Colman, Penny. (2002). Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents of World War II . New York: Crown Publishers/Random House. 128 pages. ISBN 9780517800768.Awards/Selection Lists:
-ALA Notable Children's Book
-Notable Children's Trade Book in the Social Studies, CSC/CBC
Author's Website: http://pennycolman.com/
Brief Summary: Against all odds, 127 women were given credentials to be war correspondents during World War II, and even though they were technically forbidden, as women, to report on the front lines, they somehow still managed to make history and find "where the action was". In this exciting and informative book by Penny Colman, a handful of some of the most significant journalists and photojournalists are portrayed, in almost a spy novel fashion, including first hand accounts, interviews, true emotions, and spectacular photographs during the war, many taken by the women in question.
Read about a woman stationed on a boat off the shore of Iwo Jima two days after the attack begun, or the photojournalist who stood up in the middle of a firefight to get a good photo, only to realize after the fact that the buzzing she heard was not wasps, but bullets whizzing past her head. Find out about the woman stranded by our own military on shore, who was then arrested and had her credentials striped, in what most believe was retribution for the superior level of reporting she was performing, as a woman. See first hand what these women saw when Czechoslovakia was invaded by Hitler, or what the concentration camps looked like before they were liberated. These women brought heart, and compassion to war reporting, while pushing the envelope for civil rights and equality, only to be met by seemingly insurmountable odds and prejudicial views of what they were capable . They refused to ignore the grittier and sadder places and topics of the war go unrecorded, because it was the true cost of war, and the public needed to hear about it.
Read about a woman stationed on a boat off the shore of Iwo Jima two days after the attack begun, or the photojournalist who stood up in the middle of a firefight to get a good photo, only to realize after the fact that the buzzing she heard was not wasps, but bullets whizzing past her head. Find out about the woman stranded by our own military on shore, who was then arrested and had her credentials striped, in what most believe was retribution for the superior level of reporting she was performing, as a woman. See first hand what these women saw when Czechoslovakia was invaded by Hitler, or what the concentration camps looked like before they were liberated. These women brought heart, and compassion to war reporting, while pushing the envelope for civil rights and equality, only to be met by seemingly insurmountable odds and prejudicial views of what they were capable . They refused to ignore the grittier and sadder places and topics of the war go unrecorded, because it was the true cost of war, and the public needed to hear about it.
Personal Reaction: This book is really well written and shows fantastically how those who dare to forge ahead with tenacity, curiosity, compassion and indeterminable will can change history. It's exciting but sad, as there are so many atrocities that these women experienced, refusing to let an antiquated patriarchy deter them. I believe that the black and white photographs and illustrations carry that somber tone throughout the entire book, showing the severity and seriousness of their mission, not sugar coating their circumstances. Colman also does a great job of showing how the sights and sounds that the top brass thought would be their undoing proved to be their greatest opportunity as many of these women went on to continue to defy the odds, as adventurous explorers, reporters, writers, and journalists, even after their male counterparts returned to their chosen professions after the war.
This book really does show how people are capable of such great things and it has nothing to do with their skin color, gender, identity, or background, or perhaps it is exactly these things that help strength their resolve and give them the opportunity to do something great, or perhaps that's something that is already in us all.
This book really does show how people are capable of such great things and it has nothing to do with their skin color, gender, identity, or background, or perhaps it is exactly these things that help strength their resolve and give them the opportunity to do something great, or perhaps that's something that is already in us all.
Front/Back Matter: Title page, copyright page with dedication, table of contents, maps (Europe and Japan),preface, content, selected bibliography, acknowledgments, author's note, index.
Content Evaluation: Colman writes in a no-nonsense, straight forward fashion, but in a way that is entertaining, honest and dramatic at the same time. She is a great story teller and covers a lot of history and a lot of detail in a relatively short space. The maps and photographs she has included are comprehensive and really put the reader in the middle of what it was like for these women, participating during war, showing how truly dangerous it really was. While I wouldn't characterize the photographs as overly gorey, there are a few that might be difficult, such as wounded men, for more sensitive readers. Therefore I recommend that either older, more seasoned readers might enjoy this better, or that this should be read with a parent close at hand, to help explain the situation and context.
The layout makes sense, and even though the bibliography is not comprehensive, it is still sizeable and offers a lot of sources. It would be great to have seen additional resources listed for further research or perhaps discussion questions to help put the story in context. However, the index is particularly useful.
The layout makes sense, and even though the bibliography is not comprehensive, it is still sizeable and offers a lot of sources. It would be great to have seen additional resources listed for further research or perhaps discussion questions to help put the story in context. However, the index is particularly useful.
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