Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How the Stars and Stripes Began [Paperback]

Virginia G. Vassallo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 2007

Guy T. Viskniskki was the founder and first editor of The Stars and Stripes, the newspaper for the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Virginia G. Vassallo is his granddaughter and based much of her book upon his unpublished memoirs and family history. Unsung Patriot weaves the struggles to establish The Stars and Stripes with a portrait of the man who was dynamic enough to accomplish the task. Guy was a complex man and the author grew up with many competing images of him. In writing this book she feels that she found her grandfather -- a man she never knew.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Simply put, today's journalism needs people like Viskniskki. I know this because Vassallo paints a long, yet elegrant portrait of a man that saw an opportunity in journalism and seized it for the good of an entire nation." --David Olvera, Reader Views

About the Author

Virginia G. Vassallo is a retired attorney with a BA in history. She can't remember a time when she didn't know that her grandfather founded The Stars and Stripes newspaper. Only when Virginia inherited stacks of his papers did she think of writing his story. Virginia lives on a farm in rural Kentucky with her husband and their animals. She has four grandchildren (soon to be six). She wants her grandchildren to know the story of her grandfather.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Krazy Duck Productions (August 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977673928
• ISBN-13: 978-0977673926
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,684,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Little-known giant of journalism, June 8, 2008

By 

Russ Heitz (Sarasota, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How the Stars and Stripes Began (Paperback)

This thoroughly researched biography illuminates the life of one of journalism's least-known giants. Almost single-handedly, Guy Viskniskki created and developed an American newspaper that began with a few hundred copies in the early days of the Twentieth Century and ended up a few years later with a circulation of well over one hundred thousand. And he did it in France, in the middle of World War I.

The newspaper was and still is known to servicemen and women throughout the world as THE STARS AND STRIPES. Viskniskki's primary goal during the 1917-1918 period was to produce an eight-page newspaper that was written specifically FOR American soldiers, BY American soldiers. And that credo continues today, even though the current version is usually forty or more pages thick and is now distributed daily to our service men and women throughout the world.

Coordinating the production of THE STARS AND STRIPES during World War I was a monumental task that was continually bombarded with production problems. Some of these problems included shortages of paper, a lack of printing equipment, an ever-changing distribution network, and assaults on its editorial independence by high-ranking Army officials. But through it all, Guy Viskniskki continued to turn out a newspaper that was as good as many privately-owned newspapers back home in America.

THE STARS AND STRIPES was originally started in 1861 during another war: the American Civil War. And it was revived again in the early 1940s when the United States entered World War II. Always up to date and changing with the times, today it is as good a source as any for the frontline news that comes out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and some of the world's other hot spots.

Viskniskki's career in journalism, however, did not end with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. After returning to the United States he continued to work in the newspaper business. He bought several failing newspapers, reinvigorated them with his own brand of journalism, and then sold them at a profit. In so doing, he quickly developed a solid reputation as a newspaper management consultant and efficiency expert. Newspaper moguls like William Randolph Hearst hired him as a business manager and reorganizer. In that capacity, Viskniskki managed the King Features Syndicate, the New York American and the Pittsburg Sun-Telegraph.

Later, with his own company, Guy T. Viskniskki and Associates, he managed and improved some of the leading newspapers in the country, such as the Portland Oregonian, the Los Angeles Times, and the Detroit Free Press. It was Viskniskki's task to reorganize these papers and put them on a sound operating and financial basis. He was successful in every case and quickly became a sought-after speaker and consultant for many other newspapers.

After a full and productive life, Guy Viskniskki died in 1949 but the memory of him continues to live on through this book, which was written by an ardent admirer who also happens to be his granddaughter, Virginia Vassallo.

Ms. Vassallo has obviously inherited some of the Viskniskki writing genes. Her research is extensive, her structure sound and interesting, and her writing style is clear and concise. There is no doubt in my mind that Guy Viskniskki himself would be pleased with this book. It is probably the best and most accurate source around for anyone interested in the history of THE STARS AND STRIPES, journalism in the early Twentieth Century, or the entrepreneurial spirit that helped shape some of our nation's best newspapers.

Russ Heitz
[...]

4.0 out of 5 stars many facts and many details, August 31, 2007

By 

Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How the Stars and Stripes Began (Paperback)

Reviewed by David Olvera for Reader Views (5/07)


"Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Vikniskki, How the Stars and Stripes Began" is a tale of two books, the one that it is, and the one that it could be. By reading the title and the forward one expects to hear the tale of how the Armed Forces newspaper began and Guy T. Vikniskki, the journalism pioneer behind it. However, the book strays from this initial introduction and unfolds only a rich biography of Vikniskki.

