The War Beat, Europe

From the North African desert to the bloody stalemate in Italy, from the London blitz to the D-Day beaches, a group of highly courageous and extremely talented American journalists reported the war against Nazi Germany for a grateful audience. Based on a wealth of previously untapped primary sources, War Beat, Europe provides the first comprehensive account of what these reporters witnessed, what they were allowed to publish, and how their reports shaped the home front's perception of some of the most pivotal battles in American history. In a dramatic and fast-paced narrative, Steven Casey takes readers from the inner councils of government, where Franklin D. Roosevelt and George Marshall held clear views about how much blood and gore Americans could stomach, to the command centers in London, Algiers, Naples, and Paris, where many reporters were stuck with the dreary task of reporting the war by communiqu. At the heart of this book is the epic journey of reporters like Wes Gallagher and Don Whitehead of the Associated Press, Drew Middleton of the New York Times, Bill Stoneman of the Chicago Daily News, and John Thompson of the Chicago Tribune; of columnists like Ernie Pyle and Hal Boyle; and of photographers like Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa. These men and women risked their lives on countless occasions to get their dispatches and their images back home. In providing coverage of war in an open society, they also balanced the weighty responsibility of adhering to censorship regulations while working to sell newspapers and maintaining American support for the war. These reporters were driven by a combination of ambition, patriotism, and belief in the cause. War Beat, Europe shows how they earned their reputation as America's golden generation of journalists and wrote the first draft of World War II history for posterity.

Auteur

Steven Casey is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics. His award-winning books include Cautious Crusade, Selling the Korean War, and When Soldiers Fall.

Contenu

Introduction Chapter 1. Going to War Part 1: North Africa Chapter 2. Invasion, 1942 Chapter 3. The Advent of Ernie Chapter 4. Defeat at Kasserine Chapter 5. Victory in Tunisia Part 2: Bombing Germany Chapter 6. How-I-Almost-Got Killed-Today Stories Chapter 7. A High-Octane Outfit Chapter 8. Dark Days Part 3: Sicily and Italy Chapter 9. Invasion, 1943 Chapter 10. An Antidote to Complacency Chapter 11. Death in Winter Chapter 12. Anzio and Cassino Part 4: Overlord Chapter 13. Fear Lay Blackly Deep Down Chapter 14. Invasion, 1944 Chapter 15. Normandy Stalemate Chapter 16. Breakout Part 5: Victory Chapter 17. To Germany's Borders Chapter 18. Blackout on the Bulge Chapter 19. Into the Reich Chapter 20. Unconditional Surrender Notes Bibliography Index