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The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War
This true story captures the exciting and perilous life of a young journalist in Vietnam. In the early 1960s, Jerry Rose interviews Vietnamese villagers in a countryside riddled by a war of terror and embeds himself with soldiers on the ground--the start of a dramatic and dangerous career. Through his stories and photographs, he exposes the secret beginnings of America's Vietnam War at a time when most Americans have not yet heard of Vietnam.
Now, more than a half century later, his sister Lucy Rose Fischer, has drawn on her late brother's journals, letters and other writings to draft his gripping story.
Now, more than a half century later, his sister Lucy Rose Fischer, has drawn on her late brother's journals, letters and other writings to draft his gripping story.
- GenresNonfiction
332 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 15, 2020
The Journalist: Life Lost in America's Secret War is a memoir about the life of Jerry A. Rose. With the help of his sister, Lucy, Jerry's story is shared with the world decades after his death. I found this book most intriguing because it allows readers to take a glimpse of what occurred in the 1960s during Vietnam. Through Jerry's lenses, readers are introduced to what few Americans knew was occurring across the world. Jerry's passion to write took him from North America to Asia.
I enjoyed the reading The Journalist: Life Lost in America's Secret War for so many reasons. His writing is almost poetic as he explains his travels around Asia while pursuing his dream and passion to be a writer. Jerry's passion for writing and for exposing what was happening in Vietnam is felt through every word and every page. At times, I felt like I was reading the diary of a good friend, who wanted to keep me abreast of what was happening in his life.
As I read the book, I always felt sorry for his wife, Kay. I can only imagine how heavy her heart was each and every time that he left to "chase a new story." However, I loved how she supported his dream to write and "get in the trenches." When Jerry wrote, " For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a helpmate, which is amazing and liberating." I felt this quote. Also, I knew that their love was true.
When I read that he was going to accept a teaching position in Vietnam, I knew that this story would keep me engaged. I was not disappointed. This memoir provided an intriguing view of Vietnam and the Vietnam War. I've heard stories from my parents, but reading about it from a journalist's perspective left me desiring to know more.
The month of November is perfect for reading this book. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War (November 1, 1955). Also, Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11, 2020.
I am so glad that Lucy shared her brother's memoir with the world. The Journalist: Life Lost in America's Secret War is truly a great read, and I highly recommend it. Below, I share more information about the book, and I include a question and answer session with Lucy, Jerry's sister.
I enjoyed the reading The Journalist: Life Lost in America's Secret War for so many reasons. His writing is almost poetic as he explains his travels around Asia while pursuing his dream and passion to be a writer. Jerry's passion for writing and for exposing what was happening in Vietnam is felt through every word and every page. At times, I felt like I was reading the diary of a good friend, who wanted to keep me abreast of what was happening in his life.
As I read the book, I always felt sorry for his wife, Kay. I can only imagine how heavy her heart was each and every time that he left to "chase a new story." However, I loved how she supported his dream to write and "get in the trenches." When Jerry wrote, " For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a helpmate, which is amazing and liberating." I felt this quote. Also, I knew that their love was true.
When I read that he was going to accept a teaching position in Vietnam, I knew that this story would keep me engaged. I was not disappointed. This memoir provided an intriguing view of Vietnam and the Vietnam War. I've heard stories from my parents, but reading about it from a journalist's perspective left me desiring to know more.
The month of November is perfect for reading this book. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War (November 1, 1955). Also, Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11, 2020.
I am so glad that Lucy shared her brother's memoir with the world. The Journalist: Life Lost in America's Secret War is truly a great read, and I highly recommend it. Below, I share more information about the book, and I include a question and answer session with Lucy, Jerry's sister.
October 10, 2021
One just never knows what a Book Bub $1.99 special will offer. In this case, a pretty darn good read! The early years of America's involvement in Vietnam, 1959-1965, seen through the eyes of a young American who, when offered a teaching position in Hue, decided on a life of teaching, leading to journalism and finally government service and eventually his death in an airplane crash. I say "seen through the eyes of" but actually this book, a series of short chapter vignettes, was pieced together long after his death by his sister, who had all his notes, drafts, articles, recordings, etc. They provide a compelling and insightful account of that nation's grappling with its identity, its present and its future. Quite poorly, as it turns out and as history has shown. Mind you, the book was written with a lot of hindsight long after the war ended, so perhaps Jerry Rose wasn't quite as perceptive in the early 1960s as it is written. But maybe he was. In any case, this easy read will help round out your study of Vietnam, which usually (but not in this case) is focused on the military build-up and war of attrition, shame and frustration. Reading this, you can see it all coming. I quite liked this book and offer a hearty thanks to Lucy Rose Fischer for putting it all together in such a fascinating and readable form.
