that was just released last month about a group of people that - as a writer - have always been close to my heart.

More About The War Correspondents: The Incredible Stories of the Brave Men and Women Who Covered the Fight Against Hitler's Germany

The list of American war correspondents who covered the European Theater of Operations during the Second World War is a veritable Who’s Who of American literary and journalistic greats of the twentieth century—The War Correspondents tells the stories of these incredibly brave men and women.

The War Correspondents unveils the extraordinary bravery and unmatched literary legacy of the journalists who risked their lives to cover WWII's European Theater. Ernie Pyle, John Steinbeck, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Ernest Hemingway, Bill Mauldin, Robert Capa, Margaret Bourke-White, Andy Rooney, Martha Gellhorn, Richard Tregaskis-the list of American correspondents who covered the fighting in Europe during the Second World War is a veritable Who's Who of American literary and journalistic greats of the twentieth century. War correspondents not only rubbed shoulders with generals, admirals, prime ministers, and presidents, they also often witnessed the fighting first-hand and up close, placing themselves at great personal risk in order to get the story. The War Correspondents recounts the most destructive conflict in human history, from the civil war in Spain to the ultimate collapse of the Third Reich, and tells the story of the legendary reporters who accompanied Allied soldiers, sailors, and airmen into battle.

More About Keith Warren Lloyd

Keith Warren Lloyd is an author and historian, a US Navy veteran, and a retired firefighter. Keith graduated from Arizona State University, where he studied history and political science. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. 

He also wrote three historical novels, one history book about a flying ace of World War I and four books about World War II.

Thoughts About The War Correspondents

I enjoyed that this story didn't tell each correspondents story individually, but linked their stories: how different correspondents competed, helped one another, crossed paths, etc. It made it easier to see the whole picture of covering the war (mainly focused on correspondents in the ETO).

Some of the correspondents were well known, as are their stories. But I appreciate that other lesser known correspondents were also included to give a broader picture beyond the "big names". This book also traces details of campaigns and military leaders which I felt added to an understanding of the correspondents. Using the words of the correspondents themselves, you get a very real feeling of how it felt to be covering a war zone.

I found this a well researched book that touched on correspondents I wasn't familiar with as well as the stars. I think people interested in World War II will appreciate The War Correspondents.