Vikniskki's biography is well-supported. Vassallo (Vikniskki's granddaughter) has done her homework and presents a near perfect archive of her grandfather's entire life, even though she never met the man. At times the archival approach can be confusing. There are several Vikniskkis in play and without a clear chart it is hard to keep up, on some occasions the author repeats chronological points as in the case of chapters one and two by introducing overlapping genealogies, etc.

The author concludes her introduction with, "Who is my grandfather?" As I concluded the book, I never felt a connection between the author and her subject. There was no internalization of a bond between granddaughter and grandfather. I felt the author did not fully convey what this man's life really meant to her, even though she framed the book in this context.

But "Unsung Patriot" also has vast potential. Vassallo's superb documentation of Vikniskki strikes me as a great novel on wartime journalism that was not written. Luckily, literature has sequels and Vassallo's pen is literally sitting on greatness -- if not absolute greatness. Vikniskki's work is so incredibly relevant to the current war on terrorism; it almost jumps out of the pages to shake you. Stars and Stripes helped boost moral and contributed to heroic WWII efforts, but modern media does not echo Vikniskki's patriotism. Simply put, today's journalism needs people like Vikniskki. I know this because Vassallo paints a long, yet elegant portrait of a man that saw an opportunity in journalism and seized it for the good of an entire nation.

Overall, "Unsung Patriot" has many facts and many details. It is a respectable biography on a very relevant figure for our day and age. Ultimately, it leaves you at the edge of your seat waiting for Vikniskki to make a triumphant leap into our time.

Book received free of charge.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mentor, Publisher, Patriot, August 30, 2007

By 

Richard R. Blake (Bridgman, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki How the Stars and Stripes Began (Paperback)

Every individual, generation, and country has their own heroes. Many of these heroes receive medals, ribbons, trophies, or plaques to pay tribute to them for their zeal, heroism, or accomplishments. They are the benefactors of acclaim for their personal endeavors in the military, business, sports, or entertainment. There are also innumerable brave, talented and skilled heroes who never receive accolades. These are the "unsung" heroes serving behind the lines while others receive the ovations.

"Unsung Patriot" is the biography of Guy T. Viskniskki, the founder, and first editor-in-chief of "The Stars and Stripes" newspaper. "Stars and Stripes" was published during the fighting months of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I during 1917 -1919.

At age forty, Guy left a successful career in newspaper editing and publishing to respond, out of a sense of patriotism, to enlist in the armed forces. He expected to be placed on the frontline with the troops in Europe. However, he was assigned to General Headquarters directing newspapermen throughout the American zone in France. While in France Guy conceived the idea of a newspaper written "by and for the soldiers" of the A.E.F. He saw this as a venue for raising morale among the Allied troops in Europe.

November in 1917 Second Lieutenant Guy T. Viskniskki was appointed press officer and censor at the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). As a veteran of the Wheeler Newspaper Syndicate, and former editor of the Bayonet, a camp newspaper of the Eightieth Division, Camp Lee, Virginia Guy developed and explored the feasibility of publishing a newspaper for the AEF.

Once it was established that an AEF newspaper could be produced in France, Guy became the first managing editor of "The Stars and Stripes." He successfully faced the challenges of staffing, paper shortages, and maintaining editorial control with integrity. The paper "Stars and Stripes" became Guy's legacy. In the years following the war he again resumed his newspaper career. Guy served as editor of several newspapers, and as a consultant in the publishing industry.

Guy Viskniskki became Virginia Vassallo's unsung hero. Full of pride of her heritage and of her Grandfather's endeavors Virginia has produced this book as a tribute to honor his memory. Virginia started with a few notes and memories to preserve some family history for her grandson. Completely immersed in the process the endeavor became a monumental project. The allure for one more bit of information drove her into writing this thoroughly researched and well documented tribute to this "Unsung Patriot: Guy T. Viskniskki".

Virginia used her grandfather's never before unpublished memoirs, various internet sources, interviews, newspaper articles, and correspondence to research the background information for this book. She made contact with Jim Mayo, President of the Stars and Stripes Museum to enlist his assistance. Jim was eager to help her in this project and made available additional valuable resource facts and records.

Guy T. Viskniskki is remembered for his patriotism, integrity and perseverance. He was a man of character. It is Virginia's hope that the book will provide inspiration to small town newspaper editors and the editor-in-chiefs of newspapers around the world.

Veteran's Associations, Sons of the American Revolution, and members of the American Legion will remember Guy's unfaltering efforts for their cause. As readers they will celebrate this tribute to an indefatigable mentor and for his advocacy for the citizens of United States of America.

Virginia's esteem and high regard for the accomplishments of Guy T. Viskniskki come through brilliantly in this tribute. She created a masterpiece in this well-rounded accolade of a dynamic, yet complex, man whose legacy is the "Stars and Stripes." Virginia is incredibly articulate. Her words are well chosen, her organization meticulous, and her presentation is compelling.