November 28, 2020
The Journalist enchanted me from page 1 with present-tense immediacy, first-person authenticity, vivid action, and high-stakes scenes. Jerry Rose, a budding American writer and artist, goes to Vietnam to teach English in 1959 and stays to work as a journalist covering the earliest days of US military involvement there.
Jerry comes across as amiable and admirable, someone I wish I had known as a colleague and friend. He is high-minded and thoughtful and committed to a vision of the future of Vietnam he absorbed from close Vietnamese friends—yet also prescient about the dangers of a US build-up of troops in Vietnam just as American involvement there was starting to expand. He recognizes and predicts the pitfalls our US military and political leadership failed to see—despite the prominence of his articles in Time, the Saturday Evening Post, and elsewhere. He takes risks to get on-the-ground reporting in remote places, so committed that he missed the births of both his children in Hong Kong, and even briefly joins the Saigon government as an adviser, hoping to be part of the solution. A plane crash in 1965 cut short his life and robbed his family and the world of a brilliant mind.
As a writer, I am in awe of how Jerry Rose's strong, lilting prose comes through—decades after his death—mixed seamlessly with that of his sister, who resurrected his story from journals and letters and articles he wrote. Melding the two voices and selecting the details most relevant to readers today in a way that makes sense to us in 2020 is extremely hard to do, and Lucy Rose Fischer has achieved it. A masterpiece!
Jerry comes across as amiable and admirable, someone I wish I had known as a colleague and friend. He is high-minded and thoughtful and committed to a vision of the future of Vietnam he absorbed from close Vietnamese friends—yet also prescient about the dangers of a US build-up of troops in Vietnam just as American involvement there was starting to expand. He recognizes and predicts the pitfalls our US military and political leadership failed to see—despite the prominence of his articles in Time, the Saturday Evening Post, and elsewhere. He takes risks to get on-the-ground reporting in remote places, so committed that he missed the births of both his children in Hong Kong, and even briefly joins the Saigon government as an adviser, hoping to be part of the solution. A plane crash in 1965 cut short his life and robbed his family and the world of a brilliant mind.
As a writer, I am in awe of how Jerry Rose's strong, lilting prose comes through—decades after his death—mixed seamlessly with that of his sister, who resurrected his story from journals and letters and articles he wrote. Melding the two voices and selecting the details most relevant to readers today in a way that makes sense to us in 2020 is extremely hard to do, and Lucy Rose Fischer has achieved it. A masterpiece!
April 24, 2021
See my review at https://www.latelastnightbooks.com/20....
August 12, 2020
The Journalist provides a fascinating glimpse into the early unrest in Vietnam and America’s heavy-handed part in provoking the resulting war. Told through short vignettes, much like journal entries, we see this all play out through the eyes of Jerry Rose, a journalist living in Vietnam during this chaotic period.
While I found much of the content interesting, I struggled with aspects of the book. At times it reads much like the cobbled together book it is, in which pieces of Rose’s notes, letters, and research were strung together decades after his death. The writing has a stilted feel, lacking the emotional connection Jerry Rose could himself have provided, and much of the dialogue is a fictionalized version of what might have been said during events when no one was recording or taking exact notes.
Also, the focus is a much wider scope than the Vietnam war. We spend a lot of time on Rose’s personal life, his familial relationships, friendships, eventual marriage, and parenthood. We see his career struggle and the toll his lust for journalism, particularly regarding Vietnam, took on his marriage. Rose spent time chasing stories throughout Asia, taking him away from Vietnam at a time when the burgeoning war wasn’t as interesting as it would later become to the magazines and newspapers for which he wrote. All this gives the book the feel of a young man’s memoir, rather than a story specifically about Vietnam.
Rose was an accomplished photographer as well as a writer, and some of his photos are included in this book. These lent a stronger connection to the vignettes, offering us a view from Rose’s eyes. I wish more of his photos had been included.
Overall, The Journalist is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the pre-war Vietnam culture, early journalism, and/or Jerry Rose.
