On Their Own: Women Journalists and the American Experience in Vietnam

Overview

Journalist Hoffman spent years creating this history, a series of profiles that go deep into the professional lives of female Vietnam War correspondents. The women-some experienced "war dogs," others young and untried-are drawn with honesty, and though each is a product of her background, they were all changed by the physically and psychologically treacherous assignment. While stateside newsrooms were asking women to report lighter stories, Hoffman's subjects plunged into the battle with vigor-even relish-and unstinting dedication. Aside from dozens of new interviews, Hoffman excerpts some stunning journalism; included are Gloria Emerson, a socialite-turned-New York Times correspondent; Beverly Deepe, who planned to stay for two weeks and remained for seven years; photojournalist Dicky Chapelle, self-proclaimed "interpreter of violence," who died in battle; and Liz Trotta, who fought her bosses to become the first female war correspondent on broadcast TV. Hoffman's research presents the Vietnam experience from an unusual angle, and her inside stories of newswomen under fire is harrowing and highly satisfying.
Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Editorial Reviews

During the Vietnam War, a time of dramatic social change in U.S. history, women were demanding more participation at all levels of society--including the right to report on the war. Hoffman (journalism, Old Dominion Univ.) focuses on 15 female correspondents, chronicling both their lives and their reporting. She interweaves the personal, journalistic, and historical strands into a fascinating and dramatic account of the era. Beginning with Gloria Emerson's first trip to Vietnam in 1956 and concluding with Laura Palmer's race to the helicopter during the 1975 evacuation of Saigon, Hoffman recounts the entire war through the work of these women. The trauma of the war is brought home in the booby-trap death of photojournalist Dickey Chapelle, while civil rights issues are reflected in African American journalist Ethel Payne's focus on the lives of black soldiers. Many of the women won prizes, including Pulitzers for Frances Fitzgerald's Fire in the Lake and Gloria Emerson's Winners and Losers. Hoffmann's epilog traces the post-Vietnam lives of the women. This well-written book will be important for public and academic libraries.--Judy Solberg, Seattle Univ. Lib. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

Author Information

Bio of Joe Haldeman

Joe Haldeman has uniquely blended a strong interest in astronomy and with his love for writing to publish numerous novels, anthologies and short stories over three decades. He holds a B.S. in astronomy from the University of Maryland (1967), and an M.F.A. in English from the Iowa Writers Workshop (1975). An adjunct professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Haldeman has also taught at Michigan State, Larion West Seattle, SUNY Buffalo, Princeton, University of North Dakota, Kent State and the University of North Florida Haldeman's works include War Year (1972), The Forever War (1975), Worlds (1981), Worlds Apart (1983), Tools of the Trade (1987), and The Hemingway Hoax (1990). He has also co-authored and edited numerous works of science fiction. Born in Oklahoma on June 9, 1943, Haldeman grew up in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Alaska. He was drafted into the military in 1967, fighting in the Central Highlands of Vietnam as a combat engineer with the 4th Division (1/22nd Airmobile Battalion), for which he received the Purple Heart, among other medals.

Bio of Joyce Hoffman

No bio available for Joyce Hoffman.

Customer Reviews

There are no customer reviews available at this time. To add your review, Register or Sign In to your account using our free eBook Library Software.

Additional Info

Imprint

Da Capo Press, Incorporated

Filesize

2.91 MB

Number of Pages

448

eBook ISBN

9780786721665