This was a fascinating history of one woman's story during the Vietnam War. The grit that all woman needed at this time was impressive, but to learn what Dickey Chapelle was able to accomplish and exceed at was thrilling.

Books of this genre are hit or miss for me. This one grabbed me from the start.

What a flipping fascinating life this woman led! This is one book I will hang on to and speak about from now on. This is the history I love to read (listen) about.

“Where do you want to go?”
“As far as you will let me.”

Incredible account of the life of Dickey Chapelle, female war photojournalist, who covered military operations from WW2 through Vietnam. I was quite literally OVERWHELMED by her accomplishments and still haven’t fully absorbed the extent of her legacy. She brought the human story to her work, her lens captured the deeper emotion, the humanity in war. She was extremely brave, and passionate, learned to be a soldier while covering her stories, and won over the respect of everyone she worked with, especially the marines. Dickey Chapelle was driven by patriotism and love of freedom and always wanted to go “as far as you’ll let me”, all the way to the front. That attitude took her from the jungles of Panama, to a medical warship in the Pacific fleet to the grounds of Iwo Jima to post WW2 impacted lands like Poland, France, Italy, and Germany to Cold War revolution in Hungary, to solitary confinement in the worst Hungarian prison, to the Middle East and India, to Cuba and the guerillas in the Castro revolution, to paratrooping and helicopter missions in Laos and finally in Vietnam. And I’m sure I missed a lot.

Her experiences were intense. She portrayed the challenges of PTSD. She could see the importance of relationships and understanding the human condition of civilians. She had a front row seat to the way militia changed in the atomic age. She was often hit by the realization that the ammunition used to kill innocents was provided by the USA, and often the root of much ill feeling toward the US abroad.

She was especially honored to walk side by side with the marines. The marines taught her self-worth and value, they recognized her as one of their own. Her relationship with the marines was so meaningful to her that she said “When I die I want to be on patrol with the marines.”

There were many memorable scenes shared but the ones that stood out for me were her gift of the dagger from the dying marine, her time in solitary confinement, the memories tied to her pearl earrings, and the way different military groups shared their insignias with her. She wore the earrings and various insignias with pride.

I have to say the book was a bit long and very detailed, enough so that I might rated rated a 3, but because of the incredible story, it was easy to bump up. Great audiobook narration!!

You will read this and walk away with profound admiration for this incredible woman.

“I side with prisoners against guards, enlisted men against officers, weakness against power.”

“To Dickey Chapelle. A girl guerrilla, girl counter guerilla, and a damn fine soldier in the good fight.”

This was a wonderful narration of a very interesting and captivating biography of a woman I had never heard of.
This story needs to be told to everyone but especially to young women.

First to the Front
by Lorissa Rinehart
This is an excellent, very well written biography of an amazing photo-journalist of the 20th century. I was amazed and sorry that I did not already know about this hard working, intrepid woman. This is a very good and important book that everyone should read.
Narration was also very well done.

The lost story of Dickey Chapelle tells one of strength and perseverance, and she strove to move her dream on the front lines, documenting the world and news as it happened.

This fascinating biography tells how Chapelle, the trailblazing, female war correspondent fights against the odds and sexism do a job that’s good, and in most cases better than any man.

The story of her life is this epic is the combat. She documented from covert expeditions to fighting military authority and making a place for her with foreign revolutionaries, she doesn’t back down and she continued to strive to find the truth, until she eventually dies as the first American woman killed in combat while on assignment in Vietnam with the Marines.

Dickie Chappelle’s career is aspirational and incredibly motivating, but her personal life struggles also struck home, and showed the vulnerable side of her. As a survivor of domestic abuse, her tale is one of strength and resilience. Author Rinehart manages to show a great amount of balance between all the aspects of Dickey’s life, while still highlighting her strengths and emphasizing her accomplishments.

I don’t always read nonfiction, but when I do, I’m always looking for fascinating and or inspiring females that I’ve made a dent in history. Dickie Chappelle definitely fits that bill and is a name that needs to be known!

