The Fog of War

Another fun entry in the True Adventures series, it had what I enjoyed from the previous books in the series. It does what I wanted from a children's historical fiction book. It was well written and I enjoyed getting to learn about Martha Gellhorn, she was a interesting lady. It was a good read and I'm glad I was able to read this. I look forward to reading more in the True Adventures series.

"Martha stared at the scene ahead. In her career as a war correspondent, she’d witnessed violence – terrible
violence – and more deaths than she’d like to think about. But what lay before her was like nothing she’d ever faced. ‘I don’t think anyone is ever ready for something like this,’ she admitted. ‘But we do it anyway, don’t we, Liz?’

What a remarkable woman Martha Gellhorn was! A journalist and war correspondent that was reporting from the frontlines since the Spanish Civil War, she had a very long career and very adventurous, from which she retired in her 80s, but she's more known for two events in her life in particular: her tumultuous on and off affair and eventual marriages (twice!) to Ernest Hemingway, and her daring landing with the Allies on Normandy on D-Day disguised as a nurse and without permission from the authorities, for which she was later arrested by the Brits.

With such a life, I'd have loved a full novel, especially if it covered her years in Spain and her years in Germany when Hitler was rising to power, which are just as interesting as her D-Day exploits, or even more so. But this is a short book, more a novella than a novel, and focuses just a very brief portion of her work during WWII, from the Normandy landings to a little bit after it. It's aimed at young audiences, and part of a series that introduce remarkable people to children and teens. In that, it does its job nicely, with illustrations, a short glossary and an overview of Martha's life that includes her achievements before and past this book.

A great fusion of fiction and non fiction, telling the tale of one of the rare female war correspondents, Martha Gellhorn. She was a pioneer in her field and a truly brilliant journalist who strived to report exactly what she found and disseminate the information to the masses.

She’s resourceful, cunning and never stops in her efforts to get what she wants. Despite all of the odds being against her, she manages to sneak aboard a ship posing as a nurse, to arrive at the beaches of Normandy to report on the war as she finds it. Her husband, Ernest Hemingway, takes her spot reporting on this coveted piece that will make literary history but she’s determined to fight for her right to spread her own words on this momentous event.

It was a great perspective of the D-Day landings from Martha’s point of view, as she takes in her surroundings and throws herself into danger to produce the candid reports in the event exactly as it was. Women aren’t allowed on the front line, but she manages against all the odds despite the repercussions she may face if found out.

It was a compelling story and greatly written for both adult readers and children, which is the main demographic for this novella. It helps shed light on not only Mary’s character but also one of the most iconic events of the war. There’s some great illustrations sprinkled throughout and didn’t take too long to read once into it.

There’s action, adventure, wartime spirit and all based off true events and facts (which are also listed at the end of the book along with a time line and explanations into some of the terms encountered throughout). Great work by the author.!

Thrilling adventure narrative of Martha Gellhorn's D-Day experience. It's aimed at younger readers and therefore skips some of the details, such as the real-life importance of alcohol to many of the correspondents. No one is drinking in this story, and amazingly, it doesn't really affect the narrative. I've read of Gellhorn's war correspondent adventures in many other books, and this is one of the most exciting retellings, perhaps because it cuts out all the excess and sticks to the action.

The author sticks to the one story, of Gellhorn's success in overcoming obstacles to keep her away from the action, her impersonation of an army nurse, her landing in Normandy, her subsequent arrest, her escape from prison, and her successful filing of a one-of-a-kind report from the front. All this in the course of a couple of days.

Great story, I only wish the author had included some information on sources or further reading. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.

I enjoy reading a book with strong female characters and like to recommend them to my students. World War II books are really popular in my classroom right now and it is great to have a book told through the eyes of a woman!

I know I am an adult but, as some of the best stories are written for younger readers, some of our best literature, I like to stay up to date with all the best genres, as much as one person can. And, when I requested the book from NetGalley I wasn't sure if the book was for an adult of child and, after reading it, I would recommend it for a person of any age as it is a historical story that any person should know and be proud to know. And, regardless of the age level, this book and others like it (from the same author) will remain a guilty pleasure for me as they fulfill my need for historical facts and storytelling. Plus, you have a great heroine, a female journalist named Martha Gelhorn who, while married to Ernest Hemmingway, was a war correspondent for Collier's during World War 2.

Gelhorn has the unfortunate experience, after ending things with Hemmingway, to have him, since he is the "writer of the time", take her job (which means her place at the front lines, where she has to be to report the war back to the States, her ticket to "the show" at the time, you had to have one to be there, there was no other way for a war correspondent to report without a spot) right out from under her. Whether it was to be mean spirited is not directly clear but, you get the jist, from the writer, that this is the unfairness here. But, like any other journalist Gelhorn does not take it as a set back. She must do what she has to do to get her story, to report the war as she had been doing.

So, Gelhorn, in her travels to get to report the war, ends up on the front lines, in a spot where there are no other reporters. She ends up being the first women to ever do this, be on the front lines and she ends up going in, after battle has ravaged, and help collect bodies, something women also have never done, before Gelhorn. Thinking about this woman now, in writing this, puts a slight smile on my face. To think of her shenanigans, all that was in the book that this woman did, it was beyond amazing at her boldness.

While there were things I didn't like about the behavior of Gelhorn (and that is my psyche and how I think, interpret the actions of others) this is no fault of the writers. The woman was beyond pushy, wanted what she wanted and was going to get it no matter the cost to her or others. That she was this way during a time where women were meek and kept in the home (for the most part), she was one of the women who pushed the mold so that in time, women in the future, would have more than she did. And, some women today don't have as much as Gelhorn. Even in the time period in American history she was in, she made the mold different for herself and got what she wanted. No matter what I think, my personal views on myself or for others, I still have to respect a woman like that.

**A great book for middle school students, college students learning to be teachers and female studies classes and groups.