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First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent
The first authoritative biography of pioneering photojournalist Dickey Chapelle, who from World War II through the early days of Vietnam got her story by any means necessary as one of the first female war correspondents.
" I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power. "
From the beginning of World War II through the early days of Vietnam, groundbreaking female photojournalist and war correspondent Dickey Chapelle chased dangerous assignments her male colleagues wouldn’t touch, pioneering a radical style of reporting that focused on the humanity of the oppressed.
She documented conditions across Eastern Europe in the wake of the Second World War. She marched down the Ho Chi Minh Trail with the South Vietnamese Army and across the Sierra Maestra Mountains with Castro. She was the first reporter accredited with the Algerian National Liberation Front, and survived torture in a communist Hungarian prison. She dove out of planes, faked her own kidnapping, and endured the mockery of male associates, before ultimately dying on assignment in Vietnam with the Marines in 1965, the first American female journalist killed while covering combat.
Chapelle overcame discrimination both on the battlefield and at home, with much of her work ultimately buried from the public eye―until now. In First to the Front, Lorissa Rinehart uncovers the incredible life and unparalleled achievements of this true pioneer, and the mark she would make on history.
" I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power. "
From the beginning of World War II through the early days of Vietnam, groundbreaking female photojournalist and war correspondent Dickey Chapelle chased dangerous assignments her male colleagues wouldn’t touch, pioneering a radical style of reporting that focused on the humanity of the oppressed.
She documented conditions across Eastern Europe in the wake of the Second World War. She marched down the Ho Chi Minh Trail with the South Vietnamese Army and across the Sierra Maestra Mountains with Castro. She was the first reporter accredited with the Algerian National Liberation Front, and survived torture in a communist Hungarian prison. She dove out of planes, faked her own kidnapping, and endured the mockery of male associates, before ultimately dying on assignment in Vietnam with the Marines in 1965, the first American female journalist killed while covering combat.
Chapelle overcame discrimination both on the battlefield and at home, with much of her work ultimately buried from the public eye―until now. In First to the Front, Lorissa Rinehart uncovers the incredible life and unparalleled achievements of this true pioneer, and the mark she would make on history.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2023
About the author
Lorissa Rinehart
1 book43 followersLorissa Rinehart writes about art, war, and their points of intersection.
Her writing has recently appeared in Hyperallergic, Perfect Strangers, and Narratively, among other publications. Her forthcoming biography, First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent is due out from St. Martin's Press in summer 2023.
When not writing she can be found photographing the natural world impinging upon the urban landscape or digging in the dirt with her husband and two sons in Santa Barbara, California.
She holds an MA from NYU in Experimental Humanities and a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz. She is proudly represented by Lowenstein Associates.
Instajam @Lorissa_Rinehart
Her writing has recently appeared in Hyperallergic, Perfect Strangers, and Narratively, among other publications. Her forthcoming biography, First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent is due out from St. Martin's Press in summer 2023.
When not writing she can be found photographing the natural world impinging upon the urban landscape or digging in the dirt with her husband and two sons in Santa Barbara, California.
She holds an MA from NYU in Experimental Humanities and a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz. She is proudly represented by Lowenstein Associates.
Instajam @Lorissa_Rinehart
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October 12, 2023
On Sunday February 18, [1945] the lieutenant in charge of Navy press at the--------------------------------------
Oakland air base agreed to see her. Eying her credentials once more, he handed them back.
“And just where was it you wanted to go,” he asked.
She had been rehearsing her response ever since her credentials first arrived in the mail.
“As far forward as you’ll let me,” she replied.
“Be here at 0600, tomorrow,” he said.
…good intentions have rarely paved such a direct route to hell.Back in World War II there was a small bit of graffiti that appeared in many places across the world. It showed a nose, the fingers of two hands and eyes peeking over a wall, or a fence, along with the words “Kilroy was here.” It was meant to show that American soldiers had been in a particular place, and that they had been everywhere. If Dickey Chapelle had wanted to, she could have left her graffiti across the world as well, not just to show that she had been there, but that she had been the first woman, the first reporter, the first woman reporter who had done the job in many, many dangerous places.
She slept in Bedouin tents in the Algerian desert, and in the foxholes she dug herself in the hills overlooking Beirut. She rode in picket boats between battleships off the coast of Iwo Jima and flew in a nuclear-armed jet stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Aegean sea. On New Year’s Eve 1958, she patrolled the Soviet border with the Turkish infantry. On New Year’s Day 1959, she photographed Fidel Castro’s army as they entered Havana. She jumped out of planes over America, the Dominican Republic, South Korea, Laos, and Vietnam. She heard bullets flying over her head in Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa, and knew that they all sounded the same.
Engraving of Kilroy on the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. - image and descriptive text from Wikipedia
It is likely you have heard of Margaret Bourke-White, famed for her coverage of World War II. You may have heard of Marguerite Higgins, noted for reporting on the Korean War. It is very unlikely you have heard of the subject of this book. Go on Wikipedia, or most other places that aggregate such information, and look up World War II correspondents. Chapelle, whose full name was Georgette Louise Marie Meyer Chapelle, is unlikely to appear. Yet, she did seminal work covering diverse elements of the war, including battles on the front lines. She even trained as a paratrooper, so she could jump into battle zones with American military units, which she did. Lorissa Rinehart seeks to correct that oversight.
Lorissa Rinehart - Image from Macmillan
She tracks Dickey from her brief stint as a student of aeronautical engineering at MIT. Soon after, she was a journalist in Florida, covering a tragic air show in Cuba. It was her first real reporting “at the front” of a deadly event. And the way ahead was set. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, she saw that war was coming with United States. Although Congress did not agree to declare war, it did ramp up production of airplanes and other war materials to support the effort against Nazism.
Dickey Chapelle - Image from Narratively, courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society
She learned that she would have to become a photographer if she wanted to cover the war. So she took photography classes. Among her teachers was the man she would marry, Anthony “Tony” Chapelle. Their relationship was never a natural. He was much older, controlling, with a temper, described by some as a consummate con man. He would be jealous of her successes, and seemingly always eager to undermine her confidence. But he was a very successful war photographer and taught her the skills that would enhance her natural eye, helping make her the great photojournalist she would become.
