Close-up on War |
THE STORY OF PIONEERING PHOTOJOURNALIST
CATHERINE LEROY IN VIETNAM
CATHERINE LEROY IN VIETNAM
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"A riveting biography that puts an overlooked, award-winning female photojournalist into historical context."
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, Cath 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) |
"Smooth, engaging writing nimbly...putting readers directly in the action beside Leroy."
At 5 feet tall, 85 pounds, and 21 years old, Catherine Leroy wasn’t whom one expected to find wandering a battlefield. Yet, despite her petite size, Leroy displayed extraordinary drive and talent in the field of photojournalism, where she learned her way around a camera on site in Vietnam, earning many prestigious awards for her compassionate and humanizing coverage of this war.
Because Leroy, who was French, worked primarily with U.S. magazines and news outlets, this book reflects an American perspective of the Vietnam War. Farrell blends Leroy’s experiences and achievements in Vietnam with historic details, information on combat action and shifting attitudes toward this war, and fascinating insights into the world of freelance news photography.
Quotes, letters, and photos by Leroy appear in each short chapter, bringing her feisty personality to life as well as describing the troubles she faced as one of the only women photojournalists working at that time. 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.
Later chapters, an epilogue, and an author’s note discuss the photographer's life and career after the Vietnam War and her general obscurity today as a result of her gender.
Source notes, image credits, and a bibliography speak to Farrell’s diligent research into this inspiring but under-recognized woman’s life.
Because Leroy, who was French, worked primarily with U.S. magazines and news outlets, this book reflects an American perspective of the Vietnam War. Farrell blends Leroy’s experiences and achievements in Vietnam with historic details, information on combat action and shifting attitudes toward this war, and fascinating insights into the world of freelance news photography.
Quotes, letters, and photos by Leroy appear in each short chapter, bringing her feisty personality to life as well as describing the troubles she faced as one of the only women photojournalists working at that time. 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.
Later chapters, an epilogue, and an author’s note discuss the photographer's life and career after the Vietnam War and her general obscurity today as a result of her gender.
Source notes, image credits, and a bibliography speak to Farrell’s diligent research into this inspiring but under-recognized woman’s life.
Book Description
Based on Catherine’s personal letters from Vietnam, and including her most powerful photos, this biography is a gripping look at the Vietnam War through the eyes of an extraordinary woman whose legacy of compassion endures today.
“I met Cathy Leroy when I was a young war photographer in Vietnam, and she was already famous for her pictures in Life magazine. I was very impressed that she was as brave and as professional as my male photographer colleagues.
In later years Cathy and I became friends in Los Angeles where she had moved, and I was with the Associated Press bureau there. We both covered the 1992 Los Angeles racial riots where I saw again how daring and talented Cathy was in such a dangerous crisis."
~Huỳnh Công Út, known professionally as Nick Ut, a Vietnamese American photographer for the Associated Press (AP), winner of both the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and the 1973 World Press Photo of the Year for "The Terror of War", depicting children in flight from a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War
Order your copy now!
“I met Cathy Leroy when I was a young war photographer in Vietnam, and she was already famous for her pictures in Life magazine. I was very impressed that she was as brave and as professional as my male photographer colleagues.
In later years Cathy and I became friends in Los Angeles where she had moved, and I was with the Associated Press bureau there. We both covered the 1992 Los Angeles racial riots where I saw again how daring and talented Cathy was in such a dangerous crisis."
~Huỳnh Công Út, known professionally as Nick Ut, a Vietnamese American photographer for the Associated Press (AP), winner of both the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and the 1973 World Press Photo of the Year for "The Terror of War", depicting children in flight from a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War
Order your copy now!
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