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Hell Before Breakfast: America's First War Correspondents Making History and Headlines, from the Battlefields of the Civil War to the Far Reaches of the Ottoman Empire
From the acclaimed author of The Pattons and Patriot Pirates: a book celebrating America's early war correspondents--legends in their time, but mostly forgotten today--who learned their trade in the Civil War and went on to cover twenty years of bloody imperial conflict in Europe and Central Asia. Their harrowing experiences changed their politics, their youthful illusions of war's glory and thrill, and in some cases cost their lives, while also setting examples of globetrotting gallantry that would influence such iconic daredevils as Rudyard Kipling, Winston Churchill, and Theodore Roosevelt in the decades that followed.
It was the dawn of America's Gilded Age. Thanks to advances in the electric telegraph and the transatlantic cable, the reporters' dispatches were featured in daily newspapers that proliferated as never before on both sides of the Atlantic, driving public opinion and fueling political passions that wouldn't resolve until World War I. Inspired by history's first war correspondent, William H. Russell of The Times of London, they interpreted Russell's heartbreaking account of the Charge of Light Brigade not as tragedy but as grand adventure. Hard experience would teach them otherwise, yet the romance of their profession remained. Said one of them even after he'd lost his health, buried his friends, and seen the terrible truth of combat: "To have lived at the very heart of everything that was most sensational in those sensational days--what joy!" Their editors and newspaper owners treated them like cannon fodder, sending them repeatedly into harm's way to obtain the exclusive battlefield "beat," but the reporters didn't mind. Even in bitter competition they were a brotherhood above all. Hell Before Breakfast is their marvelous story.
It was the dawn of America's Gilded Age. Thanks to advances in the electric telegraph and the transatlantic cable, the reporters' dispatches were featured in daily newspapers that proliferated as never before on both sides of the Atlantic, driving public opinion and fueling political passions that wouldn't resolve until World War I. Inspired by history's first war correspondent, William H. Russell of The Times of London, they interpreted Russell's heartbreaking account of the Charge of Light Brigade not as tragedy but as grand adventure. Hard experience would teach them otherwise, yet the romance of their profession remained. Said one of them even after he'd lost his health, buried his friends, and seen the terrible truth of combat: "To have lived at the very heart of everything that was most sensational in those sensational days--what joy!" Their editors and newspaper owners treated them like cannon fodder, sending them repeatedly into harm's way to obtain the exclusive battlefield "beat," but the reporters didn't mind. Even in bitter competition they were a brotherhood above all. Hell Before Breakfast is their marvelous story.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
22 people are currently reading
829 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 12, 2015
Robert Patton has the enviable ability to shine a light into the hidden corners of History and discover the untold tales, he can also take a forgotten tale and breathe life into it for a new audience as he does in "Hell Before Breakfast" In the 19th century newspapers were king and their editors wielded immense power, they quickly discovered that war sold newspapers,and the advent of the transatlantic cable in the 1860's reduced communication time considerably, sometimes to as little as a day, readers could now get a daily dose of gore with their morning sausages. This phenomenon turned the war correspondents into the superstars of the newsroom, and the publishers and editors were soon fighting amongst themselves to see who could get the biggest scoop from the most exotic locale. The author chronicles the most famous correspondents of the era as they trek to far away places with strange sounding names, the wars that made their reputations(some now long-forgotten) and the publishers and editors who bankrolled their adventures.
This book is a must-read for any student of Military History or journalism, fans of geography and exploration will love it too.
This book is a must-read for any student of Military History or journalism, fans of geography and exploration will love it too.
March 22, 2014
Thanks to radio and television, the public today is largely aware of such great correspondents as Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, and Walter Cronkite, to name a few. In the mid to late 1800's, when newspapers were the major channel of public information, few war correspondents were given credit in the form of bylines for their reporting. The major newspapers vaguely referred to them as their men in the field or just war correspondents. This is the story behind these reporters. These are the men, for it was a man's role at this time, and their astonishing stories of how they covered the battlefields from the American Civil War to the wars in Europe leading up to the World War.