*I received a review copy.*
While I found much of the content interesting, I struggled with aspects of the book. At times it reads much like the cobbled together book it is, in which pieces of Rose’s notes, letters, and research were strung together decades after his death. The writing has a stilted feel, lacking the emotional connection Jerry Rose could himself have provided, and much of the dialogue is a fictionalized version of what might have been said during events when no one was recording or taking exact notes.
Also, the focus is a much wider scope than the Vietnam war. We spend a lot of time on Rose’s personal life, his familial relationships, friendships, eventual marriage, and parenthood. We see his career struggle and the toll his lust for journalism, particularly regarding Vietnam, took on his marriage. Rose spent time chasing stories throughout Asia, taking him away from Vietnam at a time when the burgeoning war wasn’t as interesting as it would later become to the magazines and newspapers for which he wrote. All this gives the book the feel of a young man’s memoir, rather than a story specifically about Vietnam.
Rose was an accomplished photographer as well as a writer, and some of his photos are included in this book. These lent a stronger connection to the vignettes, offering us a view from Rose’s eyes. I wish more of his photos had been included.
Overall, The Journalist is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the pre-war Vietnam culture, early journalism, and/or Jerry Rose.
*I received a review copy.*
August 12, 2020
The Journalist Shares a Vivid, First Hand Account of the Vietnam War. As Lucy Rose Fischer shares her brother's story--readers are treated to hearing his personal perspectives via his journals and memoirs and historical publications and memories of the times. The journalist's views bring light to the war's human experiences that differ from most accounts I have read. As a memoir fan and a history lover--reading the authors' collaboration brought a very unique image to the early years of the Vietnam War. Lucy Rose Fischer does a beautiful job bringing her brother's stories to life in an order that is very engaging and educational to readers.
The Novel Shares a War Journalist's Life. We often forget the roles that journalists have played in sharing and exposing events and details of wars and conflicts around the world. This novel chronicles the passion and desire that drove Jerry A. Rose to investigate the Vietnam War. The personal insights into the journalist and his personal/professional life bring a unique perspective to the realities of war--and the often-overlooked casualties.
Would I Recommend The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War by Jerry A. Rose and Lucy Rose Fischer? I love memoirs--and, over the past year, I have read several books focused on accounts of the Vietnam War. I loved the way that Lucy Rose Fischer shared her brother's story and reflected on the life and loss of her brother and a reporter with an award-winning eye for stories. If you enjoy memoirs and have an interest in accounts of the Vietnam War--I think this book should undoubtedly be on your reading list.
I received a copy of this book from the author or publisher for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
The Novel Shares a War Journalist's Life. We often forget the roles that journalists have played in sharing and exposing events and details of wars and conflicts around the world. This novel chronicles the passion and desire that drove Jerry A. Rose to investigate the Vietnam War. The personal insights into the journalist and his personal/professional life bring a unique perspective to the realities of war--and the often-overlooked casualties.
Would I Recommend The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War by Jerry A. Rose and Lucy Rose Fischer? I love memoirs--and, over the past year, I have read several books focused on accounts of the Vietnam War. I loved the way that Lucy Rose Fischer shared her brother's story and reflected on the life and loss of her brother and a reporter with an award-winning eye for stories. If you enjoy memoirs and have an interest in accounts of the Vietnam War--I think this book should undoubtedly be on your reading list.
I received a copy of this book from the author or publisher for use in a blog review. All opinions are my own.
November 1, 2020
Fascinating account Fischer writes to honor her late brother through his work as a journalist and advisor during the early events of America's war in Vietnam. The fact that Fischer assembled the work from boxes of her brother's notes was stunning and gave the book so much more emotional context beyond her brother's foresight about the mistake America was making. She doesn't write much about her labor of love, just touches it during the Epilogue, but I could see her in my mind's eye as I read; Lucy opens a box and gently lifts aging pages of typed and hand written notes her brother left behind decades ago; Lucy at her keyboard late at night typing, glancing at the pages, getting lost for a moment in memories of her brother when she was little, then back to typing. The finished work, after 25 years, was gripping as Jerry Rose navigates trying to have a normal family life while simultaneously working through the perils of war that would eventually cost him his life. As for the content surrounding the Vietnam War, I didn't feel any new ground was covered but for those who aren't familiar with how it started The Journalist is a great introduction. For the rest of us, still plenty of quality reinforcement of what we know, which is the massive degree of political incompetence that led America into the war and continued it long after Jerry Rose had passed away. I'm glad I got to know him and his work, and see into Lucy's heart. Time well spent. For those who buy books, The Journalist should be on the list.