I found Dickie to be an incredibly fascinating and inspiring character.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook narrated by Kate Handford, and found her narration well-suited to this biography. Hanford’s no nonsense. Dictation unwraps Chappelle story with such ease that you were swept away in the storytelling. Great pacing and delineation between points and chapters, create an easy, listening experience and add to the quality of this publication.

First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent by Larissa Reinhart is available now.

Thanks to Saint Martin’s Press for my galley copy and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc.

Dickey Chapelle believed the best way to combat war, was to document it. A trailblazing female war photographer and photojournalist, Dickie Chapelle had front rows seats to the carnage of war from Vietnam to the Soviet Union and everything in between. Despite feeling trapped in an abusive relationship that she admits she stayed in too long, the strength shown on the front lines is inspiring.

Weaved within the biography of Dickey Chapelle is a wealth of history that kept me turning page after page. Lorissa Rinehart did a great job at balancing the facts while still leaving the heart of the woman she was writing about.

Dickey Chapelle's story will invigorate every reader to go after their dreams.

Thank you for the ALC!

Wow! What an amazing story and amazing woman!!! I have read oodles and oodles of both non-fiction and historical fiction war books, but somehow I had never heard of Dickey Chapelle. I’m so glad someone finally told her story. I did a Google search and did a little further reading. Her name was actually Georgette Louise Meyer and she changed her name to Dickey after her divorce. I was curious why she did that but I didn’t find any information. Maybe it was easier for her to get jobs and to get clearance for various war zones if her name led people to believe she was male on paper? She was brilliant a woman and she came so far for a woman in those times. She was already attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when she was sixteen and studying aeronautical design. That would be an incredible feat for a man but it’s even more amazing for a woman in the early 1930’s. A lot of colleges didn’t allow woman to take classes, unless they were becoming nurses or teachers. The book goes into some detail of her marriage and the sexism she encountered with her husband, who never viewed her as an equal. But I’m not sure her husband was any different from most husbands of that time. He believed in the concept that women belonged in the kitchen, but unfortunately so did most of society. Dickey was obviously an extremely driven, intelligent and brave woman to have forged ahead and became so successful during times when it was a man’s world. A big Thank You to Lorissa Rinehart for a beautifully written story about an amazing woman!

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Lorissa wrote such a beautiful biography of Dickey Chapelle. It read like a novel, and you leave it feeling as though you met Dickey herself. She was a strong woman who paved the way for women in journalism. I would highly recommend.

First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey, Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent by Lorissa Rinehart is a biography of female photojournalist Georgette “Dickey” Chapelle, who covered multiple conflicts including WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She was a tenacious journalist who put herself right into the middle of war and was the first female journalist to parachute with American troops and also the first killed covering combat.

I tend to enjoy memoirs/ biographies and also have an interest in strong women and military history, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I listened to the audiobook. The quality of the audiobook recording is excellent. The narrator was easy to understand and emoted skillfully. The story was interesting (and stressful at times) but some of the stories felt a bit too lengthy. If this topic interests you, I highly recommend reading or listening to the book. I had never heard of Dickey prior to finding this book but she should be a household name!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and author for granting me an ARC. This book is expected to come out in July 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me a first listen to an ARC of this wonderful book.

First to the Front is a terrific book read by a terrific narrator, Kate Handford. I listen to the audio versions of many books and the quality of the chosen narrator is far more important than most people realize. One isn't just hearing the book instead of reading it, the 'reader/listener" is getting a performance. Some narrators go way overboard, in my opinion, and can make the listening an unpleasant experience. Kate Handford is not one of those. Her voice is clear, articulated, and strong. She gives enough emphasis at dramatic moments for the reader to note the drama. Listening to her read the story of Dickie Chapelle was so enjoyable. It's a 15 hr plus book and I didn't want it to end.

The notes of the book say that this is the first authorized biography of Dickie Chapelle, a war correspondent working from WWII to the early years of the Vietnam war. The title of the book is perfect. She endeared herself to all branches of the military, but primarily the marines, asked for no special treatment, did what the men did and managed to get to the front of many battles. She earned the men's respect and admiration. When she died, she was given a full military burial.

She wasn't just a great photographer and journalist, she had strong opinions about war, about the strong trodding on the weak, and Lorissa Rinehart, the author, wasn't shy about reporting the horrible acts that the United States participated in in order to prove her might. Many of us were young when Kennedy was assasinated and have held him in great regard. Slowly more information is coming out about him that wouldn't have gotten by social media these days. I have always known I'm a bit naive but hearing Chapelle witness and comment on stifling the press, disregarding advice of men whose boots were there in combat, was revealing and sorrowful.

Rinehart doesn't go in for emotional ups and downs. She is a journalist and reporter and we get Chapelle's life laid out as it happened. And what a life! What a woman! What a pioneer! I hope writers, women, war correspondents all read her story and learn from her bravery.

I am sure this is a book I will read/listen to again. Thank you Lorissa Rinehart.

I really enjoyed this ALC. I hadn't heard of Dickie Chapelle before listening to this book, but I'm glad to know her name now. She went to places nobody was brave enough to go and reported on people nobody seemed to care about. Dickie broke barriers and stood up to the men who attempted to halt her progress. She was truly exceptional.

It's sad and disappointing that much of her work has been lost to time (and government bureaucracy). However, if you do an internet search, some of her images are available to view.

The narration of the book was also good. The right amount of intonation and tone to capture Dickie dry and sarcastic sense of humour and the plight of people Dickie reported on.

My only critique is that I didn't care for the relationship drama between Dickie and her long time partner. I would have preferred those sections to be shorter in order to get back to the good stuff.

#dickeychapelle - one of the very #firstfemalewarcorrespondents to be allowed #attheFront with soldiers, usually #themarines in hotspots during world war 2 and then VietNam. She also traveled the world as a photo journalist and reported on the Cold War, and was once even imprisoned in a communist prison for a while. She earned her place by the Marines by being tough, living and working as they did, and never complaining. This story is so riveting, and I’m disappointed that I couldn’t have made this on Memorial Day, because Dickey Chappelle was always on the side of the soldier, reporting on their needs at the front as well as on the war(s) itself.
She had an amazing life - jumping out with the airborne units - flying in the choppers in Nam - she really impressed the top brass of the military and that was NOT an easy thing to do especially during the times of the 40’s - 70’s!!! She also wrote an autobiography that now I’m interested in reading as well. Great job on this audio and the story is very well told by the author #Lorissareinhart and narrated wonderfully by #katehandford !
Many thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for providing this audio for review. What a patriotic story to listen to right around Memorial Day! #firsttothefront

I'm sure very, very few people have heard of Dickey Chapelle. I know I haven't. She was born at a rough time for women trying to make a way in typically male professions. She was an artist, had an interest in airplanes, and was an amazing war correspondent. This book was a wonderful compilation of the stories of her life. That's about all there is to say. Get your copy and read or listen to it!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

FIRST TO THE FRONT:
The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent Lorissa Rinehart

Liquor drew a curtain over thoughts of the dawn

Her words were as vibrant as her photos. GEORGETTE "Dickey" Louise Meyer Chapelle has been dead as long as I have been alive. I knew nothing about Dickey Chapelle before listening to this audiobook and now I have a new champion. Her adventures surpass any Hollywood version of war correspondents. I can’t believe how she isn’t a household name and had to ask myself why and realized it was because she was a woman. A white man doing the same work would have been heralded as a national hero. She gained the respect of the men in many war zones because she would not accept special treatment. No matter what she faced she did so with an honest unbiased eye, which is very likely another reason her story is not widely known; she did not fear speaking out against any U.S. wrongdoing (even though she was proudly American). There is so much here I want to talk about but don’t want to give spoilers because this book is a gift I want you to unwrap. The narrator, Kate Handford was an excellent choice, she has a pleasant even tone which definitely helps during some of the more graphic and painful passages. I can hardly wrap my head around some of the places and situations Dickey found herself in whether WWII, Hungary, Laos, Cuba - all absolutely incredible. I have such great respect for her. Rest in power Dickey and let me say thank you for living your life so fully and unapologetically it is inspiring. Lorissa Rinehart this story will stay with me for the rest of my life. I thank the publishers, Lorissa and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this fantastic story.
5 out of 5 stars!