<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Timely Read
Review: A well paced and interesting read. Conquerors Road is a gripping journey through events at the end of WW2. Importantly, many facets of war journalism are discussed, and this is extremely pertinent in the current political climate. To the younger reader such as myself it gives a great impression and sense of the time and events of WW2, and with this the reader can get a good perspective on the recent events in Iraq and especially issues around their reportage.I really liked the flow of the book, which is understated and progressive - it was difficult to put down. The events unfold naturally, and the distance between 1945 and the present is greatly reduced. There are some strong descriptions about conditions and the depravity which occured in the war, and these have a lasting impact. The book is an effective window to the past.
Rating: 
Summary: Courageous journalism
Review: Brilliant, courageous and accurate reporting from the front line has been one of the great international contributions of Australian and New Zealand journalism, especially during World War ll. Osmar White, who reported from both the Pacific and Europe, was among the finest of the Anzacs who achieved global recognition as war correspondents. "Conquerors' Road" -- a first-persona account of the US Third Army's push to Berlin -- shows why he had such a high reputation. He brought the skills of a novelist (which he later became, in tandem with his work as a journalist) to his depiction of the horror and folly of war, whether he was describing Buchenwald concentratin camp or Herman Goering's trove of looted treasures. White was too experienced and intelligent to believe that complete objectivity was possible in journalism, but his subjectivity never slipped into bombast or sentimentality. His precise, vivid writing always allows you to distinguish between fact and his opinion and emotions. Much of this book was virtually written on the run, yet it is an important contribution to the history of the 20th century.
Rating:
Summary: CONFRONTING QUESTIONS FOR THEN - AND NOW
Review: White's Conqueror's Road is particularly relevant now with the anniversary of the D Day landings bringing back to mind the allies' slog through Europe which White captures so well. He compels us to ask again why so many of those involved in the conflict behaved the way they did. More than that, he insinuates the question in our minds "have people changed, could these things happen again?" The book is timeless and disturbing; no wonder publication was refused for decades.
<< 1 >>
| 
