Looking for Trouble: 'One of the truly great war correspondents: magnificent.' (Antony Beevor)
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- Author：Virginia Cowles
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Summary
Paris as it fell to the Nazis
London on the first day of the Blitz
Berlin the day Germany invaded Poland
Madrid in the Spanish Civil War
Prague during the Munich crisis
Lapland as the Russians attacked
Moscow betrayed by the Germans
Virginia Cowles has seen it all。
As a pioneering female correspondent， she reported from the frontline of 1930s Europe into the Second World War， always in the right place at the right time。 Flinging off her heels under shellfire; meeting Hitler （'an inconspicuous little man'）; gossiping with Churchill by his goldfish pond; dancing in the bomb-blasted Ritz 。。。 Introduced by Christina Lamb， Cowles' incredible dispatches make you an eyewitness to the twentieth century as you have never experienced it before。
'An amazingly brilliant reporter 。。。 One of the most engrossing [books] the war has produced。' New York Times Book Review
What readers are saying:
The queen of historical name-dropping
Holy cow！ What a wonderful find！！
Most unexpectedly great book that I have read in years。 Reads like a novel [but] this is real life。
The best book I've read this year 。。。 Exquisitely written [day-to-day] drama of history 。。。 Breathtakingly fresh。
I can't recommend this book enough。 Cowles' voice and humanity are her greatest assets， but her willingness to be where the action was - and always find trouble - paid off。
A marvel。 Her ability to capture anecdotes and dialogue that offer surprising insights into historic personages and events is a frequent source of wonder。 It was difficult for me not to drive my family crazy wanting to read them quotes。
The intrepid Virginia Cowles was in the right places at the right times and connected to the right people。 What a life she led！
London on the first day of the Blitz
Berlin the day Germany invaded Poland
Madrid in the Spanish Civil War
Prague during the Munich crisis
Lapland as the Russians attacked
Moscow betrayed by the Germans
Virginia Cowles has seen it all。
As a pioneering female correspondent， she reported from the frontline of 1930s Europe into the Second World War， always in the right place at the right time。 Flinging off her heels under shellfire; meeting Hitler （'an inconspicuous little man'）; gossiping with Churchill by his goldfish pond; dancing in the bomb-blasted Ritz 。。。 Introduced by Christina Lamb， Cowles' incredible dispatches make you an eyewitness to the twentieth century as you have never experienced it before。
'An amazingly brilliant reporter 。。。 One of the most engrossing [books] the war has produced。' New York Times Book Review
What readers are saying:
The queen of historical name-dropping
Holy cow！ What a wonderful find！！
Most unexpectedly great book that I have read in years。 Reads like a novel [but] this is real life。
The best book I've read this year 。。。 Exquisitely written [day-to-day] drama of history 。。。 Breathtakingly fresh。
I can't recommend this book enough。 Cowles' voice and humanity are her greatest assets， but her willingness to be where the action was - and always find trouble - paid off。
A marvel。 Her ability to capture anecdotes and dialogue that offer surprising insights into historic personages and events is a frequent source of wonder。 It was difficult for me not to drive my family crazy wanting to read them quotes。
The intrepid Virginia Cowles was in the right places at the right times and connected to the right people。 What a life she led！
Reviews
Eric
，
Cowles shines as a journalist。 If our current crop might aspire to one half her talent it could elevate the entire genre。 I am less than fully clear whether this is more cause or effect of the time in which she wrote。
Christina Brown
，
Virginia Cowles gives a personal， unique POV during the Spanish Civil War and World War II。 I loved reading about the lifestyle of this era as well as people’s behavior and a perspective of what it’s like to live in an active combat area。 This book is both eye opening but also makes you realize how lucky you are to live in an area with no active combat。
Val Simson
，
Excellent Cowles brings us with her as she travels and reports on the war。 Her perspective is so unique， as much of what we see and hear today is the violence and gore。 She shows us more of the human side， albeit a privileged one， as a war reporter。
Tim
，
Wonderfully written。 Cowles adventures leap off the page。 She writes with such energy and verve and sensitivity as she moves from Civil War Spain across almost the entire European Theatre in WWII。 She is focused not on just her experiences but also on this of the locals， no matter where she is。 I found the chapter on the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union especially fascinating。 If you want to understand what the WWII experience was like this is a great read。
Julie
，
Powerful story， packed with history。 Written during World War 2 it was interesting to read about events from the perspective of a journalist living through and reporting on the events。
Greg
，