Because of these brave men, the United States and indeed much of Europe could read about the hell of the battlefield while sitting at home enjoying their morning paper over their breakfast. During the Civil War hastily written news dispatches had to sent by courier on foot or horseback, by train or by ship. The telegraph system provided a major improvement, although news still had to travel from remote battlefields to telegraph offices. The laying of the TransAtlantic Cable was a major breakthrough in the transmission of news across the Atlantic cutting dispatch time from months to hours. It was however, initially extremely expensive to send messages and available only to a few major newspapers. The New York Herald gambled that the expense would be outweighed by the benefit and quickly became the leading newspaper in the country largely because of news rapidly dispatched from European battlefields, beating other papers to the punch.
One of the first modern war correspondents was Britain's, William Howard Russell. In 1854, he gained fame by covering the Crimean War, reporting on the slaughter that would be later be the direct inspiration for Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, The Charge of The Light Brigade. William Russell would go on to cover the Civil War and many other battle fronts. Over the course of 30 years he would witness the technological advances that reduced the dispatch time from weeks to hours. This book delves into the lives of some of the major correspondents of the age, such as J. A. MacGahan, John Russell Young, George W. Smalley, Francis D. Millet, Henry M. Stanley, and many more. They were spurred on not only by their publishers, but by their personal need not only to tell the stories, but to be there experiencing the danger and the comradeship firsthand. Many of these men ended up disillusioned by the extreme horrors of the sights on the battlefields, constant reminders of how evil man could be to his fellow man. Yet almost without exception they returned time and again to report the stories. Book provided for review by Amazon Vine.
January 4, 2015
I'm a news nerd who jumped up and down with glee when I spotted Ernie Pyle's typewriter at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. So, yes, I loved this book. I'd never considered that the job of war correspondent predated World War II (or even Anderson Cooper). In this book, you'll become familiar with the precursors of today's well-known war reporters -- William H. Russell, Henry Villard, John Russell Young, Januarius MacGahon, Frank Millet, Stephen Bonsal and more.
You'll learn lots of interesting tidbits about the news business from the mid-1800s to early 1900s. Did you know that Alfred Lord Tennyson's famous poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," was inspired by a dispatch from William Howard Russell of the London Times? Me neither. That American journalist Stephen Bonsal won the Pulitzer Prize in 1945 for his book about the Treaty of Versailles, Unfinished Business? Another fun fact. That Civil War photojournalist Matthew Brady was a successful society portraiture photographer in New York City?
But, of course, war reporting is not all glamour and fame. It was difficult to read this book. These early journalists were reporting on the most savage global conflicts of their day. The military assumed (wrongly) that the writers would couch their dispatches in glowing terms of glory and heroism. Instead, they had the courage to look, and look hard, at the carnage and report on the ugliness and tragedy of war.
After you read this book, you might want to read the recent book Stringer by Anjan Sudaram, an AP freelancer who reported from war-torn Congo, or War Torn: Stories of War from the Women Reporters Who Covered Vietnam. Definitely read Chris Hedges' classic War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning for a philosophical look at man's troubling love affair with war from a former war correspondent.
You'll learn lots of interesting tidbits about the news business from the mid-1800s to early 1900s. Did you know that Alfred Lord Tennyson's famous poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," was inspired by a dispatch from William Howard Russell of the London Times? Me neither. That American journalist Stephen Bonsal won the Pulitzer Prize in 1945 for his book about the Treaty of Versailles, Unfinished Business? Another fun fact. That Civil War photojournalist Matthew Brady was a successful society portraiture photographer in New York City?
But, of course, war reporting is not all glamour and fame. It was difficult to read this book. These early journalists were reporting on the most savage global conflicts of their day. The military assumed (wrongly) that the writers would couch their dispatches in glowing terms of glory and heroism. Instead, they had the courage to look, and look hard, at the carnage and report on the ugliness and tragedy of war.
After you read this book, you might want to read the recent book Stringer by Anjan Sudaram, an AP freelancer who reported from war-torn Congo, or War Torn: Stories of War from the Women Reporters Who Covered Vietnam. Definitely read Chris Hedges' classic War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning for a philosophical look at man's troubling love affair with war from a former war correspondent.