Dickey Chapelle photographs marines in 1955 - image From Wall Street Journal – from Wisconsin Historical Society
Rinehart tracks not only Chapelle’s adventures on the front lines of many military conflicts, but the skirmishes in which she was forced to engage to gain permission to be there at all. Sexism, as one would expect, forms a major portion of those struggles, but some had to do with her being a journalist at all, regardless of her gender. There is a string of firsts next to her name in the history of journalism, and the word “female” does not appear in all of them. Sadly, she was the first female correspondent killed in Viet Nam.
Chapelle with Pilots - image from the Wisconsin Historical Society
Dickey was tough as nails, enduring some of the same training as the GIs she was covering. In addition to her considerable coverage of World War II, she was on the front lines of the major hot spots in the Cold War. Not only embedded with marines, Chapelle spent considerable time with troops from Turkey, Castro’s rebels in Cuba, anti-Castro plotters in Florida, secret American forces in Laos, Laotian anti-communist fighters, Algerian revolutionaries, Hungarian rebels, and more. The list is substantial. She would keep diving in, wanting to get the immediate experience of the fighters, the civilians caught in the crossfire, the human impact of war. No Five o’clock Follies for Dickey. She was not interested in being a stenographer for brass talking points, seeing that approach as the enemy of truthful reporting.
Dickey Chapelle sits and drinks coffee with the FLN Scorpion Battalion Rebels in the Atlas Mountains in Algeria
- image and descriptive text from the Wisconsin Historical Society – shot by Dickey Chapelle
Chapelle was captured, imprisoned, and tortured in Hungary by Soviet forces. It gave her a particularly pointed perspective on the treatment of prisoners by Western militaries, and the greater implications of the USA not holding to the highest international standards.
One of her greatest gifts was a respect for local cultures and particularly local fighters. She was quite aware of how hard they trained, how hard and far they pushed themselves, how much deprivation they willingly endured. Yet she encountered attitudes from American officers and leaders that regarded non-white fighters through a self-defeating racist lens. Chapelle tried to get the message across to those in command how wrong they were in their regard for the locals the USA was supposedly there to support. Despite occasionally breaking through the brain-truth barrier, that engagement proved a demoralizing, losing battle.
Iwo Jima Medical Facilities - image from the Wisconsin Historical Society – shot by Dickey Chapelle
Another example of her analytical capability was fed by her time with a community in Laos, led by a cleric, possessed of superior tactical and political approaches. She tried to bring her knowledge of this to American military leaders. It was not a total failure. Although her ideas were not implemented to a meaningful extent, she was eventually brought in by the military to teach what she knew to new officers.
Through much of her work, which included extensive coverage of the on-the-ground Marshall Plan in Europe, her marriage to Tony was seemingly in constant crisis. It was an ongoing war, with dustups aplenty, advances and retreats, damage incurred, but resulted, ultimately, in a separation of forces, which freed Chapelle to pursue her front-line compulsion unimpeded by contrary wishes.
Fidel Castro with cigar, and five other men
- image from the Wisconsin Historical Society – shot by Dickey Chapelle
Her employers were not always news outlets. She was employed by the Red Cross to document the need for blood in the war zone. She covered a hospital ship, and medical units on the battlefield. It was hoped that her coverage would give a boost to a national blood drive encouraging Americans to give blood for wounded soldiers. It was a huge success. She worked for the American Friends Service Committee covering military behavior in the Dominican Republic. Other non-profits paid for her to report from other parts of the world. And sundry magazines provided enough employment to keep her working almost constantly.
A woman in a headscarf crosses an improvised bridge in the vicinity of the village of Tamsweg, escaping from Hungary to Austria
- image from the Wisconsin Historical Society – shot by Dickey Chapelle
This is an amazing book about an amazing woman.The story of Dickey Chapelle reads like fiction. Even though we know this is a biography, and that what is on the page has already occurred, Rinehart makes the story sing. Her story-telling skill brings us into the scenes of conflict, sometimes terror, so we tremble or gird along with her subject. She taps into the adventure of Dickey’s life, as well as the peril. This is the life that Dickey had sought, and which would be her undoing. The book reads like a novel, fast, exciting, eye-opening, frustrating, enraging, sad, but ultimately satisfying. Dickey Chapelle’s was a life that was as rich with stumbling blocks as it was with jobs well done, but ultimately it was a life well lived, offering concrete benefits to those who were exposed to her work, and an inspiration for many who have followed in her bootsteps.
I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power.
—Dickey Chapelle
Review posted - 10/6/23
Publication date – 7/11/23
I received a copy of First to the Front from St. Martin’s Press in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks.
This review will soon be cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to Lorissa Rinehart’s personal, FB, and Instagram pages
Profile - from Women Also Know History
Lorissa Rinehart writes about art, war, and their points of intersection.Interviews
Her writing has recently appeared in Hyperallergic, Perfect Strangers, and Narratively, among other publications…When not writing she can be found photographing the natural world impinging upon the urban landscape or digging in the dirt with her husband and two sons in Santa Barbara, California. She holds an MA from NYU in Experimental Humanities and a BA in Literature from UC Santa Cruz.
-----Writers Talking – Season 2 Episode 7 - Talking to Lorissa Rinehart - podcast – 50:30
-----Hidden History Podcast - A Conversation with Lorissa Rinehart with John Rodriguez - video – 40:18 – begin at 1:43 – there is a transcript on the side
-----Cold War Conversations - Dickey Chapelle – Trailblazing Female Cold War Journalist - audio – 1:01:50
Items of Interest from the author
-----The War Horse - excerpt
-----Facebook reel - Rinehart on Dickey Chapelle showing incredible guts
-----FB - The Top 10 Books She Read to Prepare
-----The History Reader - Escaping Algeria - excerpt
-----Narratively - The Parachuting Female Photojournalist Who Dove Into War Headfirst
Item of Interest
-----Milwaukee PBS - Behind the Pearl Earrings: The Story of Dickey Chapelle, Combat Photojournalist - video documentary- 56:05
-----Political Dictionary - Five o’clock Follies
June 5, 2023
When I die I want to be on patrol with the Marines.
Dickey Chapelle quoted in First to the Front by Lorissa Rinhart
You know that Dickey Chapelle was remarkable when you see her, holding her camera, dressed in fatigues and sporting fashionable cats-eye glasses, and wearing pearl earrings.
