Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II
by James Tobin
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Book Summary Information
Author: James TobinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-05-30
ISBN: 0743284763
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Free Press
Book Reviews of Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II
Book Review: A remarkably good book about a truly remarkable man
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the story of an unpretentious, self effacing, little newspaper man, who once described himself as a "slightly used second hand man;" a man who through dedication, common sense, and a love for his fellow man and "the God-damned infantry," as they liked to call themselves, went on to become the pre-eminent war correspondent of World War II and likely of any other war -- past, present, or future. But, Ernie Pyle was much more than that. As the war wore on, Ernie, through his thoughtful and heart-felt reports from the European war zone became America's "everyman," a little fellow, who could be your next door neighbor, caught up in the events of war. Many of his readers came to see him more as a friend than as a reporter and, as America's situation improved, became more concerned about Ernie than they were about how the war itself was going.
Once known for his somewhat mundane traveling adventures, a column which he wrote for seven years prior to the war for the Scripps-Howard Newspaper chain, Pyle's reports from North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and eventually broader Europe took on a life of their own. His column spread to other papers and to a much broader readership. But this new found fame, and the prospect of fortune, never went to Ernie's head. He said that he was too old, he was in his forties, had been a reporter too long, twenty years, and had seen too much of the war to be impressed with such things. It seemed funny to him that he should be considering a deal worth $150,000 while soldiers were dying all around him on the battlefields of Europe for only $50 a month. Ernie didn't expect to live to see war's end anyway.
There was only one Ernie Pyle and it is unlikely that there will ever be another, for in his writings he caught the essence of the young men who were fighting and dying in war. His readers got to see what they saw, feel what they felt, and know what they hoped and dreamed of. And it was through his reports that the American people caught a glimpse of World War II and what their sons were going through.
This is a remarkably good book about a remarkable man; well researched and well told. In it, you will get meet the real Ernie Pyle and read some of the writings which won him praise and eventually the Pulitzer Prize. Among them are four of his finest: A Forward Airdrome in French North Africa (pg. 71); In the shadow of the low stone wall (pg. 133); Now to the infantry (pg. 262); and A Pure Miracle (pg. 271).
Summary of Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II
WINNER OF A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD
Ernie Pyle, better than any other World War II journalist, conveyed the triumphs and tribulations of the common soldier trying to survive a brutal conflict. From North Africa and Normandy, Anzio and Okinawa -- where he died -- Pyle brought the war home to America. James Tobin's "superbly documented and compassionate account" (Publishers Weekly) is a classic biography of an American icon.
When World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle left for the Pacific Theater in 1945, he told friends and colleagues that he felt sure he would die there. Pyle was right; on April 18th, a Japanese machine gunner killed one of America's most beloved personalities, sending the entire nation into shock and mourning. In the years since Pyle's death, his particular brand of journalism has been criticized: he's been accused of ignoring the stupidity of generals, of downplaying the horror of battle, and of presenting the war in a better light than it actually deserved to be portrayed. James Tobin, author of the impressive biography Ernie Pyle's War, does not deny that his subject often smoothed the jagged facts of war, but he provides both the context--an era and a war in which correspondents were expected to be "team players" who helped their side to win hearts and minds at home--and the personal conflict raised for Pyle by the often irreconcilable demands of telling the truth and building morale.
In addition to detailing Pyle's mostly unhappy personal life, Tobin also includes samples of his columns, proving once and for all that Pyle was more than just a hick who fell into reporting; the man had real, substantial talent, evidenced by his ability to put words together and his sensitivity to the subjects he wrote about. More than just a biography, Ernie Pyle's War is also a study of war, and the peculiar, twilight world of suffering and half-told truths to which men like Ernie Pyle were drawn.
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