"The Last Assignment" is a fictionalized portrayal of the professional life of Dickey Chapelle, one of the first female war correspondents, who covered several wars in multiple countries from the 1940s through the 1960s.
I knew nothing of Dickey's life prior to reading this book and was fascinated by the intimate way she immersed herself in the lives of those whose countries’ conflicts she covered.
I was in awe of her bravery and her single-minded passion for capturing “the photo to end all wars.” Robuck did a fantastic job depicting Chapelle’s fight for hope amidst constant turmoil and loss.
At times, I wished the pacing were a bit quicker, but overall, I enjoyed learning about a person whose life’s work impacted so many.

Ericka Robuck’s The Last Assignment is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel that pulls you in from the first page. Her characters are vivid and real, the prose elegant yet accessible, and the pacing perfectly balanced between quiet reflection and gripping tension. At its heart, this is a story of memory, duty, and redemption, one that lingers long after the last page. An unforgettable read that I highly recommend.

Yet another wonderful book by this author and one I won't forget in a hurry. This is the story of Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle as she risks everything to show the American people the price of war through the lens of her camera. This is a true story and one that will go down in history I'm sure. It is so very interesting and a story and person I had never heard of but wish I had.

This book had me from page one and I couldn't put it down. It is so poignant, so real, so good. A book that you delve into and lone that makes you want to know more. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book and learn more about such a courageous and strong woman who never gave up.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Once again I’m sent down the research rabbit hole learning all I can about the dynamic life of award winning photojournalist Dickey Chapelle. She was a pioneer in so many ways. She went to places people only see in photos, experienced things people cannot begin to fathom, witnessed things people have only ever read about and throughout everything she remained true to herself.

I was fascinated by Dickey’s life and would have loved to listen to her captivate an audience with her stories.


Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

Erika Robuck is one of my 'must read' authors because she does such a fantastic job with her WWII historical fiction. The Last Assignment wasn't about WWII but it was a book that I couldn't put down based on the life of photojournalist Dickey Chapelle who was another brave and caring women who made a big difference in our country that we never learned about in school.

The book started in 1954 when Dickey was floundering. Her credentials had been revoked from the military because she disobeyed orders on Iwo Jima at the end of WWII. Her marriage was crumbling and none of the magazines were interested in giving her a job. She finally got a job at the IRC (International Rescue Committee) that helped families in crisis in war torn areas. At first she was writing press releases and gathering information for Congress. In 1956, there was an uprising in Hungary and she begged her boss to send her there to take photos to publicize what was really going on. She ends up in deep trouble with the Hungarian government and thrown in prison. The description of her time in prison is heart wrenching as the reader hopes she'll survive. After her time in Hungary, she is no longer wanted at the IRC for disobeying orders. She ends up being hired by Reader's Digest and sent to Cuba to report on the revolution being lead by Fidel Castro against Batista. After her initial belief in Castro, she soon realizes that he is turning anti-American and she is no longer welcome in Cuba. In 1961, she went to Laos to report on the fighting. Her next assignment was Vietnam where her heart went out to the soldiers who were fighting as well as the innocent Vietnamese families who were in constant danger.

Dickey Chapelle was a true American hero. She often put herself in danger to make sure that Americans could see what was going on in war zones. Even though she could have been tough and uncaring, her heart went out to children and families that were affected by the wars - she often put herself in danger to help a family or a child. She was discriminated against by the male photo journalists and often had to prove her worth to them when in actuality, she was often braver and more tenacious than her male counterparts. Her legacy lives on in the pictures that she left for us.

After I finished the Last Assignment, I spent a lot of time on Google, reading more about Dickey Chapelle and looking at the pictures that she took in various war areas. She put herself in danger over and over with the hopes of showing Americans what war really looked like so that maybe we could have peace in the world.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review . Absolutely loved the main character and surprised to learn are was a real person in history. Very well written and entertaining, a must read!

"The perilous and awe-inspiring true story of award-winning photojournalist Dickey Chapelle as she risks everything to show the American people the price of war through the lens of her camera."

The book starts with Dickey struggling to find higher paying jobs and unhappy in her marriage. Against everyone's advice she over and over again goes into conflicts in order to get the "picture to end all wars." Each assignment brings her to somewhere new but always right on the front lines with those fighting. There is a lot of inner dialogue from her and it was a great way to know her exact thoughts while dealing with such difficult situations. I learned so much during this book since it's so heavily based in fact, not only about Dickey herself but about the conflicts she covered as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC of this book.

I love Erika Robuck's writing, so I was excited to get her new novel from Net Galley. This tells the story of Dickey Chapelle, an American female photojournalist who was active in the post-WWII to early Vietnam War years. I had never heard of her and found this story so interesting! She was intelligent, brave, intrepid, enterprising, and Robuck paints her as a very real person. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction with strong female protagonists.

Thank you for my copy!