She documented the after affects of war and she went to the front lines. She was fearless and stayed in an abusive relationship for fifteen years. She survived weeks in isolation in a Soviet prison. She championed freedom fighters in Hungary, Algeria, and Cuba. She was patriotic and hated Communism, and loved the Marines, and she was appalled at CIA abuses and America’s misguided wars. Her articles appeared in the country’s foremost magazines and the military considered her an expert on guerilla warfare. As a reporter, she kept up with the soldiers and gained their respect.
And yet she has been nearly forgotten.
Did I truly think I could, with the tool of the camera around my neck, help end the need for the tool of the carbine on my shoulder?
Dickey Chapelle quoted in First to the Front by Lorissa Rinehart
First to the Front is Dickey’s remarkable story of her life as a photojournalist. She covered the war in the Pacific, documenting the use of blood to raise awareness of the importance of blood drives to soldiers and the war effort. She documented the European civilian casualties of war and concentration camp survivors. She saw the fight against locusts in Iraq and in Iran notied the failure of aid efforts to make an impact. In India, she documented the impact of American tractors on farming.
Dickey reported on the Hungarian Revolution, where she was arrested and imprisoned. She recommitted her battle against totalitarianism and went to Algeria which was fighting for independence from the French and to Cuba where Castro was fighting the despot Batista.
Then, she went to Laos where the CIA and the military were “laying the groundwork for a much larger conflict”–what became the Vietnam war, where Dickey ultimately lost her life.
Dickey’s reporting had a slant–the human element. She cared. She cared about the soldiers and she cared about the victims of war. She championed social justice and human rights. She loved her country but was willing to see it’s faults, the promise and how it had not achieved the promise.
I was completely enthralled by this biography.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
Dickey Chapelle quoted in First to the Front by Lorissa Rinhart
You know that Dickey Chapelle was remarkable when you see her, holding her camera, dressed in fatigues and sporting fashionable cats-eye glasses, and wearing pearl earrings.
She documented the after affects of war and she went to the front lines. She was fearless and stayed in an abusive relationship for fifteen years. She survived weeks in isolation in a Soviet prison. She championed freedom fighters in Hungary, Algeria, and Cuba. She was patriotic and hated Communism, and loved the Marines, and she was appalled at CIA abuses and America’s misguided wars. Her articles appeared in the country’s foremost magazines and the military considered her an expert on guerilla warfare. As a reporter, she kept up with the soldiers and gained their respect.
And yet she has been nearly forgotten.
Did I truly think I could, with the tool of the camera around my neck, help end the need for the tool of the carbine on my shoulder?
Dickey Chapelle quoted in First to the Front by Lorissa Rinehart
First to the Front is Dickey’s remarkable story of her life as a photojournalist. She covered the war in the Pacific, documenting the use of blood to raise awareness of the importance of blood drives to soldiers and the war effort. She documented the European civilian casualties of war and concentration camp survivors. She saw the fight against locusts in Iraq and in Iran notied the failure of aid efforts to make an impact. In India, she documented the impact of American tractors on farming.
Dickey reported on the Hungarian Revolution, where she was arrested and imprisoned. She recommitted her battle against totalitarianism and went to Algeria which was fighting for independence from the French and to Cuba where Castro was fighting the despot Batista.
Then, she went to Laos where the CIA and the military were “laying the groundwork for a much larger conflict”–what became the Vietnam war, where Dickey ultimately lost her life.
Dickey’s reporting had a slant–the human element. She cared. She cared about the soldiers and she cared about the victims of war. She championed social justice and human rights. She loved her country but was willing to see it’s faults, the promise and how it had not achieved the promise.
I was completely enthralled by this biography.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
August 7, 2023
Dickey Chapelle (1918-1965) (original name - Georgette Meyer) was an amazing trail-blazing female photo-journalist.
Women war correspondents were not the norm when Dickie started her career in 1941. She was first in so many monumental ways – such as: “…Dickie would be the first journalist to photograph Marines in combat while aboard a helicopter.”
She found a way to get herself as close to the front lines in war zone after war zone. She was especially moved by the doctors and nurses who risked their lives to tend to the wounded in war torn areas. One particular photograph was so inspiring that it was used by the Red Cross for years in their blood drives.
For some reason she stayed with her abusive husband Tony Chapelle for fifteen years as he continually put her down and told her she was not good enough. Initially they met in a photography class run by Tony which Dickie attended. Obviously he must have been jealous of Dickie as her accomplishments grew – accomplishments he could never achieve himself.
I wish I could do more than 3-stars for this book because Dickie is a 5-star gal, but I think the writing got bogged down in the telling of her story. H/ever, Dickey Chapelle is a name everyone should know and even at 3-stars this is a book well worth reading. The photographs included make an impressive impact.
Dickey Chapelle: “When I die I want to be on patrol with the Marines”. Dickey Chapelle died exactly how she wanted to die – in a war zone taking pictures in Vietnam and she continued to be the first. In 1965: Dickie was the first female war correspondent to be killed in Vietnam and the first American female reporter to be killed in action. She was 47 years old.
This can be found on YouTube:
Behind the Pearl Earrings: The Story of Dickey Chapelle, Combat Photojournalist (PBS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WicUU...
Women war correspondents were not the norm when Dickie started her career in 1941. She was first in so many monumental ways – such as: “…Dickie would be the first journalist to photograph Marines in combat while aboard a helicopter.”
She found a way to get herself as close to the front lines in war zone after war zone. She was especially moved by the doctors and nurses who risked their lives to tend to the wounded in war torn areas. One particular photograph was so inspiring that it was used by the Red Cross for years in their blood drives.
For some reason she stayed with her abusive husband Tony Chapelle for fifteen years as he continually put her down and told her she was not good enough. Initially they met in a photography class run by Tony which Dickie attended. Obviously he must have been jealous of Dickie as her accomplishments grew – accomplishments he could never achieve himself.
I wish I could do more than 3-stars for this book because Dickie is a 5-star gal, but I think the writing got bogged down in the telling of her story. H/ever, Dickey Chapelle is a name everyone should know and even at 3-stars this is a book well worth reading. The photographs included make an impressive impact.