September 22, 2014
I greatly enjoyed this book. The writing was clear, exciting and vivid. Little-known periods of history came alive for me. Namely, the Russo-Turkish War, which was started after publication of articles by an American war correspondent witness to the atrocities committed by Turkish mercenaries against Slavic and Bulgarian refugees.
Moreover, it enlightened me on mythic stories that I've grown up seeing and hearing in things like Warner Brothers cartoons. Things like the famous pseudo-quote of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume." A hapless, young war correspondent was tasked by the tyrannical James Bennett, Jr. to locate the missing scientist, Dr. Livingstone, and he endured numerous trials in scouring Africa.
I found myself thinking about what I learned from this book long after I finished it. So of course, I expect to check out the author's "Patriot Pirates" soon.
Moreover, it enlightened me on mythic stories that I've grown up seeing and hearing in things like Warner Brothers cartoons. Things like the famous pseudo-quote of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume." A hapless, young war correspondent was tasked by the tyrannical James Bennett, Jr. to locate the missing scientist, Dr. Livingstone, and he endured numerous trials in scouring Africa.
I found myself thinking about what I learned from this book long after I finished it. So of course, I expect to check out the author's "Patriot Pirates" soon.
April 8, 2017
I don't know what it is about me and stories of early journalism, but I seem to find myself reading about it often. Patton's book was and interesting for sure, covering the earliest period of war correspondence from the American Civil War through the Russian/Turkish war in Bulgaria in 1877/78. It's not a long period, but it did establish the war reporter as a key part of, in this case, print journalism.
While written well, and full of amazing stories of remarkable characters (journalist and military personnel alike), the book seems to have two parts. The first, from the Civil War through the Paris Commune, is a scattered mix of history of journalism and character introductions. Because of this, the book runs through far too much information without much flow, paragraphs alternating between the characters, how journalism evolved with new technologies, descriptions of battle, and political history. It all becomes confusing, a jumble of who what when where and why. For example, the books is supposed to be about the correspondents, but a lot of the first half relates the misadventures of the newspaper owners - past just their involvement with the foreign correspondents and creating the interest in having them.
The second half is more clear, fewer characters covering just one or two conflict areas, and more flowing coverage of the actual military conflicts the journalists were reporting on. The context, simpler narrative, and fewer characters made the last half of the book (from the Paris Commune through the Turkish war) more enjoyable to read. The increased interest could also have to do with more relatable conflicts, such as religious insurrections, and the fact that it led into the First World War alliances (so things I have studied before).
All in all, the book was interesting but the confusing first half drops my rating. Definitely interesting to anyone interested in early journalism.
While written well, and full of amazing stories of remarkable characters (journalist and military personnel alike), the book seems to have two parts. The first, from the Civil War through the Paris Commune, is a scattered mix of history of journalism and character introductions. Because of this, the book runs through far too much information without much flow, paragraphs alternating between the characters, how journalism evolved with new technologies, descriptions of battle, and political history. It all becomes confusing, a jumble of who what when where and why. For example, the books is supposed to be about the correspondents, but a lot of the first half relates the misadventures of the newspaper owners - past just their involvement with the foreign correspondents and creating the interest in having them.
The second half is more clear, fewer characters covering just one or two conflict areas, and more flowing coverage of the actual military conflicts the journalists were reporting on. The context, simpler narrative, and fewer characters made the last half of the book (from the Paris Commune through the Turkish war) more enjoyable to read. The increased interest could also have to do with more relatable conflicts, such as religious insurrections, and the fact that it led into the First World War alliances (so things I have studied before).
All in all, the book was interesting but the confusing first half drops my rating. Definitely interesting to anyone interested in early journalism.
August 7, 2020
Great read. Patton brings history to life with a great storyline and fascinating portraits of pioneering war correspondents and the men and women they followed.
August 5, 2014
The Gilded Age. A time of advancing technology that gave rise to the modern world we know. Thanks to the creation of the electric telegraph and the transatlantic cable, for the first time it was possible for foreign correspondents to share their dispatches with the general public days and sometimes even hours after the events. Out of this came the first war correspondents, Americans sent to cover twenty years of conflict in Europe and Central Asia. Pushed by bitter competition but brought together by a brotherhood born of common experience, these men drove public opinion and fuelled passions that would not come to rest until World War I. Hell Before Breakfast tells their story, through the Crimean War, the American Civil War, the Russian conflicts in Central Asia and through to the sinking of the Titanic.
I have a thing about history books set in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, so Hell Before Breakfast was right up my alley. As such it jumped out at me from the Amazon Monthly Editors’ Choices and went straight on to my TBR list as a book I was definitely looking forward to getting to. In the end, the book was an enjoyable read, though not as much as I had been expecting. After all, a non-fiction book dealing with journalism at a time when the profession was truly a cut-throat one, could only be exciting, right? Well, yes and no. While the book has its moments, especially when the correspondents become directly involved in battles, there is also a lack of flow in the narrative – you sometimes get the feeling that the book would have worked better with a different chapter concentrating on each correspondent or newspaper, rather than on a simple linear story. The journalists themselves, though, are truly the stars of the book: every single one of them comes across as a real character, complete with extravagant foibles and – for some of them – extremely dramatic lives (and deaths!). The theme that remains omnipresent throughout is the fact that these men were responsible for providing us with an important glimpse of the world of the time, putting everything on the line in order to do so. Overall, I enjoyed Hell Before Breakfast, though I can see ways in which it could have been improved. I gave Hell Before Breakfast 3 stars.
I have a thing about history books set in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, so Hell Before Breakfast was right up my alley. As such it jumped out at me from the Amazon Monthly Editors’ Choices and went straight on to my TBR list as a book I was definitely looking forward to getting to. In the end, the book was an enjoyable read, though not as much as I had been expecting. After all, a non-fiction book dealing with journalism at a time when the profession was truly a cut-throat one, could only be exciting, right? Well, yes and no. While the book has its moments, especially when the correspondents become directly involved in battles, there is also a lack of flow in the narrative – you sometimes get the feeling that the book would have worked better with a different chapter concentrating on each correspondent or newspaper, rather than on a simple linear story. The journalists themselves, though, are truly the stars of the book: every single one of them comes across as a real character, complete with extravagant foibles and – for some of them – extremely dramatic lives (and deaths!). The theme that remains omnipresent throughout is the fact that these men were responsible for providing us with an important glimpse of the world of the time, putting everything on the line in order to do so. Overall, I enjoyed Hell Before Breakfast, though I can see ways in which it could have been improved. I gave Hell Before Breakfast 3 stars.
May 30, 2014
Patton's tale of war correspondents is built largely around the impact that the trans-Atlantic telegraph had on the speed at which news could be delivered from Europe to American readers. The result is the transition from the early long-form literary Crimean War dispatches of William Hoawrd Russell's letters to the Times of London to the later concise-yet-potent newswire copy demanded by New York. Following the publishing battle for the best American Civil War reporting, New York's biggest papers unleashed their correspondents overseas to erupting hotspots, as well as into manufactured news events. Patton draws evocative portraits of the key figures he follows throughout the book, publishers, editors, and correspondents alike, detailing their friendships, family lives and motivations. It is through the eyes of these interconnected personalities that we experience the Franco-Prussian War, the battle of the Paris Commune, Russian crack-downs among tribesmen of central Asia, and the Russo-Turkish War, experiencing the passion that heavily informed their dispatches. While the book is built upon a plethora of engaging biography, I was hoping for more technical exposition of the workings of the wire services, of which we get only a peek. Overall, the book is an informative and exciting read, painting perilous pictures of in-depth war reporting and exhibiting the shaping of international events through a print media network that was increasingly drawing the world closer together.
February 13, 2020
I rarely give books 5 star ratings, especially non fiction, and I also rarely leave reviews, but this is an exception to both.
I will agree that the writing style took a bit to get used to, especially since there are so many different characters to keep track of. But once you get a few chapters in, it starts to make more sense.
If you read a lot of history books, especially about war, you've read the overly dry slog of troop movements, and reading about thousands of people lose their lives barely raises an eyebrow. The author of this book masterfully brings these journalists experiences with incredibly traumatic events to the page, in ways that made me almost have to take a break at times due to how hard it was to read those details.
I was also happy to learn more about names I've seen in other books but knew nothing about, or learn about a new side of someone I didn't know existed.
You will not put this book down at the end and feel good. It's about tragic events, recorded by mostly people with tragic endings. But it all happened, and you'll be glad you read about it.
I will agree that the writing style took a bit to get used to, especially since there are so many different characters to keep track of. But once you get a few chapters in, it starts to make more sense.
If you read a lot of history books, especially about war, you've read the overly dry slog of troop movements, and reading about thousands of people lose their lives barely raises an eyebrow. The author of this book masterfully brings these journalists experiences with incredibly traumatic events to the page, in ways that made me almost have to take a break at times due to how hard it was to read those details.
I was also happy to learn more about names I've seen in other books but knew nothing about, or learn about a new side of someone I didn't know existed.
You will not put this book down at the end and feel good. It's about tragic events, recorded by mostly people with tragic endings. But it all happened, and you'll be glad you read about it.
August 28, 2014
This was a pretty interesting book, and a surprisingly fast read for what, going in, I considered a pretty heavy topic. I really enjoy Robert H. Patton's writing style, which smoothly incorporates actual quotations from newspapers, correspondences, and other primary resources into the narrative. He splits his time talking about the journalists and the events that they covered, and you really get the sense that it is impossible to discuss one without the other. I found it hard to keep track of where I was occasionally, though that may be because not only does the book cover a wide range of dates and places, but most were in portions of history that I am not very personally familiar with.
*In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.*
*In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.*
April 24, 2015
Fantastic book!
The true stories of the first war correspondents in the 19th century: Januarius MacGahan, Archibald Field, Francis Millet (also a brilliant artist), William Howard Russell, Geoge Smalley, John Russell Young.
All forgotten today but,
They covered at total personal risk, the American Civil War, the Austro-Prussion War, the Franco-Prussion War, and the Russo-Turkish War.
And this is the story of the newspapers that sponsored and paid them: the NY Herald, The NY Tribune and the London Daily News.
And it immerses you in the horrors of the wars - the hundreds of thousands of useless deaths, the egos of the generals, and the suffering of the populations.
Brillant!
The true stories of the first war correspondents in the 19th century: Januarius MacGahan, Archibald Field, Francis Millet (also a brilliant artist), William Howard Russell, Geoge Smalley, John Russell Young.
All forgotten today but,
They covered at total personal risk, the American Civil War, the Austro-Prussion War, the Franco-Prussion War, and the Russo-Turkish War.
And this is the story of the newspapers that sponsored and paid them: the NY Herald, The NY Tribune and the London Daily News.
And it immerses you in the horrors of the wars - the hundreds of thousands of useless deaths, the egos of the generals, and the suffering of the populations.
Brillant!
August 12, 2014
i was sent this book free from goodreads.this book tells you things you would not learn in the history lesson at school.it was well written and i found it quite interesting although it is not the usual type of book i would read.it does remind us of how man's inhumanity to man still goes on after events written about 100 years ago,will things ever change?
October 27, 2014
Fans of Lawrence of Arabia-type adventures in far-flung places will enjoy the exciting anecdotes in this book. The evolution of journalism as telegraph technology progressed is particularly fascinating. There's not much of an overarching narrative, though. Instead, the book bounces from one reporters exploits to the next, and it's hard to keep them all straight at times.
May 24, 2014
The reader gets a real sense of this period of history through the eyes of journalists but most importantly a sense of who these men and women were and what drove them to risk life and limb to be an eye witness to the brutality of war.
July 20, 2014
Full of interesting facts ... the writing, however, was sometimes awkward and often jerky ... a definite lack of narrative flow ... although that may be due to the fragmentary nature of the historical record ...
January 12, 2016
This was a very engaging tale of the reporters and their time overseas. I learned a lot about small conflicts that I had not really studied before. The author could have focused more on the big picture towards the end to wrap it up but this is a minor complaint.
June 30, 2014
OOh I looved this book.. it is a really great book...won it from good reads and fell in love with it!
January 21, 2015
A part of history I was unfamiliar with. Enlightening.
June 25, 2014
Just received this book, can't wait to read through it!
March 26, 2022
I thought the book would be all about early war correspondents individually and it was. But it also was a history of the wars themselves, especially for me history of the Russian / Turk war of which I new nothing about. It was also about the leaders in the wars and the individuals heading the major news agencies at that time. For me a lot to learn. Not an easy read but a very informative read.
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July 7, 2024The writing style is riveting, but after reading some sections that seemed to glorify sexual perversion, I had no interest in finishing the book.
August 10, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to lose myself in this fast-paced (nonstop action with a personal touch) chronicle of the lives and experiences of the first war correspondents. Despite being intricately detailed and covering everything from favored and talented reporters from several different competing newspapers (and also bringing the publishers and managing editors who were in charge of these newspapers to life) and the assignments these reporters took on, to sporting events, famous novelists or politicians who interacted in some way with the reporters and/or editors, and fascinating events (even a hoax) that brought more readers and more success to a particular newspaper, the book is engaging and easy to follow.
What I enjoyed most about this book was how it brought to vivid life the war correspondents (and often their families and friends), the wars (viewpoints from both sides) and the atrocities against different groups of people, the changing methods for getting stories to editors (if you sent your stories by mail, it could take a week and the news would be old by the time your editor received it; yet telegraph fees were very expensive), and the danger not only to those fighting but to the correspondents themselves. Archibald Forbes, for example, who was reporting on the Paris Commune in 1871, experienced the following, "...he heard an order to halt behind him. A red-sashed Guardsman said to start stacking the barricade with mattresses and furniture. Forbes flashed his press pass. It didn't impress - work or be shot was his choice." The same day, Forbes was again given an ultimatum - pick up a gun and help shoot down the enemy, or be shot down himself.
Several correspondents were indeed injured or even killed on assignment. Some were not the best writers, but won more acclaim because they were quicker to write and found faster ways to get their stories to their bosses. Some were too quick to report and sent inaccurate information; some were talented artists and focused more on sketching soldiers, villages, landscapes and peasants. Some were more emotional than others and found themselves more affected by the violence to innocents; some were very easy to work with; some wrote books about their experiences. Most were overflowing with personality and life, and proved to be vital in preserving detailed accounts of our history from the Civil War on into the early 20th century. An enjoyable and enlightening read.
What I enjoyed most about this book was how it brought to vivid life the war correspondents (and often their families and friends), the wars (viewpoints from both sides) and the atrocities against different groups of people, the changing methods for getting stories to editors (if you sent your stories by mail, it could take a week and the news would be old by the time your editor received it; yet telegraph fees were very expensive), and the danger not only to those fighting but to the correspondents themselves. Archibald Forbes, for example, who was reporting on the Paris Commune in 1871, experienced the following, "...he heard an order to halt behind him. A red-sashed Guardsman said to start stacking the barricade with mattresses and furniture. Forbes flashed his press pass. It didn't impress - work or be shot was his choice." The same day, Forbes was again given an ultimatum - pick up a gun and help shoot down the enemy, or be shot down himself.
Several correspondents were indeed injured or even killed on assignment. Some were not the best writers, but won more acclaim because they were quicker to write and found faster ways to get their stories to their bosses. Some were too quick to report and sent inaccurate information; some were talented artists and focused more on sketching soldiers, villages, landscapes and peasants. Some were more emotional than others and found themselves more affected by the violence to innocents; some were very easy to work with; some wrote books about their experiences. Most were overflowing with personality and life, and proved to be vital in preserving detailed accounts of our history from the Civil War on into the early 20th century. An enjoyable and enlightening read.
September 8, 2014
A gripping, fully involving recount of the exploits of the often eccentric reporters and publishers who presented the world to us in the years between 1850 and 1914. Anotherwords, author Patton's saga begins just before the American Civil War, and concludes at the onset of The Great War, World War I. Particularly vivid and absorbing are accounts of the Paris Commune of 1871 and of the expedition to find Dr David Livingstone. Accounts of the savagery of war start out being horrific, and then, unfortunately, become numbing. Well written and well paced, hard to put down, recommended for anyone interested in the history of the period covered.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews