American Women War Correspondents in World War I
April 15, 2020
In American Journalists in the Great War (2017), Dubbs barely mentioned the women reporters of World War I. This follow-up book is an impressive corrective. The author explores the careers of nearly 40 courageous women who covered the war for newspapers, news syndicates, magazines, and other publications. Most of the principals will be unfamiliar to general readers, but their bylines were widespread from 1915 through 1919. Two of the most well-known names are the journalists who also found success as novelists: Edith Wharton, who worked for Scribner's Magazine and the Saturday Evening Post; and Mary Roberts Rinehart, "America's most popular mystery novelist when she traveled to Europe in 1915 to be a war correspondent." Other recognizable names--at least to readers versed in the history of journalism--include Nellie Bly and Louise Bryant. In addition to the rich anecdotes and samplings of their reporting provided by Dubbs, period photographs enhance the engaging portrayal of wartime drama. Another strength of the book is the author's decision to focus not just on Western European countries, but also on the battlegrounds of Turkey, Armenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Russia. Of the newspapers and magazines hiring women to report about the war, the Saturday Evening Post was perhaps the most prominent and aggressive (and women-friendly), and Dubbs covers it appropriately. "While the Post's coverage included the military, political, and economic components of war," he writes, "its women correspondents showed...the impact on the home, family, and individual lives." In her foreword, PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff admirably ties the reporting of women journalists currently covering global conflicts to the work of those during WWI: "Today's intrepid female reporters stand on the shoulders of women who pioneered the role." Readers will be inspired by the nearly unimaginable obstacles these journalists overcame to perform their jobs with flair. A welcome history suitable for World War I aficionados and budding journalists.
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June 1, 2020
At the beginning of World War I, war correspondence was a men-only club because the frontlines were considered too treacherous for delicate women. However, dozens of women, including Edith Wharton and Nellie Bly, defied stereotypes to dispatch from the Great War, and their incredible work is highlighted here. Intrepid female reporters balked when told they couldn't go to the trenches, volunteering as nurses to get even closer to the frontlines than their male colleagues. They traveled to battle-weary European capitals, witnessing the tragedy beset upon residents and putting themselves in harm's way to deliver a story. Eleanor Franklin Egan daringly smuggled evidence of Armenien persecution out of Turkey, despite the dangerous potential consequences. Sometimes, the correspondents became part of the story themselves: Mildred Farwell became the center of media attention when she was held captive in Serbia. Dubbs (Realizing Tomorrow, 2011) delivers a rousing narrative of adventurous women, passionate about their careers, who broke free from oppressive gender norms to accomplish their goals. Hand this book to World War I aficionados and casual history buffs.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)