September 19, 2020
I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I started to read this book in the morning and couldn't put it down. I flew through the chapters to finish the book in one day. This is a compelling read.
My knowledge of the Vietnam war is steeped in what I learned during history class in school, Hollywood's version of the war, and in working with military reunion groups. While working in the hospitality industry I worked with hundreds of reunion planners and the veterans themselves from units who served together in various branches of the armed forces during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam reunions. In all those years I never once stopped to consider the civilian journalists and how they were impacted in various conflicts. Reading this book gave me a new perspective to consider.
I particularly appreciated the fact the material for this book came from the journals, articles, letters and writings of Jerry Rose. My jaw dropped when I realised that Jerry's sister, Lucy Rose, "collaborated" with her brother's work to compile this book 50 some years after her brother's death! Had I read the material on the book jacket instead of diving right into the book itself I would have known this impressive tale truly brings new weight to the term "ghostwriter."
Overall this is a strong body of work shining the spotlight on a man's career and his life as a journalist during a divisive and contoversial time.
My knowledge of the Vietnam war is steeped in what I learned during history class in school, Hollywood's version of the war, and in working with military reunion groups. While working in the hospitality industry I worked with hundreds of reunion planners and the veterans themselves from units who served together in various branches of the armed forces during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam reunions. In all those years I never once stopped to consider the civilian journalists and how they were impacted in various conflicts. Reading this book gave me a new perspective to consider.
I particularly appreciated the fact the material for this book came from the journals, articles, letters and writings of Jerry Rose. My jaw dropped when I realised that Jerry's sister, Lucy Rose, "collaborated" with her brother's work to compile this book 50 some years after her brother's death! Had I read the material on the book jacket instead of diving right into the book itself I would have known this impressive tale truly brings new weight to the term "ghostwriter."
Overall this is a strong body of work shining the spotlight on a man's career and his life as a journalist during a divisive and contoversial time.
August 17, 2020
Jerry Rose’s sister Lucy spent years going over Jerry’s notes, photos, articles, and journals to recreate his career path and life in Vietnam from 1959 - 1965. His story from this time is finally a book that shares his passion for his life and work in several Asian countries.
The beginning of the book has Jerry Rose deciding to move to Vietnam for just a couple years to teach English. It sounded like just a fun diversion at first—take a couple years to teach at the University of Huê, then return to finish his PhD program. What started as just a chance to take a break from the rigors of completing his formal education and focus on his writing and painting, became a trip that changed the rest of his life.
The stories from Jerry’s life from 1959-1965 were recreated from his sister’s research of his journals, notes and photographs, along with interviews with the people closest to him. The final product is a conversational and enjoyable retelling of events in Jerry’s life in Vietnam and the surrounding countries, as well as the impressions of Jerry and his friends regarding the constantly changing political culture in Vietnam in the early 1960s that most Americans were unaware of.
Overall, this was a great non-fiction book that read more as a novel than a biography. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for adults who enjoy history, non-fiction, memoirs, and politics.
http://booksithinkyoushouldread.blogs...
The beginning of the book has Jerry Rose deciding to move to Vietnam for just a couple years to teach English. It sounded like just a fun diversion at first—take a couple years to teach at the University of Huê, then return to finish his PhD program. What started as just a chance to take a break from the rigors of completing his formal education and focus on his writing and painting, became a trip that changed the rest of his life.
The stories from Jerry’s life from 1959-1965 were recreated from his sister’s research of his journals, notes and photographs, along with interviews with the people closest to him. The final product is a conversational and enjoyable retelling of events in Jerry’s life in Vietnam and the surrounding countries, as well as the impressions of Jerry and his friends regarding the constantly changing political culture in Vietnam in the early 1960s that most Americans were unaware of.
Overall, this was a great non-fiction book that read more as a novel than a biography. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for adults who enjoy history, non-fiction, memoirs, and politics.
http://booksithinkyoushouldread.blogs...
August 9, 2020
As a fan of historical reads and non fiction, I found this book really intriguing. Instantly, I was transported to Vietnam. I know a little about the Vietnam war and life but not a lot. Therefore, you can say that this book was an eye opener for me.