Dickey Chapelle: “When I die I want to be on patrol with the Marines”. Dickey Chapelle died exactly how she wanted to die – in a war zone taking pictures in Vietnam and she continued to be the first. In 1965: Dickie was the first female war correspondent to be killed in Vietnam and the first American female reporter to be killed in action. She was 47 years old.
This can be found on YouTube:
Behind the Pearl Earrings: The Story of Dickey Chapelle, Combat Photojournalist (PBS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WicUU...
July 18, 2023
An inspiring bio of one of the first female photojournalists, Dickey Chapelle, who covered events with fierce courage from WWII to Vietnam, where she died on assignment. A must-read for any journalist, seasoned or newbie.
July 18, 2023
I just finished First to the Front : The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent by Lorissa Rinehart
The first authoritative biography of pioneering photojournalist Dickey Chapelle, who from World War II through the early days of Vietnam got her story by any means necessary as one of the first female war correspondents.
"I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power."
Dickey Chapelle was a legend! She took the photo assignments her male counterparts wouldn’t take on. She pioneered and paved the way for women to do jobs originally earmarked for men.
She was the first reporter accredited with the Algerian National Liberation Front, and survived torture in a communist Hungarian prison. She dove out of planes, faked her own kidnapping, and endured the mockery of male associates, before ultimately dying on assignment in Vietnam with the Marines in 1965, the first American female journalist killed while covering combat.
This woman was a total bad@ss. I had no idea she had accomplished so much during her time. She is the kind of woman I want my girls to look up to. I really enjoyed reading all about her and her accomplishments. She was a humanitarian and a role model.
Thank you so much for my gifted copy @stmartinspress for this wonderful book
5 stars
The first authoritative biography of pioneering photojournalist Dickey Chapelle, who from World War II through the early days of Vietnam got her story by any means necessary as one of the first female war correspondents.
"I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power."
Dickey Chapelle was a legend! She took the photo assignments her male counterparts wouldn’t take on. She pioneered and paved the way for women to do jobs originally earmarked for men.
She was the first reporter accredited with the Algerian National Liberation Front, and survived torture in a communist Hungarian prison. She dove out of planes, faked her own kidnapping, and endured the mockery of male associates, before ultimately dying on assignment in Vietnam with the Marines in 1965, the first American female journalist killed while covering combat.
This woman was a total bad@ss. I had no idea she had accomplished so much during her time. She is the kind of woman I want my girls to look up to. I really enjoyed reading all about her and her accomplishments. She was a humanitarian and a role model.
Thank you so much for my gifted copy @stmartinspress for this wonderful book
5 stars
March 12, 2024
Excellent book about a remarkable lady and war correspondent who embedded herself with front line units and guerrilla forces in the major conflicts from the 40s to the 60s. Among some of her many firsts:
"She was the first woman to be given permission to paratroop with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Later, she became the first female reporter to be stationed with covert special forces in Laos."
She was strong and tough when with fighting forces, she marched, dug foxhole, and put up with life on the front line without question. Some of the organizations she reported for were Reader Digest, National Geographic and National Observer.
"She was the first woman to be given permission to paratroop with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. Later, she became the first female reporter to be stationed with covert special forces in Laos."
She was strong and tough when with fighting forces, she marched, dug foxhole, and put up with life on the front line without question. Some of the organizations she reported for were Reader Digest, National Geographic and National Observer.
May 25, 2023
First to the Front is the biography of Dickey Chapelle, female combat photographer and photojournalist. This book is absolutely fascinating! It is rich with world history, war and politics. From Vietnam to Europe to the Middle East, this biography will give you a boots on the ground perspective that few have seen or experienced. More importantly, First to the Front will inspire you to chase after your dreams. Dickey’s courageous rise to her legacy as a war correspondent was totally captivating and had me rooting for her all the way!
Read if you enjoy:
✔️biographies
✔️fierce women
✔️war and politics
✔️photojournalism
✔️trailblazers
Well done Lorissa Rinehart 👏🏻. Thank you to @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙏🏻🥰
First to the Front is available July 11th, 2023.
Read if you enjoy:
✔️biographies
✔️fierce women
✔️war and politics
✔️photojournalism
✔️trailblazers
Well done Lorissa Rinehart 👏🏻. Thank you to @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙏🏻🥰
First to the Front is available July 11th, 2023.
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July 12, 2023
Dickey Chapelle believed the best way to combat war, was to document it. A trailblazing female war photographer and photojournalist, Dickie Chapelle had front rows seats to the carnage of war from World War II to Vietnam and the Soviet Union with everything in between. Despite feeling trapped in an abusive relationship that she admits she stayed in too long, the strength shown on the front lines is inspiring.
Weaved within the biography of Dickey Chapelle is a wealth of history that kept me turning page after page. Lorissa Rinehart did a great job at balancing the facts while still leaving the heart of the woman she was writing about.
Dickey Chapelle's story will invigorate every reader to go after their dreams.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC, ALC and Finished Copy.
Weaved within the biography of Dickey Chapelle is a wealth of history that kept me turning page after page. Lorissa Rinehart did a great job at balancing the facts while still leaving the heart of the woman she was writing about.
Dickey Chapelle's story will invigorate every reader to go after their dreams.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC, ALC and Finished Copy.
June 8, 2023
I really enjoyed this ALC. I hadn't heard of Dickie Chapelle before listening to this book, but I'm glad to know her name now. She went to places nobody was brave enough to go and reported on people nobody seemed to care about. Dickie broke barriers and stood up to the men who attempted to halt her progress. She was truly exceptional.
It's sad and disappointing that much of her work has been lost to time (and government bureaucracy). However, if you do an internet search, some of her images are available to view.
The narration of the book was also good. The right amount of intonation and tone to capture Dickie dry and sarcastic sense of humour and the plight of people Dickie reported on.
My only critique is that I didn't care for the relationship drama between Dickie and her long time partner. I would have preferred those sections to be shorter in order to get back to the good stuff.
It's sad and disappointing that much of her work has been lost to time (and government bureaucracy). However, if you do an internet search, some of her images are available to view.
The narration of the book was also good. The right amount of intonation and tone to capture Dickie dry and sarcastic sense of humour and the plight of people Dickie reported on.
