As they follow Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Americans are getting an inkling of what it felt like eight decades ago when fascist dictators were on the brink of plunging Europe into war. Today the war news is available around the clock on TV screens, in print, and on the internet. Back then the best source of news was an intrepid band of young American newspaper correspondents whose exclusive dispatches brought home word of the coming cataclysm.
Their bylines are all but forgotten today, yet their journalism helped shape our understanding of the dangerous new world America was destined to lead. They brought a new psychological dimension to their profiles of world leaders and their interpretations of global events. And they were a frisky bunch—heavy drinkers, as adventurous sexually as they were in pursuing scoops.
