Reporting Under Fire

May 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Hollihan profiles the lives of 16 trailblazing war correspondents in this well-researched and riveting book. Pioneers in the field of journalism, these little-known women come to life as the author illuminates not only the professional dangers they faced but also the cultural assumptions made about their abilities based solely on their gender. Whether facing bias and discrimination in their assignments-early reporters were tasked with writing about war from a woman's angle-or denied credentials their male counterparts were easily granted, these women found ways to circumvent obstacles to provide readers around the world with gritty, eyewitness accounts from countless battle zones. They revolutionized a profession and paved the way for future women in the field. Filled with black-and-white photos, newspaper clippings, and personal anecdotes from the women themselves, the text is chock-full of their daring exploits-such as Sigrid Schultz cohosting an engagement party for top Nazi Hermann Goring-all in the name of landing their stories. Not only do readers gain a healthy respect for each reporter, but they also gain insight into global history. As such, the book reads like a narrative time line of world history, women's rights, and the field of journalism as a whole. The inclusion of notes and a bibliography provides additional resources for further reading.-Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH

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