My only critique is that I didn't care for the relationship drama between Dickie and her long time partner. I would have preferred those sections to be shorter in order to get back to the good stuff.
June 11, 2023
If you read nothing else - read this! And ask yourself ‘why haven’t I heard of Dickey Chapelle before?’ A war correspondent and photographer she jumped from planes, dodged bullets, survived a Cold War prison from WWII through Vietnam- an amazing woman - read this compelling bio
April 30, 2023
Why is Dickey Chapelle not center-stage when we celebrate Women's history? How do we not know her story? Lorissa Rinehart's new biography of Dickey Chapelle, First to the Front, tells the compelling, lost to history story of Georgette Meyer Chapelle from Milwaukee, WI. Where she goes from there is extraordinary. Dickey travelled the world as a war correspondent, photojournalist and advocate for those who fought and those who's worlds were shattered by war.
Dickey's own fighting spirit shines through on these pages. Rinehart takes us on Dickey's journey as if we were in the jeep, on the ship or comforting a wounded marine in a freezing cargo plane with her. The extensive use of Dickey Chapelle's archive shines through on these pages. Dickey's own descriptive writing shared in First to Front had me searching online for her own autobiography which sadly is no longer in print. Lorissa Rinehart has given us, as Nanci Griffith once sang, a Pearl's Eye View of a wayshower to anyone who wants to make their own path in this world and hold on to their kindness and integrity.
Dickey's own fighting spirit shines through on these pages. Rinehart takes us on Dickey's journey as if we were in the jeep, on the ship or comforting a wounded marine in a freezing cargo plane with her. The extensive use of Dickey Chapelle's archive shines through on these pages. Dickey's own descriptive writing shared in First to Front had me searching online for her own autobiography which sadly is no longer in print. Lorissa Rinehart has given us, as Nanci Griffith once sang, a Pearl's Eye View of a wayshower to anyone who wants to make their own path in this world and hold on to their kindness and integrity.
April 2, 2023
Great book! Not a dry account. A moving, exciting, amazing story, about an amazing woman! She faced insurmountable odds during the wars from WWII through Viet Nam as a war - peace correspondent. She successfully fought her way through to becoming an inspiration to many! A must read.
September 14, 2023
Rating 4.5, rounded up for Goodreads. The story of Dickey Chapelle, pioneering photojournalist, is very well written and avoids the temptation to make the person/subject out to be perfect. Everyone considering a career in journalism must read this book. Additionally, anyone who is interested in the history of (mostly) the US involvement in Vietnam and Laos, or the stories of women who were the first in their field will be unable to put this book down. The writing was clear, precise and well researched. I learned a great deal and developed a great admiration for Ms Chapelle.
September 21, 2023
Excellent read! This woman was something else.
March 14, 2024
I don’t know what I’m more surprised by - how captivating the story of Dickey Chapelle is in this book, or how in the hell nobody has turned this into a movie.
October 27, 2023
How many war correspondents can you name? Okay, now for a even trickier question - How many female war correspondents can you name? If you can name any, it might all be due to the path Georgette "Dickey" Meyer Chapelle created for all who came after her. In First to the Front, Lorissa Rinehart seeks to tell the whole story of Dickey Chapelle.
Georgette "Dickey" Meyer was born and raised in Wisconsin, In 1935 she flunked out of MIT, and ended up in Coral Gables (FL) as the city editor for the Miami Airshow at $15 a week.She wrangled her way into an assignment for the New York Times covering the Havana Air Show. This led her to a job as assistant publicity chief for Howard Hughes's airline - TWA. There she met Anthony "Tony" Chapelle who was teaching photography. Dickey became a photojournalist after she married Tony. After December 7, 1941, Dickey Chapelle got a job with Look to cover the 14th Infantry Regiment training in the jungles of Panama. Then she got a break - she was accredited as a photographer in the Pacific Theater of Operations.. On board the USS Samaritan, she took photos of blood drive that the Red Cross used for a decade at blood drives. She also captured the faces and stories of soldiers and Marines loaded on board the hospital ship. She spent time on Iwo Jima and then Okinawa managing to endear herself to Marines while ticking off the higher brass who arrested her and revoked her credentials. Seventeen was the one magazine who would still employee her.
After the war, Dickey and Tony traveled around Europe for the Quakers bringing in supplies and photographing conditions in Poland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, and France. After several trips through Europe, the duo made a sweep through Iraq, Iran and India for the US State Department's Point Four program documenting their work. Dickey managed to get articles in National Geographic, World Magazine and Reader's Digest along with the documentaries for the State Department. After finally divoracing Tony, Dickey returned to Europe to cover the Hungarian Revolution which lead to a stint in Hungarian prison. Next, she traveled to Algeria to cover the Algerian Liberation Front's fight against French colonialism. She covered Castro's fight with Batista in Cuba. Then she went to cover the conflict in Laos. She wrote a primer on guerrilla war for the Marines before covering the conflict in South Vietnam. She spent time with the Sea Swallows, Marines in helicopters, and the Vietnamese Marines. Then on November 2, 1965, while on patrol with U.S. Marines, a booby trap tripped by a Marine killed her. She died doing what she enjoyed most - taking photos.
The bare details given above does not cover the depth of detail that Lorissa Rinehart provides in this well-written biography of Dickey Chappelle, who that deserves far greater recognition than she has received. If you are interested in female journalists, especially photojournalists, First to the Front is a title to read!
Georgette "Dickey" Meyer was born and raised in Wisconsin, In 1935 she flunked out of MIT, and ended up in Coral Gables (FL) as the city editor for the Miami Airshow at $15 a week.She wrangled her way into an assignment for the New York Times covering the Havana Air Show. This led her to a job as assistant publicity chief for Howard Hughes's airline - TWA. There she met Anthony "Tony" Chapelle who was teaching photography. Dickey became a photojournalist after she married Tony. After December 7, 1941, Dickey Chapelle got a job with Look to cover the 14th Infantry Regiment training in the jungles of Panama. Then she got a break - she was accredited as a photographer in the Pacific Theater of Operations.. On board the USS Samaritan, she took photos of blood drive that the Red Cross used for a decade at blood drives. She also captured the faces and stories of soldiers and Marines loaded on board the hospital ship. She spent time on Iwo Jima and then Okinawa managing to endear herself to Marines while ticking off the higher brass who arrested her and revoked her credentials. Seventeen was the one magazine who would still employee her.
