By Quentin Reynolds

by Quentin Reynolds

"One of the world's most famous war correspondents tells the fascinating story of his life and times."

Genres: Journalism

356 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Born in the Bronx, New York, on April 11, 1902, to a school principal and his wife, Quentin James Reynolds grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Manual Training High School. He enrolled at Brown University and excelled in football, boxing, and swimming. In fact, after earning his Ph.D. he spent a year on a professional football team. Going from job to job, Reynolds couldn't find a career he enjoyed. His father suggested law school, and by the time he earned his degree, Reynolds had finally figured out what he wanted to do.

Journalism, not law, appealed to Reynolds, and he worked as a reporter and then a sports columnist. In 1933 he was sent as a feature writer to report on Germany and the rise of Hitler. At that time, Reynolds was writing for the International News Service. The Germans didn't approve of Reynolds's slant against the Third Reich and national socialism; however, from the article Reynolds gained employment at Collier's Weekly for whom he eventually penned 384 articles and short stories over a fifteen year span, eventually rising to the position of associate editor. A prolific writer, Reynolds's fame came during an assignment to cover the erupting World War II.

Reynolds spent time in France and then fled to England. While there he came to appreciate and respect the British. In account after account he portrayed the strong will and determination of a nation fighting for its very survival. He penned seven books about the war, broadcasted for the British Broadcasting Company, narrated two film documentaries, and lectured in the United States. Reynolds's popularity soared as people learned of his bravery and the risks he took to get the story.

Unfortunately for Reynolds, not everyone found him admirable. A Hearst columnist disputed his claims and suggested Reynolds was cowardly. After five years in the court system, Reynolds won over $175,000 in the libel judgement. This wasn't his only time he was brought to the public's attention for questionable acts. In 1952 Reynolds had penned a book about a Canadian spy, only to later find out that he had been duped and misled into believing a false tale. The publisher in turn changed the book from nonfiction to fiction.

When Reynolds traveled to Manila, Philippines, to research the president for a biography, he became ill with abdominal cancer. He passed away on March 17, 1965 at the age of sixty-two.

Reviews

[David Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read most of Reynods' World War II books and enjoyed them quite a bit. I didn't know anything about the man other than that. I was a bit concerned that this book would repeat much of what I'd already read. My concern was misplaced. In those books, he told the stories of others, connecting these little vignettes with brief stories of what happened to him while at the front. In this book, he tells a bit about how the books came to be, but didn't repeat himself at all.

He was a much bigger character than I gave him credit for. He was quite the celebrity. I don't think of modern reporters as being celebrities.

Nobody today could live the life he lived before the war. While in college, he was called by an NFL team to play a couple of games. He gave them a fake name so his college eligibility wouldn't be affected. It's a much different world now.

The war takes a big chunk of this book. After the war, he describes his libel case against another reporter, Pegler. This was also quite interesting, as I don't think many libel cases are successful these days (in the USA, at least).

If you read and enjoyed his war books, you'll like this one.