Wow！ What an experience！This book， originally published by Ms。 Cowles in May of 1941， just six months before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor， covers events from the Spanish Civil War through the unrelenting bombardment of London by German bombers after the fall of the rest of Western Europe to the Nazi forces at the beginning of World War II， all of which Ms。 Cowles covered as a rare female reporter and when she was only in her upper 20s！Her writing style is incredibly vivid and provides us Wow！ What an experience！This book， originally published by Ms。 Cowles in May of 1941， just six months before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor， covers events from the Spanish Civil War through the unrelenting bombardment of London by German bombers after the fall of the rest of Western Europe to the Nazi forces at the beginning of World War II， all of which Ms。 Cowles covered as a rare female reporter and when she was only in her upper 20s！Her writing style is incredibly vivid and provides us with a "you are there with me" perspective on so many amazing things。 We accompany her to the front lines of the Republicans fighting against Franco's forces （which were supported by the German and Italian fascists） and meet several of the young men -- many yet boys -- who fought valiantly， but ultimately vainly， against the fascist Nationalists。 With her we wade through mud， dodge bullets and falling shells， and witness amazing graces of humanity glimpsed through dirty faces and weary eyes。Then we join her for a trip through Germany， including accompanying her to a small tea with Hitler！ She describes how the Germans are thrilled with Hitler because he keeps getting what he wants without war， and how many of the Western leaders remain confident that "the chap doesn't want war， he just wants to recover what Germany had taken from her in the Versailles Treaty" that ended WW I。Through a meal-time lunch with Chamberlain we learn that it wasn't him who betrayed the Czechs at Munich but， rather， the French， whose leaders had pleaded with him to go to Munich and do all that he could to avoid war since they -- the French -- had decided that they would NOT honor their treaty with the Czechs by militarily standing with them against Hitler's land grab。 Chamberlain， representing England， knew the game was up since Britain did not have such a treaty and， without France's resolve， either Britain alone resisted Hitler or -- as Chamberlain hoped -- Hitler would honor "his word" and stop his territorial ambitions with the return of that portion of Czechoslovakia that it had been awarded from German possessions at Versailles。 Chamberlain was， of course， wrong about that， but it was not he who caved at Munich！And then she describes the valiant resistance put up by the Finns against the Soviet invasion that ultimately prevailed。And we flee from Paris with her only hours before the Germans enter the city after the amazing blitzkrieg of France that went around the allegedly impregnable Maginot Line and then destroyed some of France's finest armies。 （This was the same movement that led to the desperate evacuation of battered French and British forces from Dunkirk。）And the last portion of her book takes us into bomb-battered London as the Nazis try to smash Britain into submission。 We hear the bombs fall， the masonry crumble， the windows and doors shattered， and watch amazed as the people continue on with what they must do to resist。 We stand with her on the cliffs of Dover and watch and listen as waves of German bombers and fighters are met with opposing British Hurricanes and Spitfires， some of them manned by Polish pilots who -- after their country was obliterated by the Germans attacking from the West and the Russians from the East -- wanted some way to strike back at "the Huns。"Ms。 Cowles published her book when she did because she was convinced that the US had to get into this fight， too， for it was "our civilization" that was at stake and， if Britain fell， no one could doubt that sooner or later Hitler and his forces would come for the United States， too。 With modern warships， submarines， and planes the US could no longer take comfort in the protection previously afforded by the two oceans on her east and west borders。Even though I am an historian and am very familiar with the events described in this book， I am left stunned at her writing ability and at the way she makes it LIVE again， helping me to see and hear it as she did。 All those people， long dead， are again alive， and I hear their voices， see their faces， wince at their tears， and rejoice in their laughter。 What a woman！ What a reporter！ What a book！ 。。。more
Buchdoktor
，
Der amerikanischen Journalistin Virginia Cowles （*1919） ins Europa zwischen Erstem und Zweitem Weltkrieg zu folgen， wirkt aus der Perspektive unseres Jahrhunderts wie eine Zeitreise。 Mit der Summe， die die Lebensversicherung ihrer Mutter nach deren Tod auszahlte， finanzierte Cowles ihre ersten Reisen。 Sie sagt von sich， dass ihre einzige berufliche Qualifikation ihre Neugierde gewesen wäre， und gehört vermutlich zu den Entdeckern der Reisekolumne als journalistisches Format und Geschäftsmodell。 Der amerikanischen Journalistin Virginia Cowles （*1919） ins Europa zwischen Erstem und Zweitem Weltkrieg zu folgen， wirkt aus der Perspektive unseres Jahrhunderts wie eine Zeitreise。 Mit der Summe， die die Lebensversicherung ihrer Mutter nach deren Tod auszahlte， finanzierte Cowles ihre ersten Reisen。 Sie sagt von sich， dass ihre einzige berufliche Qualifikation ihre Neugierde gewesen wäre， und gehört vermutlich zu den Entdeckern der Reisekolumne als journalistisches Format und Geschäftsmodell。 Mit der Reise-Schreibmaschine im Köfferchen gelangte sie 1937 über Paris nach Spanien， um u。 a。 