After the war, Dickey and Tony traveled around Europe for the Quakers bringing in supplies and photographing conditions in Poland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, and France. After several trips through Europe, the duo made a sweep through Iraq, Iran and India for the US State Department's Point Four program documenting their work. Dickey managed to get articles in National Geographic, World Magazine and Reader's Digest along with the documentaries for the State Department. After finally divoracing Tony, Dickey returned to Europe to cover the Hungarian Revolution which lead to a stint in Hungarian prison. Next, she traveled to Algeria to cover the Algerian Liberation Front's fight against French colonialism. She covered Castro's fight with Batista in Cuba. Then she went to cover the conflict in Laos. She wrote a primer on guerrilla war for the Marines before covering the conflict in South Vietnam. She spent time with the Sea Swallows, Marines in helicopters, and the Vietnamese Marines. Then on November 2, 1965, while on patrol with U.S. Marines, a booby trap tripped by a Marine killed her. She died doing what she enjoyed most - taking photos.
The bare details given above does not cover the depth of detail that Lorissa Rinehart provides in this well-written biography of Dickey Chappelle, who that deserves far greater recognition than she has received. If you are interested in female journalists, especially photojournalists, First to the Front is a title to read!
August 4, 2023
“Where do you want to go?”
“As far as you will let me.”
Incredible account of the life of Dickey Chapelle, female war photojournalist, who covered military operations from WW2 through Vietnam. I was quite literally OVERWHELMED by her accomplishments and still haven’t fully absorbed the extent of her legacy. She brought the human story to her work, her lens captured the deeper emotion, the humanity in war. She was extremely brave, and passionate, learned to be a soldier while covering her stories, and won over the respect of everyone she worked with, especially the marines. Dickey Chapelle was driven by patriotism and love of freedom and always wanted to go “as far as you’ll let me”, all the way to the front. That attitude took her from the jungles of Panama, to a medical warship in the Pacific fleet to the grounds of Iwo Jima to post WW2 impacted lands like Poland, France, Italy, and Germany to Cold War revolution in Hungary, to solitary confinement in the worst Hungarian prison, to the Middle East and India, to Cuba and the guerillas in the Castro revolution, to paratrooping and helicopter missions in Laos and finally in Vietnam. And I’m sure I missed a lot.
Her experiences were intense. She portrayed the challenges of PTSD. She could see the importance of relationships and understanding the human condition of civilians. She had a front row seat to the way militia changed in the atomic age. She was often hit by the realization that the ammunition used to kill innocents was provided by the USA, and often the root of much ill feeling toward the US abroad.
She was especially honored to walk side by side with the marines. The marines taught her self-worth and value, they recognized her as one of their own. Her relationship with the marines was so meaningful to her that she said “When I die I want to be on patrol with the marines.”
There were many memorable scenes shared but the ones that stood out for me were her gift of the dagger from the dying marine, her time in solitary confinement, the memories tied to her pearl earrings, and the way different military groups shared their insignias with her. She wore the earrings and various insignias with pride.
I have to say the book was a bit long and very detailed, enough so that I might have rated it 3, but because of the incredible story, it was easy to bump up. Great audiobook narration!!
You will read this and walk away with profound admiration for this incredible woman.
“I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power.”
“To Dickey Chapelle. A girl guerrilla, girl counter guerilla, and a damn fine soldier in the good fight.”
THANK YOU NETGALLEY for the ARC!!
“As far as you will let me.”
Incredible account of the life of Dickey Chapelle, female war photojournalist, who covered military operations from WW2 through Vietnam. I was quite literally OVERWHELMED by her accomplishments and still haven’t fully absorbed the extent of her legacy. She brought the human story to her work, her lens captured the deeper emotion, the humanity in war. She was extremely brave, and passionate, learned to be a soldier while covering her stories, and won over the respect of everyone she worked with, especially the marines. Dickey Chapelle was driven by patriotism and love of freedom and always wanted to go “as far as you’ll let me”, all the way to the front. That attitude took her from the jungles of Panama, to a medical warship in the Pacific fleet to the grounds of Iwo Jima to post WW2 impacted lands like Poland, France, Italy, and Germany to Cold War revolution in Hungary, to solitary confinement in the worst Hungarian prison, to the Middle East and India, to Cuba and the guerillas in the Castro revolution, to paratrooping and helicopter missions in Laos and finally in Vietnam. And I’m sure I missed a lot.
Her experiences were intense. She portrayed the challenges of PTSD. She could see the importance of relationships and understanding the human condition of civilians. She had a front row seat to the way militia changed in the atomic age. She was often hit by the realization that the ammunition used to kill innocents was provided by the USA, and often the root of much ill feeling toward the US abroad.
She was especially honored to walk side by side with the marines. The marines taught her self-worth and value, they recognized her as one of their own. Her relationship with the marines was so meaningful to her that she said “When I die I want to be on patrol with the marines.”
There were many memorable scenes shared but the ones that stood out for me were her gift of the dagger from the dying marine, her time in solitary confinement, the memories tied to her pearl earrings, and the way different military groups shared their insignias with her. She wore the earrings and various insignias with pride.
I have to say the book was a bit long and very detailed, enough so that I might have rated it 3, but because of the incredible story, it was easy to bump up. Great audiobook narration!!
You will read this and walk away with profound admiration for this incredible woman.
“I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power.”
“To Dickey Chapelle. A girl guerrilla, girl counter guerilla, and a damn fine soldier in the good fight.”
THANK YOU NETGALLEY for the ARC!!
