Close-Up on War: The Story of Pioneering Photojournalist Catherine Leroy in Vietnam

by Mary Cronk Farrell, Nick Ut (Preface by), Peter Arnett (Foreword by)

Overview

The incredible story of Catherine Leroy, one of the few woman photographers during the Vietnam War, told by an award-winning journalist and children’s author

From award-winning journalist and children’s book author Mary Cronk Farrell comes the inspiring and fascinating story of the woman who gave a human face to the Vietnam War. Close-Up on War tells the story of French-born Catherine Leroy, one of the war’s few woman photographers, who documented some of the fiercest fighting in the 20-year conflict. Although she had no formal photographic training and had never traveled more than a few hundred miles from Paris before, Leroy left home at age 21 to travel to Vietnam and document the faces of war. Despite being told that women didn't belong in a “man’s world,” she was cool under fire, gravitated toward the thickest battles, went along on the soldiers’ slogs through the heat and mud of the jungle, crawled through rice paddies, and became the only official photojournalist to parachute into combat with American soldiers. Leroy took striking photos that gave America no choice but to look at the realities of war—showing what it did to people on both sides—from wounded soldiers to civilian casualties.

Later, Leroy was gravely wounded from shrapnel, but that didn’t keep her down more than a month. When captured by the North Vietnamese in 1968, she talked herself free after photographing her captors, scoring a cover story in Life magazine. A recipient of the George Polk Award, one of the most prestigious awards in journalism, Leroy was one of the most well-known photographers in the world during her time, and her legacy of bravery and compassion endures today.

Farrell interviewed people who knew Leroy, as well as military personnel and other journalists who covered the war. In addition to a preface by Pulitzer Prize-winning Vietnam War photographer Nick Ut and a foreword by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Peter Arnett, the book includes an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, timeline, and index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419746611
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	03/22/2022
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	464,203
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Mary Cronk Farrell writes about women whose courage and strength have helped shape our history, including the book Fannie Never Flinched: One Woman’s Courage in the Struggle for American Labor Union (three starred reviews, Amelia Bloomer Project). Among her honors are the Western Writers SPUR Award for Best Juvenile Fiction, Washington State Book Award Finalist, Notable Social Studies Books for Young People and NY Public Library Best Books for Teens. She lives in Washington State.

Table of Contents

Map viii

Foreword Peter Arnett xii

Chapter 1 A Man's War 1

Chapter 2 On the Ground in Vietnam 11

Chapter 3 Worlds Collide in Saigon 25

Chapter 4 Born to the Sound of Bombs 35

Chapter 5 Nowhere Near As Much Fun As You'd Think 43

Chapter 6 They Did Not Accept Me 55

Chapter 7 Itching for Action 63

Chapter 8 Is This Why They Call It Olive Drab? 75

Chapter 9 Proving Myself Under Fire 83

Chapter 10 Not Very Pretty 93

Chapter 11 Like You've Never Felt Alive Before 107

Chapter 12 Jumping for Joy 117

Chapter 13 A Door Opens to the Sky 129

Chapter 14 Everything Rotted 139

Chapter 15 A Big, Professional Success in Every Way 149

Chapter 16 Rumors and Gossip 159

Chapter 17 Battle for Hill 881 171

Chapter 18 Front-Page Pictures 181

Chapter 19 Côn Tiên, Hill of Angels 193

Chapter 20 Thirty-Five Pieces of Shrapnel 201

Chapter 21 A Bombshell for Têt 213

Chapter 22 The Enemy Has a Face 221

Chapter 23 Return to Huê 235

Chapter 24 Photos "First Class" 247

Chapter 25 The Biggest High of All 259

Epilogue 266

Author's Note 271

How a Camera Worked in the 1960s 274

Glossary 278

Timeline 284

Notes 286

Selected Bibliography 296

Acknowledgments 299

Image Credits 301

Index 302

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/13/2022

Cronk Farrell’s well-contextualized, quick-moving biography focuses on the innovative career of French photojournalist Catherine Leroy (1944–2006). When determined Leroy flew to Vietnam in 1966 at age 21, she barely knew how to use her new camera, but her work would only two years later win major awards and front-page coverage. Each chapter begins with a letter from Leroy to her parents back home, offering an intimate glimpse of the photographer’s personal observations and needs amid discussions of the war and of Leroy’s actions in Vietnam, which include proving herself again and again to male colleagues and the U.S. military, and risking injury while documenting air strikes. Includes a comprehensive author’s note, information on how cameras worked in the 1960s, a glossary, and a timeline. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Background on the course of the war during Leroy’s three years there is provided, and the inclusion of a raft of Leroy’s photographs ably convey information beyond history texts."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Leroy is not as well-known as her male counterparts in Vietnam, but Farrell's gripping biography has the potential to put a significant dent in that discrepancy. She brings her audience face-to-face with the determination, compassion and fortitude of this groundbreaking woman. Readers who meet Leroy through Close-Up on War will not forget her."

