Not So Wild a Dream [Paperback]

Eric Sevareid (Author, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Again available in paperback is Eric Sevareid's widely acclaimed Not So Wild a Dream. In this brilliant first-person account of a young journalist's experience during World War II, Sevareid records both the events of the war and the development of journalistic strategies for covering international affairs. He also recalls vividly his own youth in North Dakota, his decision to study journalism, and his early involvement in radio reporting during the beginnings of World War II.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is a classic American autobiography, superbly written, which evokes poignant memories of the American dream."--William Manchester

"For anyone even remotely interested in American literature and journalism, Not So Wild a Dream is a must-read, and a joy."--Dan Rather

It remains an important book with a new kind of timeliness. Not So Wild a Dream can stand on its own as an intelligent, eloquent accounting of a generation that had to survive the Depression and World War II in order to reach maturity--and then took a long, deep breath because the worst simply had to be behind."--Time

"The book is an excellent sketch of the war's progress, and a thoughtful personal record of Mr. Sevareid's adventures--one of the most far ranging war correspondent journals yet published."-- Library Journal

"It was--and is--a beautifully written, idealistically inclined book that captured the youthful dreams of America and the postwar world. . . . What was once read as a personal story can now be seen as a part of our history."--New York Times

About the Author

 Eric Sevareid (1912-1992) began his illustrious journalistic career at the age of nineteen as a copyboy. He moved steadily up the career ladder, becoming first a reporter for the Minneapolis Star, then city editor for the Paris edition of the New York Herald Tribune, before serving as the night editor for UPI in Paris. In 1939, he began his career with Columbia Broadcasting System as a European war correspondent. After the war, he continued working for CBS as a national correspondent and visited the homes of millions of Americans nightly until his retirement in 1977.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826210147
• ISBN-13: 978-0826210142
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sevareid's Odyssey is an American Classic, September 10, 2001

By 

Rich Lofthus (Yankton, South Dakota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not So Wild a Dream (Paperback)

Those who choose to read Sevareid's Not So Wild A Dream will quickly find themselves in an encounter with a great mind and a writer who had command of the English language. Sevareid vividly describes his upbringing on the Northern Plains that naturally conditioned him to be an isolationist of the post World War I variety.
Sevareid remained true to his early isolationist convictions when he became involved in the peace movement of the 1930s at the University of Minnesota. He eagerly took the Oxford Oath, promising there was no just reason that could motivate him to take up arms for his country. As a student leader he played a key role in a successful challenge of the ROTC requirement for all male students.
Sevareid's early journalism career took him to Paris and he witnessed first hand the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Fascism in Germany. His description of a 1938 visit to Germany at the height of Hitler's power is a masterful account of the totalitarian nature of Nazi rule. Readers will also be impressed with his insightful description of the fall of France to the Nazis in 1940.
At this point in his life Sevareid did something that few people ever do. He admited that his earlier isolationist and pacifist views were in error and embraced the notion that war was required to defeat Facism and its frontal assault on the most basic ideals of western civilization.
Sevareid's book was published in 1946--a time when most Americans were content to enjoy the fruits of victory after the enormous sacrifice that was made to win the war. But Sevareid was one of the first to write about the nagging issue of how peace would be maintained. His insights concerning the wartime conditions in China and the problems that would likely emerge after the war were clearly visionary.
Sevareid's skill as a writer makes this book an excellent tool for teaching about this era. As a professor I often use parts of his book in class to help students understand the attraction of isolationism in the period between the World Wars, or to enable them to understand the essence of Fascist political ideals.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be read the same as Shakespeare, Dickens, or Poe, May 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Not So Wild a Dream (Paperback)

I wish this book were required reading in high school. If this book were written today, you'd assume the author (a broadcast journalist) was referring to its not being so wild a dream to become a celebrity. The title comes from "On a Note of Triumph," the CBS broadcast marking V-E Day: "Post proves that brotherhood is not so wild a dream as those who would benefit from its postponement would have us believe." This book follows Eric Sevareid's childhood, to his activism in college and the belief that "war is outdated" or barbarism to his unflinching belief in why fascism had to be defeated. This is every bit a philosophy book as it is a memoir and so eloquently explains how the changes brought about by the defeat of fascism could bring together mankind, reaching from Paris, France, to Sevareid's hometown of Velva. Shows Sevareid's mindset and how important World War Two was in terms of defining a generation. When you read this book, you understand why Tom Brokaw called his book "The Greatest Generation." Stop whatever you're doing and read this book! You'll understand Sevareid, his generation, what America is supposed to be about, why we fought the war and why brotherhood is not so wild a dream! Buy this book!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, March 11, 2001

By 

korshmar "korshmar" (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not So Wild a Dream (Paperback)

An outstanding book in all respects. First, he wrote so damn well. It sounds like his television commentaries, which were so beautifully worded. And for a whole book. Next, he just happened to be discussing some of the most momentous events of the century. The fall of France. The courage of England. India. China during the war. And then his own fascinating story. The 2200 mile canoe trip he took at 17. The forced parachuting into the jungles of India among the Naga tribesman. Next, his commentary: He was only 32 at the time he wrote this book; yet he is so perceptive about many things- a developed world view, a self described "liberal" seeing the collapse of Old Europe and wondering about the future. When I saw him on TV (years ago), I had no idea that this was his background. And, now, he is a forgotten man. So much more- even American atrocities in warfare, a disdain for Gen. Matt Clark and his vanity and news management. So much still very timely. And, still, I think, despite all that he had seen, a hope in the future of mankind. Great book.