May 23, 2023
FIRST TO THE FRONT:
The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent Lorissa Rinehart
Liquor drew a curtain over thoughts of the dawn
Her words were as vibrant as her photos. GEORGETTE "Dickey" Louise Meyer Chapelle has been dead as long as I have been alive. I knew nothing about Dickey Chapelle before listening to this audiobook and now I have a new champion. Her adventures surpass any Hollywood version of war correspondents. I can’t believe how she isn’t a household name and had to ask myself why and realized it was because she was a woman. A white man doing the same work would have been heralded as a national hero. She gained the respect of the men in many war zones because she would not accept special treatment. No matter what she faced she did so with an honest unbiased eye, which is very likely another reason her story is not widely known; she did not fear speaking out against any U.S. wrongdoing (even though she was proudly American). There is so much here I want to talk about but don’t want to give spoilers because this book is a gift I want you to unwrap. The narrator, Kate Handford was an excellent choice, she has a pleasant even tone which definitely helps during some of the more graphic and painful passages. I can hardly wrap my head around some of the places and situations Dickey found herself in whether WWII, Hungary, Laos, Cuba - all absolutely incredible. I have such great respect for her. Rest in power Dickey and let me say thank you for living your life so fully and unapologetically it is inspiring. Lorissa Rinehart this story will stay with me for the rest of my life. Personally I think ALL women need to hear her story. I thank the publishers, Lorissa and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this fantastic story.
5 out of 5 stars!
The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent Lorissa Rinehart
Liquor drew a curtain over thoughts of the dawn
Her words were as vibrant as her photos. GEORGETTE "Dickey" Louise Meyer Chapelle has been dead as long as I have been alive. I knew nothing about Dickey Chapelle before listening to this audiobook and now I have a new champion. Her adventures surpass any Hollywood version of war correspondents. I can’t believe how she isn’t a household name and had to ask myself why and realized it was because she was a woman. A white man doing the same work would have been heralded as a national hero. She gained the respect of the men in many war zones because she would not accept special treatment. No matter what she faced she did so with an honest unbiased eye, which is very likely another reason her story is not widely known; she did not fear speaking out against any U.S. wrongdoing (even though she was proudly American). There is so much here I want to talk about but don’t want to give spoilers because this book is a gift I want you to unwrap. The narrator, Kate Handford was an excellent choice, she has a pleasant even tone which definitely helps during some of the more graphic and painful passages. I can hardly wrap my head around some of the places and situations Dickey found herself in whether WWII, Hungary, Laos, Cuba - all absolutely incredible. I have such great respect for her. Rest in power Dickey and let me say thank you for living your life so fully and unapologetically it is inspiring. Lorissa Rinehart this story will stay with me for the rest of my life. Personally I think ALL women need to hear her story. I thank the publishers, Lorissa and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this fantastic story.
5 out of 5 stars!
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December 15, 2023A long overdue biography of the first American woman journalist to be killed in combat, Dickey Chapelle.
She reads like a total bada$$, from jumping out of planes to capturing what she saw (regardless of the powers that be).
At the same time, her interpretations of the United States' involvement in various conflicts could be proven wrong with time/hindsight; I appreciated where author Lorissa Rinehart pointed those instances out. Overall, it seems Rinehart really did her research. (I was confused by the WWII storyline - specifically its ending - but it seems like Dickey was confused by what happened too.)
"By every right, Dickey Chapelle should be a household name. Throughout her career, which spanned the length and breadth of the early Cold War, Dickey’s capacity to march beside fighting men regardless of creed or color made her insights singular. Her commitment to human rights, equality, and social justice made her reporting invaluable. The stories she brought back from the last days of World War II to the first days of the Vietnam War continue to shed new light on the evolution and history of the Cold War. Yet while she was alive, and after she died as the first American female journalist to be killed in combat, Dickey’s fellow journalists dismissed her uncomfortable relevance. They accused her of being obsessed with military life, of being overly consumed by her career, and of being incapable of objectivity. For decades their arrows stuck, relegating her to obscurity. But it was precisely the criticisms leveled against her that made her such an extraordinary reporter then, and such a relevant voice now."
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a free arc of this title for review.
She reads like a total bada$$, from jumping out of planes to capturing what she saw (regardless of the powers that be).
At the same time, her interpretations of the United States' involvement in various conflicts could be proven wrong with time/hindsight; I appreciated where author Lorissa Rinehart pointed those instances out. Overall, it seems Rinehart really did her research. (I was confused by the WWII storyline - specifically its ending - but it seems like Dickey was confused by what happened too.)
"By every right, Dickey Chapelle should be a household name. Throughout her career, which spanned the length and breadth of the early Cold War, Dickey’s capacity to march beside fighting men regardless of creed or color made her insights singular. Her commitment to human rights, equality, and social justice made her reporting invaluable. The stories she brought back from the last days of World War II to the first days of the Vietnam War continue to shed new light on the evolution and history of the Cold War. Yet while she was alive, and after she died as the first American female journalist to be killed in combat, Dickey’s fellow journalists dismissed her uncomfortable relevance. They accused her of being obsessed with military life, of being overly consumed by her career, and of being incapable of objectivity. For decades their arrows stuck, relegating her to obscurity. But it was precisely the criticisms leveled against her that made her such an extraordinary reporter then, and such a relevant voice now."
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a free arc of this title for review.
July 7, 2023
Wow! What an amazing story and amazing woman!!! I have read oodles and oodles of both non-fiction and historical fiction war books, but somehow I had never heard of Dickey Chapelle. I’m so glad someone finally told her story. I did a Google search and did a little further reading. Her name was actually Georgette Louise Meyer and she changed her name to Dickey after her divorce. I was curious why she did that but I didn’t find any information. Maybe it was easier for her to get jobs and to get clearance for various war zones if her name led people to believe she was male on paper? She was a brilliant woman and she came so far for a woman in those times. She was already attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when she was sixteen and studying aeronautical design. That would be an incredible feat for a man but it’s even more amazing for a woman in the early 1930’s. A lot of colleges didn’t allow woman to take classes, unless they were becoming nurses or teachers. The book goes into some detail of her marriage and the sexism she encountered with her husband, who never viewed her as an equal. But I’m not sure her husband was any different from most husbands of that time. He believed in the concept that women belonged in the kitchen, but unfortunately so did most of society. Dickey was obviously an extremely driven, intelligent and brave woman to have forged ahead and became so successful during times when it was a man’s world. A big Thank You to Lorissa Rinehart for a beautifully written story about an amazing woman!
September 17, 2023
When I was asked to read First to the Front I said yes, then immediately regretted it because my TBR shelf was overflowing. It lingered on my list and I considered ignoring it. However, after reading The Women,by Kristin Hannah, I wanted to know more about women in combat zones. This book could not have been more timely. In fact, I'd recommend the two books as companion reads.
Clearly Dickey Chapelle was a real person and the narrative of her adventures was stunningly and at times unbelievably real. As a woman war correspondent in WWII, Vietnam and many other fronts, she was a fearless warrior, a trailblazer and truly a visionary. She captured the horrors of war in human terms and found humanity in the images.
This book is long and definitely full of details that some say should be edited. Maybe so. But a history buff will relish reading of her interactions with General Shepherd or fearless jeep drivers.
I found the book to be entirely readable and at times unputdownable. Dickey Chapelle is an American woman hero that we all should know about. I very much thank the author for her fine presentation of this story. I also thank NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC of First to the Front.
Clearly Dickey Chapelle was a real person and the narrative of her adventures was stunningly and at times unbelievably real. As a woman war correspondent in WWII, Vietnam and many other fronts, she was a fearless warrior, a trailblazer and truly a visionary. She captured the horrors of war in human terms and found humanity in the images.
This book is long and definitely full of details that some say should be edited. Maybe so. But a history buff will relish reading of her interactions with General Shepherd or fearless jeep drivers.
I found the book to be entirely readable and at times unputdownable. Dickey Chapelle is an American woman hero that we all should know about. I very much thank the author for her fine presentation of this story. I also thank NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC of First to the Front.
July 24, 2023
This is a book I wished someone had handed me when I was a girl. More compelling because it's true, yet parts of the book left me shaking my head in disbelief. The author really focuses on Dickey Chappelle's work and not her personal life which seems to be how many writers focus their female subjects, around the men in their lives. The men were anecdotal, including Dickey Chappelle's husband and the book describes her accomplishements came in spite of him. Her accomplishments also came in spite of men situated in positions of authority within the military and the government. I found myself searching the web for videos of Dickey Chappelle's appearances on television or recorded at events. Worth a read and worth the thoughts her story provokes after you read it - anger, indignation and some smugness on who Dickey Chappelle was and what she accomplished.
July 26, 2023
First to the Front is a fascinating account of Dickey Chapelle's life as a wartime photojournalist. Her request when covering a war situation was, "Get me as close to the front as you can." Because this request was honored, she became the First journalist and the First woman to cover or photograph up close the battle front from WWII to Vietnam. She was also the first to ride in military helicopters or airplanes that no civilian had previously had access to. Why did she have such privileges? She earned that right by respecting the soldier and his story.
Besides learning more about Ms. Chapelle's perseverance, I learned more about WWII and specifically about Vietnam. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for an advanced copy of this book.
Besides learning more about Ms. Chapelle's perseverance, I learned more about WWII and specifically about Vietnam. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you #netgalley and #stmartinspress for an advanced copy of this book.
June 7, 2023
Intrepid, unrelenting, betrayed by her husband and herself (not to mention a certain ranking officer after the battle of Okinawa).
From the early days of WW2 and on through Viet Nam she covered very closely the people that mattered to war as well as recovery efforts. Misogyny was rampant everywhere except with the troops of the US Marines. She began with the war in the Pacific, moved on into post war Europe, into the effects of the Cold War in Europe, into Korea, and ending in Viet Nam.
One storyteller gives a clear and affecting posthumous voice to another.
I feel ashamed as a woman from the Milwaukee area and one who was out of high school by the time she died that I have NEVER even heard of this iconoclastic woman.
Her goal became "when I die I want to be on patrol with the (US) Marines". At 47 (11/04/1965), in Viet Nam, she did.
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
From the early days of WW2 and on through Viet Nam she covered very closely the people that mattered to war as well as recovery efforts. Misogyny was rampant everywhere except with the troops of the US Marines. She began with the war in the Pacific, moved on into post war Europe, into the effects of the Cold War in Europe, into Korea, and ending in Viet Nam.
One storyteller gives a clear and affecting posthumous voice to another.
I feel ashamed as a woman from the Milwaukee area and one who was out of high school by the time she died that I have NEVER even heard of this iconoclastic woman.
Her goal became "when I die I want to be on patrol with the (US) Marines". At 47 (11/04/1965), in Viet Nam, she did.
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
July 10, 2023
Wow! What a life! I have never heard of Dickey Chappell before but my husband had. He was a reporter for 35 years. But I digress.
Ms Chappell was a pioneer in many ways and not only because she was a woman in a male domineering business. She figured out ways to get to yes and move as far as the military would let her go in the sense of reporting on conflicts from Hungary to Cuba to Viet Nam and pints in between.
I learned not only about her life but also about wars that the US government did not want civilians to know about how they were being handled. Definitely not what I learned in school.
Great book club book.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.
Ms Chappell was a pioneer in many ways and not only because she was a woman in a male domineering business. She figured out ways to get to yes and move as far as the military would let her go in the sense of reporting on conflicts from Hungary to Cuba to Viet Nam and pints in between.
I learned not only about her life but also about wars that the US government did not want civilians to know about how they were being handled. Definitely not what I learned in school.
Great book club book.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.
September 8, 2023
This was an amazing read about Dickey Chapelle, a remarkable photojournalist who covered global warfare from within the fighting units in the field. (And about whom l knew absolutely nothing until l read this book.) She earned her paratrooper certification so she could accompany fighter insertions by night parachute drops. She gained the respect of guerrilla fighters from Algeria to Vietnam and U. S. Military leaders and units in the Pacific Theater and Southeast Asia and clandestine operators in Laos and Vietnam. She was an acknowledged expert in guerrilla tactics and wrote papers and delivered lectures to military personnel at their request. And much, much more….
June 28, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Lorissa wrote such a beautiful biography of Dickey Chapelle. It read like a novel, and you leave it feeling as though you met Dickey herself. She was a strong woman who paved the way for women in journalism. I would highly recommend.
September 29, 2023
Audiobook. An enthralling read. Dickey was a badass and I am so glad for this author introducing us to her.
October 19, 2023
This has got to be one of the best biographies I've read...
The protagonist Dickey Chapelle is one hell of a woman...and to do what she did...takes more guts than I'd ever imagine...
And the author, Lorissa Rinehart has done a remarkable job writing Chapelle's story...
Just a great bio...
Highly Recommended!
March 1, 2024
Wow I loved this book. Dicky is just the plucky heroine I need. Best of all, she was real.
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