Louis L. Snyder (1907–1993)

It took me several years to gradually go through the stupendous anthology of great journalism. Included here are 130 examples of great journalism covering important moments and memorable events in (for the most part) Western history, beginning with a 16th century account of the "confessions" of a witch, from a newsletter published in Vienna and ending with the trial in Israel of Adolph Eichmann. The Battle of Lexington, the storming of the Bastille, the horrors of slavery, the corruption of Boss Tweed, the massacre at Port Arthur, and scenes from wars all over the world, writing by Hugo, Twain and Dickens, the Dreyfus trial, the Turkish massacres in Armenia, bloodshed in Little Rock and the first American manned space flight are all represented. Given that the volume was originally published in 1949 (my copy is from a "revised and enlarged" 2nd edition published in 1962), it's no surprise that World War Two is heavily represented. This is simply a fascinating compendium of first-hand accounts of historical events and conditions over several centuries of American and European history.… (mer)

Louis Snyder's recapitulation of the six years of World War II is admirably clear and exceptionally concise. The aftermath of World War I and formation of the Axis form a prelude to Hitler's conquest of Europe and the Battle of Britain. The salient points of war in the Pacific are reported journalistically. A pithy precis which extracts the military significance and strategy of the fall of France, the bombing of London, the Russian and African campaigns, the U-boat war and Allied victory. Contemporary history set in the frame of reference is a vital need today.… (mer)