I love reading historical fiction books and I have recently had the opportunity to read several about strong women whom we know nothing about. Getting to know photojournalist Georgette Meyer “Dickey” Chapelle was a wonderful experience. She was an amazing trailblazing woman. This book will give you the opportunity to journey with her to Hungary during the Cold War, Cuba during the revolution of Fidel Castro, and Laos in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. (She is actually the person who took the iconic picture of the U.S. Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima.) She endures time in a Soviet prison in Budapest, learns how to parachute out of planes in the midst of a war so she can get a closer and more real picture of what it was actually like, stands for what she believes in. I loved the quote, “My stories and pictures help fight war, poverty, and injustice, and I’m dedicating my life to that, no matter the cost.” This sums up Dickey Chappelle. This is a story of a woman that will stay with me for a long time. I wish I had had the opportunity to meet her in person. She is a true hero in every sense of the word. A definite must-read book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Adult Fiction
Biographical Fiction
Fiction
Historical
Historical Fiction
Photography
War

This is the true story of Dickie Chappelle, an American photo journalist. She wasn't the first female photo journalist, but she was an unforgettable female photo journalist. She wanted to take a picture that would end wars. Dickie was arrested for disobeying orders and going ashore on Iwo Jima. Everything is falling apart in her life and she jumps at her next opportunity. She wants to show the face of war to the world. Even if historical fiction is not your preferred genre, this book deserves to be read by anyone that likes stories about strong women. Her story is raw and gritty, but it is an amazing story. I will be looking for more books about her life.

Amazingly, I had not heard or read anything about Dickey Chapelle until I came across this book. Learning that she was born in Wisconsin, where I am from, was a huge surprise. Since reading Robuck's book, I have been devouring all the information I can find about this remarkable woman.

The Last Assignment is an incredible account of Dickey's life. A riveting and emotional read
about a woman who marched to the beat of her own drum. Through her research, the author drew upon Dickey's own personal notes, audio recordings, photographs, and writings to capture her indelible sense of humor, memorable personality, and tenacious spirit. Dickey's sensational photos live on, but how she lived her life turned out to be even more remarkable.

The personalities and people prominent in Dickey's life, as well as her interactions with them, display the admiration others held for her. Despite her career and love for the Marines, she was dedicated to peace and capturing an incredible photo that would ultimately bring an end to all wars.

Thank you, Erika Robuck, for writing and telling Dickey's story.

I love reading books about strong, independent women in history. The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck is the true story of Dickey Chapelle, a war correspondent and photojournalist who started her career during WWII. The book follows her exciting adventures, which spanned from WWII through the Vietnam War.

What I Liked About The Last Assignment:
I found Dickey Chapelle’s life fascinating. She was one of the first female war correspondents in US history. The Last Assignment reads like fiction, and yet, you know that the story is all true. It’s the best way, in my opinion, to learn about history. I used to teach US History in the beginning of my teaching career. Now, I can see that I didn’t cover much about the heroics of women during WWII. I would change that if I could.

Chapelle could not only fly a plane. She also jumped out of them to land in some of the different nations’ military units. She was determined to always be “first” to get the best shot. You can find many of her photographs here.

I liked that the book wasn’t especially sad. Robuck did an outstanding job of research, and then wove the story to make it an interesting book. Although much of the subject matter is dark, I mean Chapelle DID photograph wars, Robuck presented the story in a way that you are constantly cheering for Chapelle. She always wanted to find a place to belong, and it wasn’t easy in a male-dominated profession.

As quoted in the book, “I used to think of myself as a girl reporter, then a war correspondent. Now, however, I see I have to serve as an interpreter of violence. Find it, expose it, name it, exorcise it. That is my task, and I’m ready for my next mission.”

If you like reading about women who defied barriers, you will enjoy The Last Assignment. Her photos became an important part of history.

This was four out of five stars for me. The only reason it wasn’t a five-star read for me was the author’s decision to fictionalize certain events or when people appeared in the story to better fit the narrative, although she did disclose them at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Erika Robuck for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

⭐️
“If I lose my life taking photos to help those in desperate need, that’s no tragedy. That’s triumph.” Based on the true story of Georgette ” Dickey” Chapelle, this historical fiction book is both inspiring and sobering. Dickey Chapelle was the first female war correspondent and photojournalist, whose courage and ambition to capture the truth about war, sent her into some of the most dangerous combat zones through seven wars. From Iwo Jima, to the uprisings in Hungary, Fidel Castro’s Cuba and to the war in Vietnam , this story follows the bravery of this woman who served alongside every arm of the military as she tried to capture the ultimate photo that would end all wars. With articles and photos appearing in national publications from Reader’s Digest to National Geographic,the story captures the essence of the fearless yet flawed woman Dickey was as she lived and loved her life’s ambition. Several times during my reading, I was inspired to Google Dickey Chapelle to learn more about certain periods of her life as I had never heard of her before. She was definitely a strong woman who trailblazed the path for generations of women to follow.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the wonderful opportunity to enjoy and learn from this riveting novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fascinating biographical novel about Dickey Chapelle, a photojournalist in the 1950's who devoted her life to her career, which often put her in harm's way because she was a war correspondent who had to "live" her material. She couldn't write about war unless she was out there on the front lines. This impacts her personal life, including her marriage, and sometimes interfered with her objectivity. We see her change politically, from a naive Castro supporter to an anti Communist, almost going from pillar to post. The book was obviously well researched and really focused on her beliefs and achievements rather on her gender. It almost reads like a good memoir. I also learned about someone, who I had never heard of, who is an undersold historical figure. I listened to the audiobook for the first half and read the text later. The narrator was good and engaged the audience.
Four and a half stars rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Media for providing me with the opportunity to read and listen to this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

A historical fiction based on a true person. I love getting to know a historical person I never heard of and this book brings you Dickey Chapelle, a woman photojournalist during WWII. A breath of fresh air to read about a much talked about era but in a perspective that has not been explored as much. I enjoyed Ms. Robuck extensive research on Ms. Chapelle and the world of a woman’s profession during war where women didn’t have too many outside of the home that was so prevalent to the war efforts. Well done.

The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck was one of my most anticipated books for the second half of the year but it fell flat.

This is a biographical fiction about Dickey Chapelle an award-winning photojournalist from the 1940s to 1960s who ran into danger to show the American people the price of war. I've loved Robuck's other books and was excited to see another historical fiction with more on the Vietnam War and other Cold War era conflicts but the book was repetitive and for a book about going to war zones and other conflicts I was bored.

I picked this up a few weeks ago very excited and read a few chapters and couldn't get into the book. I picked it up again this weekend and I don't know if it was too broad starting with her in the 1950s and fighting to get work and her time in Hungary to Cuba and Vietnam among others. I think I wish this was more focused. I felt like in each place Dickey did the same type of things which is why it felt repetitive.

I really wanted to like this book as Dickey Chapelle is so fascinating and such an amazing woman! She is so important as one of the first female war correspondents and the first female reporter to be killed in action in Vietnam plus the work she was doing for 20 years as a correspondent.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy. The Last Assignment comes out tomorrow. If you're a historical fiction fan and like biographical fiction you might like this. It has great reviews from others..

Adored the main character--the portrayal of the real-life "Dickey" was genuine, endearing and full of her trademark spunk.
Did not enjoy as much as the author's last due to the tough reality of the war-coverage content, but continue to be a big fan of her writing, meticulous research & historical settings.

With thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this e-ARC.

She worked to bring about good in the world...

...at a time when the world desperately needed it.

Meet Georgette "Dickey" Chapelle, a photojournalist and war correspondent who risked her life (frequently breaking the rules) and through her efforts blazed a trail for the women who would follow in her footsteps. As the novel begins, Dickey is in a bad spot...she has lost her military accreditation by disobeying direct orders at Iwo Jima, which has limited her ability to get a good job; her marriage is failing and (in no small part due to her husband's propensity for drinking too much and spending money they don't have) they have little in savings. It is her main passion in life to work on the front lines, documenting the human side of war, hoping to take "the picture to end all wars", and she will do whatever she must to get herself back in the game. Using a job in publicity for the Research Institute of America (which likely had ties to the intelligence world, she would come to discover) as a springboard back into the military's good graces, Dickey would be in the thick of action during WWII, the Vietnam War, the revolutions in Hungary and Cuba, and more. She earned the respect of ordinary soldiers, of the people in the war-torn countries she covered, and even of people like Wild Bill Donovan and Fidel Castro. She lived an extraordinary life, one filled with risks, in a time when such exploits weren't considered appropriate for women.
When I saw the blurb for this novel, a fictionalized version of a life that practically demanded it be told, I had not to my knowledge ever heard of Dickey Chapelle. Author Erika Robuck chronicles Dickey's many exploits, her very human flaws, her complicated relationships, and her determination to show the world what was really happening during the wars she covered. The balance of historical fact and personal struggles is effectively managed, resulting in the depiction of a woman full of contradictions but with (to quote Castro) "the blood of a tiger". From the frigid cold nights near the river over which Hungarians fled the communist invasion to the sweltering, buggy jungles of Cuba where Castro plotted his campaign, the settings are vividly described. Fans of historical fiction (especially that featuring women who have not always received their due in the history books) as well as readers of Allison Pataki, Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin (and of course of author Erika Robuck herself), should strongly consider adding The Last Assignment to their TBR pile...it's the story of a remarkable woman who defied conventions and the odds to pursue her passion. My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me access to this gripping read in exchange for my honest review.

A historical novel that paints the true life story of Dickey Chapelle, an award-winning combat photojournalist raising awareness of female and children war refugees in the late 1950s through the 60s. Her personal growth journey and the missions shared about her own hardships of the paradox o being a woman in a man’s profession as well as the suffering and resilience of the women she met in war torn countries was intense. This story, with a mix of narrative, descriptive and expository wiring styles, was full of history, danger, perseverance and courage.

I love historical novels. For some reason, I never made a solid connection with this story. I learned quite a bit of new to me history. Outstanding narration.

I was blessed with a Kindle and an audio ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.