I like how Jerry adapted to the lifestyle and was supportive. Thus the reason that some many called him friend. This made it harder when Jerry's life was cut short due to an unfortunate accident.
When you think of journalist, you may not think they have a job that could be dangerous but if the journalist is a war correspondent. It can be dangerous. They actually go where the action is in order to report on the war. Which, makes me instantly think of Marie Colvin. Marie Colvin was showcased in the movie that I recently saw, A Private War.
I will admit that at times I did find the pacing to move slowly. Overall, though I did find this book to be an enjoyable read.
I like how Jerry adapted to the lifestyle and was supportive. Thus the reason that some many called him friend. This made it harder when Jerry's life was cut short due to an unfortunate accident.
When you think of journalist, you may not think they have a job that could be dangerous but if the journalist is a war correspondent. It can be dangerous. They actually go where the action is in order to report on the war. Which, makes me instantly think of Marie Colvin. Marie Colvin was showcased in the movie that I recently saw, A Private War.
I will admit that at times I did find the pacing to move slowly. Overall, though I did find this book to be an enjoyable read.
September 12, 2020
I would recommend this book to memoir lovers, history lovers and anyone who enjoys reading personal journals and notes from unique individuals who are experiencing history as it unfolds. This book caught me immediately because it was written as a memoir about a time in history I remembered well yet knew little about in how it evolved into tragic US involvement in the Vietnam War. Lucy Rose Fischer writes this account of her brother, journalist Jerry Rose's life in Vietnam in the early 1960s in a fast paced tale almost reminiscent to a documentary yet with underlying love and adoration of family. She has done a remarkable job of bringing her brother's story to life from his journals, notes and news reports and photographs of that time. Exceptional book.
September 22, 2021
💓😢😭
This book is so immersive. I felt like I have experienced everything. I can personally relate to the character. I felt whatever was described so deeply I had several emotional bouts. It was so great, I could not stop reading and finished reading from cover to cover in 3 days.
This book is so immersive. I felt like I have experienced everything. I can personally relate to the character. I felt whatever was described so deeply I had several emotional bouts. It was so great, I could not stop reading and finished reading from cover to cover in 3 days.
February 2, 2021
4.5/5
October 22, 2020
In the years before the Vietnam War began to heat up big time (1959-65), Rose was a correspondent for Time and the Saturday Evening Post magazines. He risked his neck by conducting interviews out in the jungle with Viet Cong knowing that just around the next corner he and his interpreter might find themselves decapitated. His longer articles appeared in SEP, shorter ones, much to his dismay after being heavily edited, in Time. Long after his death in a plane crash (“As we take our seats, I turn to Ung and remark, 'I hope the engine is in better condition than these cushions.'”) his sister cobbled together this fast-paced first-person narrative of her brother's news-reporting adventures based on his diaries, letters and papers. It includes love lives, his marriage, his fatherhood, Vietnamese friendships and career struggles. SEP issue of March 23, 1963, “I'm Hit! I'm Hit!” That appears to be the epitome of his reporting. I'll have to search it out.
August 16, 2020
The Tragedy of a Generation
This is just not another Vietnam War memior. Rose was not just a journalist, but a writer of immense talent. He wrote of the horrors of war not as facts, but from a deeper human perspective of the people who were there who dreamed of solutions. His sister captures the artist at war so beautifully. She also reminds us of the sacrifices the families went through while we sat in our homes watching and reading as the war mushroomed. When you finish, the terrible tragedy of Vietnam and the loss of so many talented lives leaves you in tears. This is a great tribute to a wonderful artist whose dreams were cut short while he struggled to let us know the people behind the struggles that became the tragedy of Vietnam.
This is just not another Vietnam War memior. Rose was not just a journalist, but a writer of immense talent. He wrote of the horrors of war not as facts, but from a deeper human perspective of the people who were there who dreamed of solutions. His sister captures the artist at war so beautifully. She also reminds us of the sacrifices the families went through while we sat in our homes watching and reading as the war mushroomed. When you finish, the terrible tragedy of Vietnam and the loss of so many talented lives leaves you in tears. This is a great tribute to a wonderful artist whose dreams were cut short while he struggled to let us know the people behind the struggles that became the tragedy of Vietnam.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews