From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9–A thorough history of the role that the press plays in wartime, centering mostly on Pearl Harbor, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the current war on terrorism. Sullivan begins with an overview of how reporters have actually covered battles, such as the handwritten reports from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, which were carried by hand or on horseback. Most of the book, however, deals with World War II and after. Sepia photos of Edward R. Murrow, Ernie Pyle, Marguerite Higgins, and others are scattered throughout. A chapter on Iraq describes the role of embedded journalists. Twenty-three reporters, including several women, are profiled, with a look at their careers and comments from them. An excellent, up-to-date resource.–Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Sullivan mentions dozens of war correspondents--from the Mexican War's George Kendall to NBC's David Bloom and other journalists "embedded" in Iraq--but his focus is more on the changing relationships between the American press and the U.S. military as technological advances have changed the nature and ability to control war reporting. Covering his topic chronologically, he details both instances in which the press helped drive events, such as the Spanish American and Vietnam wars, and those, such as the invasions of Grenada and Kuwait, in which reporters were kept either on a tight leash or entirely out of the combat zone. The small black-and-white photos are largely portraits from the field. Closing with a gallery of greats, from Marguerite Higgins to Walter Cronkite, this survey doesn't have the immediacy of Harold Evans' more heavily illustrated War Stories (2003) or Michael S. Sweeney's gritty From the Front (2002), both published for adults, but as a case study in the fluidity of First Amendment rights in wartime, it's thought-provoking reading. A solid entry in the ongoing People's History series. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
