Customer Reviews

Reporting World War II Part Two: American Journalism 1944-46

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As I noted in my comments on Volume 1 of this set, the living memory of the events and times of the Second World War are, sadly, leaving us rapidly. It is wonderful to have this collection of reporting from those years. Too often, people remember their history from Hollywood movies, where everything is glorious, simple, and victory is assured in the end. In real life, there is chaos, a determination to endure, but victory is not known until it is finally attained.

This volume picks up in Italy during 1944 and ends with victory in the Pacific and the aftermath of Hiroshima. There are articles on the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima, the death of F.D.R, the death of Ernie Pyle in the Pacific from a sniper's bullet, the German surrender, and dozens more.

One of the most touching is an extended piece on the Japanese Internment camps with pen and ink drawings by one of the Japanese. Bill Mauldin also has a piece in here with his famous WWII cartoons of the GIs at the front. William Laurence gives a famous account of the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

There is a section of fine photos of the reporters included and others in the text including some aerial shots from a bomber's point of view. This first volume ends with the Mountain Campaign in Italy in 1944. The volume also supplies a short, but full chronology of the war, some excellent maps, biographies of the journalists, acknowledgements, notes on the texts, and a glossary of military terms.

This, together with the first volume, is a collection of important history you will want to have on your shelf.

Tremendous.

My wife is the reader and she dearly loved this book. So down to earth and factual.