Here Is Your War
Pyle's first collection — the green American army learning war in the North African desert.
The Verdict
America's introduction to its own soldiers at war, written by the correspondent they trusted most. Ernie Pyle followed the green US army into the North African desert in 1942-43 and reported it not from headquarters but from the foxholes, in plain, humane prose about the ordinary GI's cold, fear, boredom, and courage. This first collection made him the most beloved war journalist of his generation. It is history caught while the dust still hung in the air, and a model of writing about war from the bottom up.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- The North African campaign from the GI's level
- Readers who want the soldier, not the strategy
- The most trusted reporting of the war
- Plain, humane wartime journalism
Look elsewhere if you want
- Strategic or command history
- Readers wanting retrospective analysis
- A single continuous narrative
Why We Rated It 4.5
Historical Context
Here Is Your War collects Ernie Pyle's dispatches from the North African campaign of 1942-43, focusing on the experiences of ordinary American soldiers. Published in 1943 while the war continued, it helped make Pyle the most widely read American war correspondent; he was killed by Japanese fire in the Pacific in 1945.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Collector's Corner
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0803287778
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
More by Ernie Pyle
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was Ernie Pyle?
- The most beloved American war correspondent of WWII, known for reporting from the soldier's level; he was killed in action in the Pacific in 1945.
- What does Here Is Your War cover?
- The North African campaign of 1942-43, told through the daily experience of ordinary American troops.