Shelf-awareness

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Smooth, engaging writing nimbly avoids the doldrums of stats-saturated reportage, taking a human-interest approach to the war and putting readers directly in the action beside Leroy. . .Source notes, image credits, and a bibliography speak to Farrell’s diligent research into this inspiring but under-recognized woman’s life."

Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This excellently written account will leave readers marveling at Leroy’s determination, bravery, and disregard for her own safety as she documented what was happening in Vietnam. A riveting biography that puts an overlooked, award-winning female photojournalist into historical context." —Kirkus Review

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Smooth, engaging writing nimbly avoids the doldrums of stats-saturated reportage, taking a human-interest approach to the war and putting readers directly in the action beside Leroy. . .Source notes, image credits, and a bibliography speak to Farrell’s diligent research into this inspiring but under-recognized woman’s life." —Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"This is really three books in one—it tells of the work of Leroy, describes the daily workings of war correspondents of that era, and gives a glimpse into life during the Vietnam War—excelling at each. History buffs looking for a personal account of the war will enjoy this book." —School Library Journal

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Well-contextualized. . .Offering an intimate glimpse of the photographer’s personal observations and needs amid discussions of the war and of Leroy’s actions in Vietnam." —Publishers Weekly

"Background on the course of the war during Leroy’s three years there is provided, and the inclusion of a raft of Leroy’s photographs ably convey information beyond history texts." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Leroy is not as well-known as her male counterparts in Vietnam, but Farrell's gripping biography has the potential to put a significant dent in that discrepancy. She brings her audience face-to-face with the determination, compassion and fortitude of this groundbreaking woman. Readers who meet Leroy through Close-Up on War will not forget her."—Shelf-awareness

From the Publisher

★ 06/01/2022

Gr 7–10—Short in stature but a giant of determination, Catherine Leroy left France in 1966 to photograph the rising conflict in Vietnam. Though she had no journalism experience and had never even handled a camera, Leroy had an innate sense of the news and the confidence to ignore and overpower the sexism she confronted as the only female photojournalist. At 21, she traveled on helicopters with the troops, moved through jungles, went weeks without a shower, and gained the respect of the infantrymen. Farrell begins each chapter with portions of Leroy's letters to her mother. These small peeks into her life are often in stark contrast with her deadly profession; she asks her mother to send clothes, money, and tampons. While telling Leroy's story, Farrell also gives a compelling history into Vietnam and the events that led to the conflict. Life in Vietnam during the war is told in vivid detail, as is the hardship endured by soldiers and peasants. The book concludes with an examination of 1960s cameras, a glossary, time line, notes, and bibliography. This is really three books in one—it tells of the work of Leroy, describes the daily workings of war correspondents of that era, and gives a glimpse into life during the Vietnam War—excelling at each. VERDICT History buffs looking for a personal account of the war will enjoy this book. Recommended for schools and public libraries.—Cathy DeCampli

School Library Journal

★ 2021-11-30
The story of a young Parisian woman who overcame gender barriers to take groundbreaking battlefront photographs during the Vietnam War.

Following the advice of famous combat photographer Robert Capa, Catherine Leroy was determined to get close to the action in Vietnam after being inspired by photos in French newspapers. In February 1966, at the age of 21, she arrived in Saigon as a freelancer, forging ahead despite her lack of experience. As she proved herself, Leroy was able to travel with and document troops as they moved through the harsh jungle conditions, staying alert for mines and booby traps. She received exclusive access to the first paratroop mission in Vietnam, parachuting with the troops and taking pictures all the way down. Her intimate photographs resonated around the world as they showed the vulnerability and sacrifice of young soldiers as well as the suffering of Vietnamese civilians. Farrell offers an insightful, well-researched, and detailed account of Leroy’s achievements as well as an overview of the history of Vietnam, the impact of the military conflict on Vietnamese people, and Americans’ changing perceptions of the war. Leroy’s letters and vivid examples of her photography enrich the work. This excellently written account will leave readers marveling at Leroy’s determination, bravery, and disregard for her own safety as she documented what was happening in Vietnam.

A riveting biography that puts an overlooked, award-winning female photojournalist into historical context. (map, epilogue, author’s note, camera information, glossary, timeline, endnotes, bibliography, image credits, index) (Biography. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews