The Women Who Wrote the War

by Nancy Caldwell Sorel

An illustrated historical biography celebrates the accomplishments of World War II's female war correspondents--including Margaret Bourke-White, Martha Gellhorn, Lee Miller, and Janet Flanner--who risked their lives in combat zones to provide firsthand reports on the events of the war. 100,000 first printing. Tour.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Journalism, Biography, War, Womens

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Suzanne Manners · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very interested in this topic after previously watching the movie Hemingway and Gelhorn, starring Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen. Margaret Gelhorn was one of the brave and determined women journalists mentioned in this book, along with other notables Lee Miller and Dickey Chappelle. The job of war correspondent during WWII seemed a glamorous occupation for women despite the dangers and hard times. Of course they faced discrimination because of their sex, but this was useful in obtaining confidential information by exploiting their feminine charms. In the days before technology, a rucksack backpack was used to haul typewriters paper, bulky cameras, and rolls of film to war-torn battlefronts and bombed out cities. The scenes of war were horrific and emotionally draining, but the stories recorded by these women were fascinating features in LIFE magazine and National Geographic. Readers were intrigued with the eye-witness accounts documented by women reporters. The personal lives of women reporters were also tumultuous and this book revealed secrets of romantic rendezvous in counties abroad, sadness of leaving children back in the states with extended family, and loss of husbands or lovers due to war tragedies. The uniforms issued to these reporters included arm bands labeled with initials WC, for war correspondent, but the "W" was dropped when jokes began to circulate in Europe about what WC represented (water closet).

One of the most memorable stories was Dickey Chappelle's account of the battle of Iwo Jima. While on tour with Marines, she was assigned to photograph scenes that could be used for Red Cross as propaganda to encourage blood donors. While on a high mountain over-looking the island's battle zone, she felt bothered by the "zing and buzz" of what she believed to be constant swarming of mosquitoes and gnats. Later she realized that she was a target and the sounds were flying bullets. Amazingly she was never hit!

Another extraordinary account tells of Lee Miller who was in Munich when the American Army came to liberate the city after Hilter's death. She was famously photographed cleaning up in Hitler's bathtub after taking temporary residence in his abandoned Munich apartment.



I was living in Hitler’s private apartment when his death was announced, midnight of Mayday … Well, alright, he was dead. He’d never really been alive to me until today. He’d been an evil-machine-monster all these years, until I visited the places he made famous, talked to people who knew him, dug into backstairs gossip and ate and slept in his house. He became less fabulous and therefore more terrible, along with a little evidence of his having some almost human habits; like an ape who embarrasses and humbles you with his gestures, mirroring yourself in caricature. “There, but for the Grace of God, walks I.”

I learned a lot from this book about adventurous women reporters and truly admire their trailblazing careers!

[Ejayen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard for two reasons.
1. Hemingway and his ilk. I am not a fan.
2. Chapter 30 April: The Camps. It is heartbreaking.

[Artie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting, eye opening read. These amazing women war reporters witnessed horrendous events and soldiered on.

[Dorinda Balchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Women Who Wrote The War’ is an amazing book. Ms Sorel has carried out some incredibly detailed research to bring us the stories of the women correspondents who reported the Second World War from the front line. These were pioneering women who were willing to risk everything to work in what was, essentially, a man’s world. The book shows their strengths and vulnerabilities, their compassion and sensitivity, their search for the truth. It was not easy for a woman to report during the war, often finding adversaries in the world of the press and the hierarchy of the armed forces as well as at the front line. These women worked hard to bring the news home to America, and often made personal sacrifices to do so. They were a breed apart and deserving of recognition.

Ms. Sorel has met with many of these reporters, read their books, their reports and their journals, and so has been able to provide a unique insight into the lives of this small band of women. Her writing is clear and concise, cleverly weaving her words with the reporters own. The book reads somewhat between a history book, a biography and an adventure story, making it truly gripping.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time, and I heartily recommend it.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting. I checked out the hardback at the library. Some of them met each other. Each one is distinctive and talented in her own way. The story bounces around and circles back which sometimes required some backtracking on my part, but I didn't mind. The difference in the experiences of the women and men is mind boggling, but not surprising for those times ( and even now on occasion).

I thoroughly enjoyed the book,

[Faith Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book way more than I did. The second half was very interesting, but the first half introduced so many women in short succession that I had a hard time keeping them all straight, effectively nullifying any good the backstory/introduction provided.

Learned: sleeping around and infidelity in marriage is nothing new, people just weren’t as open about it back in the day. Sort of. It was rather depressing reading about these women’s romantic/sexual lives, but they did their jobs well, so that’s something.

[Colby Hanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me basically all summer to finish this expansive, educational book and I loved every moment! Learning about women pioneering in war journalism in WWII was really enlightening

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. I think I learned more about WWII from this book than I did in high school!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The women profiled in this book come from a variety of family life and hometowns. The biographical paragraphs happen when a woman war correspondent is introduced for the first time and can be interrupting the reading flow of the narrative until the reader gets used to it. It was very interesting cross section of these women's work along with the history of their time in Europe and the Pacific, chronicling the very end of WWI until just after WWII (to include the Spanish Civil War, pogroms of the 1930s, and the invasion and occupation of Ethiopia). However, it does get a little soap opera-y at times especially when the women's intimate relationships get intertwined. I tended to skim those paragraphs so I could get back to adventures these women were on just to get the story and be eyewitnesses to history. I also like that these women were looking for new angles to an event, partly in respect to their colleagues who may have gotten the scoop first, partly to set them apart from the group of war correspondents - an angle that readers back home couldn't get from anyone else such as interviewing civilians or nurses on the front lines. I also liked that the book featured women who went to the Pacific to report from the islands and China; this part of WWII often goes unnoticed in WWI social-history books.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just fascinating. It took us from before the war, about 1935, though the end, introducing the correspondents as they entered into the war. Some were most prevalent before, others through the entire thing, a few came in after D-Day. They were some amazing women who did such fantastic things. I know a lot about the war in Europe, but this delved wonderfully into the Pacific theater, as well. I also liked how it showed both their professional lives and everything covering a war required, as well as their personal lives, which were often messy and a sea of relationships. Lots had affairs, a few fell in love, remarkably, none died. So well written and a very important piece of war history.

[cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this recently and remembered I had read it already. That happens with increasing frequency.
Certainly worth the read. Most of it I didn't know and that's always exciting. Daring, courageous and talented women who were determined to get in the thick of it, frequently without permission from editors or publishers. I'll be looking for more about them.
The prose is so-so which is why I gave it a 4.
Certainly worth the read though.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable. A must-read, especially if you're like me and obsessed with oral histories. Is this weird? It really made me proud to be a woman. Usually I'm just rooting for whoever is awesome and relatable, but here, I was actually like, "Rock on, ladies!" Now, where I can read all their published works? Because the excerpts were gorgeous and moving and engaging and, obviously, quite enticing.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was an extraordinary achievement for these women. Though I would have preferred it if the author had not jumped from one person to the next with almost every successive paragraph. It would have been more enjoyable had she stuck with one person longer before switching.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible courage.

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Might be a bit harsh; it wasn't baaaad. it was just...kinda uninteresting and disjointed. It skipped around too much to be invested in any specific character or storyline.

[Rebecca Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant Women who Overcame Hardships to Bring News of WW2

I recall with some amusement a popular newscaster of the 1970s through the 2000s, Tom Brokaw, stating how he had hoped for sons for the reasons that he could take them on camping trips as well as other rugged outdoor pursuits. When he got 3 daughters instead, he found that they were just as up to the rugged life as any rough-and-tumble boys he had known. However, he would be baffled to see one reduced to tears over what might look like an acceptable haircut to him, but be told, "Can't you see? It's an eighth of an inch too short!" (Gee whiz, Dad! You sure are dense!)

No, of course, there was more to these women journalists than this! While the male journalists and their bosses may have acted as if the women were "too delicate" for the horrors of war, it soon became evident that the men did not want to be surpassed by them--as they often were.

For those of us who had the Vietnam War right in our family rooms, it can be somewhat puzzling that the censors of WW2 would not let certain pictures of dead soldiers and civilians be shown back to those on the home front. Certain stories had to be "trimmed" or even totally excluded as being too "graphic."

Upon returning from overseas, most of the women journalists found that they could not go back to an "ordinary life." Many times their spouses had found someone else and their children had forgotten them. Were the honors and accolades they received overseas for their courage under fire worth it? That is a question only each individual woman could answer.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book. I think it should be required reading for all women studying history or feminism. This is the story of the female correspondents who brought WWII home to the American Public. Sorel starts in Spain in 1937, and the pace just picks up from there. There are the iconic, like Margaret Bourke-White and Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway's wife, and the less well remembered like Patricia Lochridge. The cast of characters is big and wide, and the action never ceases. But one is always impressed with the period sexism and formality the ladies have to overcome. But overcome they all do. While this book deals squarely with really adult themes, I think kids over 12 will find it an instructive read. Military history, or feminist history students will think this is an indispensable source. A great addition to the WWII Canon.

[Corina Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes readers on a deep dive into the lives and careers of several female journalists from across the United States. Whether covering the Spanish Civil War, the propaganda machine of Nazi Germany, or the invasion of the Eastern Front, their determination and bravery knew no bounds. The women writers of this all-true epic faced everyday sexism while risking their lives on battlefields to get the scoop for Americans back home. We read the tales of Martha Gelhorn, wife of Ernest Hemingway and a pioneer in detailing the evils of fascism, Margaret Bourke-White, one of the first female photojournalists, who took a dip in Hitler's bathtub, and numerous other bold women. Sorel tells the stories of these heroines with vivid detail, making the reader feel like they're watching history unfold in person; her writing is nothing short of brilliance.

[Bill Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive book about the women who covered WWII for American newspapers, magazines, wire services and sometimes radio. It starts with a couple women who covered WWI and spends more time on the Spanish Civil War, but the primary focus is WWII.

One effect of writing about these war correspondents is that we see the war via their experiences and get a more personal view of the war, not the "big picture" we would get in a textbook.

By the end of the book, there had been enough war correspondents that I wished I had had a list of their names, especially because sometimes Sorel refers to them by their first name and sometimes by their last name and once in a while by their married name.

[ಥ_ಥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Rush 2020: A book on a different continent

I'd probably give this closer to a 3.5. It's informational, easy to read and covers a lot. The issue I have with this is that it doesn't go into enough detail information about hardly anything. It is more like little snippets of their stories. Which is fine, but not the type of history or non fiction books I prefer. I know it was about a few women, but it still hopes all over the place too much. The writing was not dry though, which is amazing for a book of this nature.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. Sorel begins the book shortly before the Spanish Civil War, as many of the women who reported on WWII 'cut their teeth' reporting during the Spanish Civil War. Rather than following a single reporter (or small group of them), Sorel reports their work and efforts in a roughly chronological way, often jumping from one reporter to another to share how the women reported their experiences. (I point this out because it could impact whether or not others want to read the book.)

The book shares stories of mostly women reporting efforts in the European Theater with only some content on the war in the Pacific. (I would say it's a 75%-25% split.) That split is largely due to availability of content: Most women reported on efforts in Europe both before/after D-Day because they were allowed in that space. Even before women reporters were allowed in Italy or France, they were able to report the war from England. In contrast, few reporters of either gender were able to island-hop across the Pacific with the troops.

All in all, a very interesting, enjoyable read. Glad I picked up this book!

[Jazmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Women Who Wrote the War is about female reporters & correspondents who went above & beyond to get into the thick of things to report the truth of the war - often disobeying their bosses to do so.

This was a highly interesting & important read, but I feel as though the way it's written could have been a little better. I also wish the author would have given more details about their personal lives instead of just skimming the surface. Still a great read overall.

[Susann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully researched, Well Written

I loved this book and savored it slowly. Fascinating account of some very courageous women reporters during WWII in both the European and Pacific theaters of war. There were times when the narrative was absolutely page turning. Just enough bio on each woman gave the flavor of their personalities and gumption. Some great little known stories about the war.

[Alan Spinrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not finished yet, but borrow expired. Once I decided this should be titled something like “World War II, (as Reported by Pioneering Women Reporters)”, I found the book much more interesting. You learn more about the war than about the women, which is probably the point for these reporters.
There is brief factual information provided about all the women, but there are too many for great depth. Added bonus - the book makes clear that Hemingway was a JERK.

[Anneke Michaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Women Who Wrote the War was a fascinating read, and I am impressed by the daring and resourcefulness of these early female reporters. It gave me a new perspective on World War II; I'd never studied it from this viewpoint. One thing that frustrated me was the details of the reporters' personal lives. They were not usually very clean, and sometimes felt unnecessary to the goal of the book. Still, it was interesting and enlightening, and I'm curious to learn more about the topic in general.

[Jeslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read of a good number of women war correspondents and their experiences in Europe and the Pacific during WWII. The style of the book resulted in the players being reintroduced to the reader nearly until the end, but overall a book that is worth reading. Also interesting to read that soldiers weren't the only ones who struggled to return to postwar life.

[Peg Haldorson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always fascinated to learn more about the role of women in all facets of history. There are many brave women who either knowingly or unknowingly changed history by being there. The women in this book took risks professionally, and life threatening to get the story and report the war and its atrocities. I’m going to have to find biographies on some of these individual women.

[Leah Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did a good job telling the story of WWII through the story of its female correspondents. I had not realized how many there were. I didn’t always keep each one’s story separate in my mind but I did enjoy tales of each. So many were determined to cover the war up close, despite both danger and barriers to female correspondents.

[Ann Sawchuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It gave me a deeper understanding of WW II and a deeper appreciation of the brave women who reported the war. I can see more clearly the bravery of the women who are now reporting the war from Ukraine and Russia. That brave Russian producer! The men too - but the women!! I am awestruck.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

These women had more courage than I possess. I was surprised to learn that notable male writers of the time, Ernest Hemingway, Erskine Caldwell, John Dos Passos, Sinclair Lewis, George Orwell and John Steinbeck also became war correspondents. Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, H.G. Wells and Ezra Pound are mentioned as friends of the journalists.