für die Sunday Times über den Spanischen Bürgerkrieg zu berichten。 Mit Mitte 20 war sie bereits weltweit vernetzt in einer gehobenen Gesellschaftsschicht， die es sich leisten konnte， Besuch aus aller Welt zu beherbergen und herumzufahren。 Cowles Reportertätigkeit scheint rückblickend eine Kette von spontan aus dem Ärmel geschüttelten Flügen， Bahnreisen und Besuchen in den Schützengräben gewesen zu sein。 In so mancher Szene musste ich als Leserin darüber grinsen， dass aus Cowles Sicht das Britische Empire in erster Linie dazu diente， ihr ein weltweites Netz aus hilfreichen Kontakten， Unterkünften und unbürokratischen Transportgelegenheiten bereitzustellen。 Cowles verkehrte mit Hemingway， arbeitete mit Martha Gellhorn zusammen und interviewte Mussolini。 Möglicherweise ist sie die einzige Journalistin （！）， die als Alibi-Passagierin diente， um einen militärischen Flug zu vertuschen， die bei minus 40°C auf dem Schauplatz des Finnisch-Russischen-Winterkrieges an tausenden gefrorenen Leichen russischer Soldaten vorbeigefahren wurde und die sich wunderte， dass in einem kalten Land wie Russland keine warmen Strümpfe zu kaufen waren。 Mit unvorstellbarem Glück， stets am richtigen Ort gewesen zu sein， und dem Talent， in jeder Situation wieder auf die Füße zu fallen， bereist Cowles das Vorkriegseuropa。 Als gut verdienende， weitgereiste Amerikanerin blickt sie selbstironisch， aber auch etwas herablassend auf das europäische Drama。 Faszinierend fand ich die Vorstellung， welch wichtige Rolle als einzige Nachrichtenquelle Auslandskorrespondenten damals spielten， die ihre Artikel aus aller Welt telefonisch ablieferten。 Natürlich waren sie – in den Pausen zwischen Bombenabwürfen – dabei auf eine funktionierende Verbindung angewiesen und Telefonistinnen， die nicht bereits vom Konkurrenz-Blatt bestochen worden waren。Victoria Cowles Erinnerungen lehnen sich an ihr Tagebuch an; die chronologische Folge war mir jedoch nicht immer klar。 Die Frau traute sich was und konnte zweifellos schreiben。 Wer sich für weibliche Lebensentwürfe im vorigen Jahrhundert interessiert， wird die 640 Seiten locker weg lesen。 Man sollte ergänzend auf jeden Fall auch die textkritischen Anmerkungen im Anhang lesen。 Sie machen bewusst， dass das Buch noch während des Zweiten Weltkriegs veröffentlicht wurde， dass es aus persönlicher Sicht wertet und nicht alle Aussagen heute noch haltbar sind。 。。。more
Linda Clark
，
This was a very interesting book。 Many things I had never heard before。 She was a very brave woman。
Laurie
，
Virginia Cowles began her reporting career writing for the society pages and ended it as a formidable war correspondent during World War II。 Initially published in 1941 and reissued in 2022， this book is her memoir beginning with the coverage of the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s and concluding with the end of Germany's invasion of England。 Cowles paid attention during her travels， took notes， and cultivated relationships， all giving her insight into the very human aspects of war and the to Virginia Cowles began her reporting career writing for the society pages and ended it as a formidable war correspondent during World War II。 Initially published in 1941 and reissued in 2022， this book is her memoir beginning with the coverage of the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s and concluding with the end of Germany's invasion of England。 Cowles paid attention during her travels， took notes， and cultivated relationships， all giving her insight into the very human aspects of war and the toll it takes。 She traveled to many countries and saw sights that， sadly， still occur in the world today （for instance， Ukraine。） I found this book a gripping story that added background and depth to the many books I've read about the time period and the people who led the countries involved， particularly France， England and the United States during the war。For anyone with an interest in the period， this memoir will deepen your understanding of the decisions made and the people impacted。 。。。more
Daniel
，
Boy， does Virginia Cowles have access and did she saw things。 I came into this book expecting the details her access granted， her journalistic take on them plus some introspection on what living through these troubled times was like。 Yet， I did not get that。There's layers of Virginia which are not accessible or exposed in this book and which I was curious about。 She's most of the times very clinical and superficial regarding her own experiences and feelings。 And while that is totally fine， it ju Boy， does Virginia Cowles have access and did she saw things。 I came into this book expecting the details her access granted， her journalistic take on them plus some introspection on what living through these troubled times was like。 Yet， I did not get that。There's layers of Virginia which are not accessible or exposed in this book and which I was curious about。 She's most of the times very clinical and superficial regarding her own experiences and feelings。 And while that is totally fine， it just did not match my expectations coming in - it felt more like a travel diary than a "memoir"。This expectation mismatch is the main reasoning behind my rating。 Jealous of what she was able to experience， so all in all recommend it if only for those accounts of Spain， UK， Romania， Czech Republic， Soviet Union， France， Italy， Ukraine and others。Also a good cautionary tale on snowballs。 。。。more
Kevin
，
In 1936 American journalist Virginia Cowles， tired of her gossip and high fashion writing assignments， set her sights on becoming a war correspondent。 By sheer persistence and tenacity she was able to finagle an assignment in Europe—specifically Madrid—to report on the Spanish Civil War。 While there she covered both sides， the Republicans and the Nationalists， with equal fervor。“I had no “line” to take on Spain as it had not yet become a political story for me。 I was much more interested in the In 1936 American journalist Virginia Cowles， tired of her gossip and high fashion writing assignments， set her sights on becoming a war correspondent。 By sheer persistence and tenacity she was able to finagle an assignment in Europe—specifically Madrid—to report on the Spanish Civil War。 While there she covered both sides， the Republicans and the Nationalists， with equal fervor。“I had no “line” to take on Spain as it had not yet become a political story for me。 I was much more interested in the human side…”Cowles was fearless。 If she wasn’t interviewing the military and political leaders she was working her way to the front lines。 She wanted to be where there were articles to be written and stories to be told。 Her take on the war would later prove to be prophetic。 “…the internal affairs of Spain were being carefully manipulated by the Nazis， via tactics that now have become familiar the world over。”“…the fact that Germany was sharpening her claws on Spanish soil had not yet caused alarm to many Englishmen and Frenchmen， who regarded it chiefly as a crusade against the Bolshevik menace。”As the war in Spain ended and World War II became a reality， Cowles’ affinity for the front put her in Helsinki and Prague and Paris at intervals when no one in their right mind wanted to be in Helsinki and Prague and Paris。 Her stories， recorded here in “Looking for Trouble，” are the stuff of legend。 Most everyone knows about the wartime moxie and courage of Hemingway and Orwell， but neither has a leg up on Virginia Cowles。 。。。more
Dirk
，
The cover of the Modern Library edition of Looking for Trouble shows a woman， her back partially turned to the camera， overlooking what appears to be the gutted remains of a bombed out building。 Standing with one foot on a girder and the other in rubble， every hair in place， she wears fashionable low-heeled shoes， a jacket and over-the-knee skirt， and carries a purse in her left hand。 She accessorizes with what I am guessing is a gas mask strapped over her right shoulder。 The only disservice the The cover of the Modern Library edition of Looking for Trouble shows a woman， her back partially turned to the camera， overlooking what appears to be the gutted remains of a bombed out building。 Standing with one foot on a girder and the other in rubble， every hair in place， she wears fashionable low-heeled shoes， a jacket and over-the-knee skirt， and carries a purse in her left hand。 She accessorizes with what I am guessing is a gas mask strapped over her right shoulder。 The only disservice the publisher did in reissuing this memoir is that they didn't identify the author， Virginia Cowles， as the woman in the photograph。 That photo is credited to David E。 Schermer， and， having searched his images on the internet， I can confirm that the subject is in fact the author， and that it was taken during the London Blitz in 1940， where， as she did in so many other places， Ms。 Cowles found the trouble she was looking for。On the back cover excerpts from reviews by respected media outlets， much is made of the author's high fashion， noting in one instance that her "glamour facilitated unique access to her subjects。" However， I prefer the snippet attributed to Antony Beevor， author of Stalingrad and Berlin， praising Virginia Cowles as "[o]ne of the truly great war correspondents of all time。" Which she accomplished， in her own words， "with no qualifications as a war correspondent except curiosity。"As to her qualifications， Cowles undersold herself。 If， as Ernest Hemingway said， courage is grace under pressure， she was as courageous as the best journalists of the Spanish Civil War and World War II and often every bit as much as many of the soldiers fighting in those conflicts， especially since she didn't carry a weapon。 It's stunning how often， even while admitting that she was terrified， she flung herself into so many very bad places at the worst of times。 Almost unique among the journalists of the Spanish Civil War， she gained access to and covered both sides， which exposed her to the very real threat of being accused of spying and arrested， tortured， and executed。 From there she traveled， often just barely ahead of border closures and bombings， to Austria before Hitler's annexation， Czechoslovakia before the debacle concerning the Sudetenland， the Ukraine when both Germany and the Soviet Union coveted its vast wheat producing regions， Finland during its subzero Winter War against Stalin's vastly larger forces， and France when German forces sidestepped the Maginot Line and made a beeline for Paris。 Through her numerous highly placed connections， she finagled access to combat zones when the official policy was that women weren't allowed within six miles of the front， flights aboard bombers， an escort from a Finnish officer to the border of the Soviet Union with enemy combatants within a few hundred yards， and， when she tired， she often found lodging with duchesses， ambassadors， and the like。 At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve 1940， she found herself in a hand-holding circle including herself， another friend， and Winston Churchill， singing Auld Lang Syne。She could ask pointed questions， elicit insightful answers， analyze， synthesize， and write with the best of them。 Her summary of an episode in Spain， when she was introduced in a cafe to a representative of the secret police that Ernest Hemingway had pointed out to her as "the chief executioner of Madrid，" goes as follows:"Ernest invited him to join us and he accepted on the condition would allow him to buy us a carafe of wine。 His manner was ingratiating to the point of sycophancy， but I shall never forget the look in his bright， marble-brown eyes。 Perhaps it was my imagination， but to me they mirrored all the traditional sadism of Spain。 Hemingway was passionately interested in details of death and soon was pressing the man with questions。'Have many people died in Madrid？''A revolution is always hasty。''And have there been many mistakes？''Mistakes？ It is only human to err。''And the mistakes--how did they die？''On the whole， considering they were mistakes，' he said meditatively， 'very well indeed; in fact， magnifico！' It was the way he said it that sent a shiver down my spine。 His voice rose on the last word to a note of rapture and his eyes gleamed with relish。 He reached out for the carafe of wine and filled my glass。 It gurgled into the tumbler， thick and red， and I could only think of blood。"Contrast the previous account with Hemingway's depiction in his play， The Fifth Column:Philip: And， Antonio。 Sometimes there must have been mistakes， eh？ When you had to work in a hurry， perhaps。 Or you know， just make mistakes， we all make mistakes。 I just made a little one yesterday。 Tell me， Antonio， were there ever any mistakes？Antonio: Oh， yes。 Certainly。 Mistakes。 Yes。 Yes。 Philip: And how did the mistakes die？Antonio （proudly）: All very well。To me， Cowles' memoir account of the episode is hands down more vivid， emotionally charged， and well written。It may disappoint some readers that Looking for Trouble ends in 1940， with many years of World War II yet to be fought。 Cowles' reason for doing so was that the United States was， at that time， still pursuing a policy of isolationism。 Having watched eight nations fall like dominoes， and having seen firsthand the barbarity of the conflict， Hitler's serial treacheries， Mussolini's empire building， Russia's race to take its share of Poland， and France's minimal resistance to the German juggernaut， Cowles， with great speed， prescience， and finesse assembled her memoir and closed her account with a plea to the United States not to sit on the sidelines， that doing so threatened it and the world with a descent into a dark future。 Her memoir was published in 1941， shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor came as a complete surprise to the many people who were paying less attention than she was。The only reason I am parting with this book is that it deserves other readers， and so I am passing it along to a friend and World War II buff who likely hasn't seen it since the earlier editions have long been out of print。 。。。more
Adrian
，
Excellent war reporting from the Spanish Civil War and WWII。 I had never heard of Cowles an American who wrote for British papers。 She knew Martha Gellhorn and crossed paths with her in Spain。 I think Cowles is better。 Took more chances。 She worked both sides of the war in Spain， Nationalist and Republican， which was dangerous since it had both sides questioning her loyalties。 She flew to Finland and covered the Soviet invasion from frozen forests。 In June of 1940 she travelled to France four da Excellent war reporting from the Spanish Civil War and WWII。 I had never heard of Cowles an American who wrote for British papers。 She knew Martha Gellhorn and crossed paths with her in Spain。 I think Cowles is better。 Took more chances。 She worked both sides of the war in Spain， Nationalist and Republican， which was dangerous since it had both sides questioning her loyalties。 She flew to Finland and covered the Soviet invasion from frozen forests。 In June of 1940 she travelled to France four days before the German occupation and found Paris largely evacuated with people and vehicles clogging up roads out of the city。 The book ends with her coverage of the Battle of Britain where her pro-British stance gets away from her some but this is a small quibble in a book of great reporting。 。。。more
Maine Colonial
，
I read a digital galley provided by the publisher， via Netgalley。What a great idea to republish this collection of journalistic essays about Europe in the late 1930s through the first part of 1941。 Few people today know about the extraordinary life of Virginia Cowles， whose debutante background and social status almost mandated that she cover society news when she became a journalist。 But Cowles had higher ambitions。 As she worked in Europe， she saw the political tumult and was determined to vie I read a digital galley provided by the publisher， via Netgalley。What a great idea to republish this collection of journalistic essays about Europe in the late 1930s through the first part of 1941。 Few people today know about the extraordinary life of Virginia Cowles， whose debutante background and social status almost mandated that she cover society news when she became a journalist。 But Cowles had higher ambitions。 As she worked in Europe， she saw the political tumult and was determined to view it first hand and write about it。 So many underestimated her， which allowed her often to get close to the action—and score an unexpected one-on-one interview with Mussolini。 At the same time， her social status had her regularly meeting such people as Winston Churchill and his family， and the （in）famous Mitford family。 She even ended up chatting with Prime Minister Chamberlain shortly after he returned from making “peace in our time” with Hitler in Munich。Cowles made a habit of talking to everybody she could about what they thought in their countries—especially when in crisis—including revolutionary Spain， Czechoslovakia， Germany， and the USSR。 She was able then to give higher-ups like Chamberlain a perspective they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to。Cowles did her best to remain neutral in her reporting。 This neutral position often made it difficult for her to talk to people involved in conflicts。 They pressed her to proclaim her loyalties and， when she refused， she was called a “Red” by the fascists and a fascist by， for example， the Nationalist fighters in Spain。 Rather than take it personally， she used that as an opportunity to discuss the black-and-white mentality that refused any empathy or compromise， and insisted on painting anyone not allied as a enemy to be obliterated。 She vividly depicts a minor Sudeten German official who first describes the Czechs as good enough fellows， but as soon as the Nazis begin rattling their sabres， this official and all the other ethnic Germans living in their area begin to make murderous threats against their Czech neighbors。While Cowles came to sympathize with the Nationalists and peasants in Spain， that didn’t make her a “Red” by any means。 She visited the USSR shortly before World War II and was appalled at the poor standard of living and the sheer ignorance of the Soviets insisting that everything was perfect in the USSR and horrid in the west。 Her experiences with both left-wing and right-wing totalitarianism renewed her belief in democracy。Cowles has an almost chatty writing style， but one that is still full of vivid historical detail， including her presence at one of the huge Nuremberg Nazi party rallies， at the Arctic Circle during the Russian-Finnish War， in Paris when it fell to the Nazis， in London during the Blitz。 I don’t like to get into politics when writing reviews， but it was hard not to be depressed at times reading this book because of the many parallels with what is happening in the US these days with the rise of authoritarianism， white/Christian nationalism， and the readiness by all too many to dispense with others’ rights and privileges。 I have always been fascinated by World War II and its origins， but it was always an academic interest。 It’s tragic that now the history of Europe in the 30s and World War II seems more and more like it could be prologue。 I can’t help but wonder what Cowles would have thought of what is going on in this country。 。。。more
Nancy Reynolds
，
So interesting。 I cannot imagine doing what this woman did。 Amazing。 I read the book in small increments because I wanted to totally absorb all she was sharing。 I repeat: amazing。 I won this book at Goodreads。
Evelyn
，
The author， an American debutant， was employed as a correspondent and journalist by several British and American publications during the years preceding the Second World War。 Her social connections provided her with entry to many of the people and places that played prominent roles during that time period。 As a result she was able to report on major events。 She submitted stories from both sides of the Spanish Civil War， on her trip to Russia， the Munich Peace Talks， the cessation of the Sudetenl The author， an American debutant， was employed as a correspondent and journalist by several British and American publications during the years preceding the Second World War。 Her social connections provided her with entry to many of the people and places that played prominent roles during that time period。 As a result she was able to report on major events。 She submitted stories from both sides of the Spanish Civil War， on her trip to Russia， the Munich Peace Talks， the cessation of the Sudetenland to Germany， the Russian invasion of Finland， the fall of Paris and the Battle of Britain。 Her social connections also enabled her to socialize with and interview major political leaders including Mussolini and Churchill。The book is of interest for the author’s observations on the critical events in the 1930s ending in the Battle of Britain in 1940。 Analogies may be drawn with current events including Russian invasion of Ukraine， and one can glean valuable lessons from them since history does repeat itself， and if we fail to learn its lessons we are doomed to repeat our mistakes。The book loses a point for the many times it drops the names of people from the author’s social circle who facilitated her career。 。。。more
Magda
，
Magnificent memoir from an amazing front line war reporter。 Virginia Cowles not only rubbed shoulders with the Mitfords and the Churchills， but managed to somehow be witness to the frontline activities in the Spanish Civil war， the Winter war of 1940 and the German invasion of Western Europe。 This resonates with a lot that is happening at the moment in Ukraine and it should be read as a warning。Brilliant lesson in journalism and will transport you straight into late 1930s and war-torn Europe。
Faith McLellan
，
Splendid memoir by an intrepid journalist。 She reported from the Spanish Civil War and then from everywhere in the first years of the Second World War。 The book was reportedly a bestseller when it was first published in 1941。 One can only wonder what she would have written about the rest of the war。 Highly recommended。
Rose Stanley
，
This one took me a long time to read， but not because it was boring - far from it！ It's just one of those books that's very easy to dip into for a bit and then wander off to read something else。 Cowles clearly made of very stern stuff indeed - the book is as much an insight into her personality as it is into the events leading up to and surrounding WW2。 Highly recommend。 This one took me a long time to read， but not because it was boring - far from it！ It's just one of those books that's very easy to dip into for a bit and then wander off to read something else。 Cowles clearly made of very stern stuff indeed - the book is as much an insight into her personality as it is into the events leading up to and surrounding WW2。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Amanda Hart
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A fantastic first hand account of events in Europe from 1936 to 1941。 It reads like a novel and you have to remind yourself that yes， this journalist really did have an audience with Mussolini， chatted with Goebbels and had tea with Churchill。 As an American， her neutrality allowed her access to key people and events， but she was no stranger to danger in order to be where events were unfolding before her eyes， from the Spanish Civil War to the Nazi takeover of Paris， as well as the Battle of Bri A fantastic first hand account of events in Europe from 1936 to 1941。 It reads like a novel and you have to remind yourself that yes， this journalist really did have an audience with Mussolini， chatted with Goebbels and had tea with Churchill。 As an American， her neutrality allowed her access to key people and events， but she was no stranger to danger in order to be where events were unfolding before her eyes， from the Spanish Civil War to the Nazi takeover of Paris， as well as the Battle of Britain。 She also spoke with housewives， soldiers ， farmers， waiters， refugees and almost anyone else she bumped into， so as a reader， you have a 360 degree view of the decisions of politicians and the impact of those decisions on regular citizens。 This is a unique view of Europe during this most volatile period and you really appreciate how the war in Europe occurred， just from this snippet of history。 This would be brilliant televised or made into a film。 。。。more
Alex Hedley
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Exceptional
Millie
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Virginia has a clear， bright style that makes her reporting feel modern （eerily so）， even today。 Yes， she shows up everywhere， but she brings the reader with her and has a knack for seeing ironic details others might easily miss （I particularly devoured her coverage of the Winter War）。 Her reason for writing this as an American in 1941 is obvious， and leaves us without the usual resolution we expect from writing about WWII。 It was impossible not to reflect on uncertainty in our own times。 This s Virginia has a clear， bright style that makes her reporting feel modern （eerily so）， even today。 Yes， she shows up everywhere， but she brings the reader with her and has a knack for seeing ironic details others might easily miss （I particularly devoured her coverage of the Winter War）。 Her reason for writing this as an American in 1941 is obvious， and leaves us without the usual resolution we expect from writing about WWII。 It was impossible not to reflect on uncertainty in our own times。 This story is not new。 Thank you to Judith Mackrell's 'Going with the Boys' for introducing me to this inspiring reporter。 。。。more
Clay W
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Wow， what an incredibly interesting telling of events。 I learned who Virginia Cowles was after reading Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild （an amazing read btw） which covered the Spanish Civil War。 Adam mentions Virginia and uses some of her stories from her time in Spain。 Adam referred to her as possibly the best source of material from a journalist/war correspondent that was there on the ground because she put her foot to the ground and met so many influential people and covered so many sto Wow， what an incredibly interesting telling of events。 I learned who Virginia Cowles was after reading Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild （an amazing read btw） which covered the Spanish Civil War。 Adam mentions Virginia and uses some of her stories from her time in Spain。 Adam referred to her as possibly the best source of material from a journalist/war correspondent that was there on the ground because she put her foot to the ground and met so many influential people and covered so many stories（including being one of the only journalists to get to cover both sides of the Spanish Civil War） where many other journalists stayed away from the front and discussed events amongst themselves at hotels borrowing the same ideas and becoming an echo chamber。I'm so glad I made note of Adam's reverence to Virginia and picked up Looking For Trouble （which proved difficult to find a good hardcover version） as it was one of the most interesting historical nonfiction pieces I've ever read。 Especially from the point of view of WWII is still going on， as she wrote and finished the book in 1941。 And keep in mind this is from the mindset of a young American woman at the onset of WWII traveling Europe， so she's not going to be PC although there is not much to admonish there anyway。While you don't learn much of Virginia in a personal sense， other than her attention to detail and dedication to reporting， you learn so much of the environments she was in。 What the people thought in Italy of Mussolini， how both sides of Spain felt about Franco and the Nationalist movement， what the Finns thought of the Russians（the coverage of Finland was one of my favorite parts of the novel）， the betrayal of Poland by Russia， how the French felt at the start of the defense against Hitler and how the French felt as France fell， and finally England（Virginia is entranced by the ideals of British exceptionalism， but who can blame her they were the last bastion for freedom left on the continent as all fell to Hitler and the Axis while the USA twiddled her thumbs） and her people's defense of the impenetrable island。The writing is superb。 I loved the straightforwardness paired with some beautiful descriptions， portrayals of emotion， who all of these characters were， all of the research she managed to accomplish while traveling from front to front。 Virginia found herself in many dire situations， and the laissez-faire way she always seemed to get out of the predicaments， all of the luck she had on her side in many scenarios， made the novel just that much more enthralling。 Truly a captivating piece about an amazing journalist lost to time， as I post the 18th review for this work from 1941 on GoodReads I can't help but feel a little lucky myself that I picked up this book on a whim and feel a little despondent to think that this work deserves a much bigger audience。 。。。more
Ian
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Published in 1941 this gives an extraordinarily personal account of the events leading from the Spanish civil war until the 2nd year of WW2。 She is an intrepid and fearless reporter with an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time。 With an enviable contacts list she is able to meet many of the great players of the time including Churchill， Hitler and Mussolini。
Funilesh
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What an adventure， what an fucking adventure she's had！ One doubts if it actually happened。 Also， the number of people she ran into accidently or the events she witnessed accidently is kinda sus。 Maybe the accidents were "accidents" *wink wink*。 What an adventure， what an fucking adventure she's had！ One doubts if it actually happened。 Also， the number of people she ran into accidently or the events she witnessed accidently is kinda sus。 Maybe the accidents were "accidents" *wink wink*。 。。。more
Richard Packard
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An extraordinary real life adventure storyLittlefield I realise whilst at Harrow School that the mother of two brothers in my boarding house， Andrew and Randall Crawley， were the sons of Virginia Cowles。 Incidentally， Winston Churchill had been the same house when heartened the school。 This book， written in 1941， tells of VC's travels across Europe as a roving foreign correspondent as democracies were collapsing to be replaced by fascist dictatorships。 The immediacy of the writing and the vivid An extraordinary real life adventure storyLittlefield I realise whilst at Harrow School that the mother of two brothers in my boarding house， Andrew and Randall Crawley， were the sons of Virginia Cowles。 Incidentally， Winston Churchill had been the same house when heartened the school。 This book， written in 1941， tells of VC's travels across Europe as a roving foreign correspondent as democracies were collapsing to be replaced by fascist dictatorships。 The immediacy of the writing and the vivid descriptions of the events unfolding in front of her make the reader feel that they are experiencing these events at first hand too。 I am delighted that it has been republished。 It should be compulsory reading for all politicians to remind them what can happen when the good guys are not resolute。 。。。more
Erika Robuck
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Originally published in 1941， war correspondent Virginia Cowles' memoir is a riveting read。 From the Spanish Civil War to the London Blitz， readers are travel companions on the most astonishing pre-WW2 itinerary imaginable。 As an American--and arguably because she was a woman--Cowles' access to the drawing rooms， offices， and residences of dignitaries， royals， and politicians allowed her to interview everyone from Churchill to Chamberlin， Mussolini to Hitler， not to mention rubbing elbows with H Originally published in 1941， war correspondent Virginia Cowles' memoir is a riveting read。 From the Spanish Civil War to the London Blitz， readers are travel companions on the most astonishing pre-WW2 itinerary imaginable。 As an American--and arguably because she was a woman--Cowles' access to the drawing rooms， offices， and residences of dignitaries， royals， and politicians allowed her to interview everyone from Churchill to Chamberlin， Mussolini to Hitler， not to mention rubbing elbows with Hemingway and Gellhorn。 It's Cowles' professionalism and businesslike approach to journalism--both in the field and at the typewriter--that make her so readable。 Her style is elegant， sensory， and restrained， and yet fully places the reader in the action。 One feels the mournful terror of Parisians evacuating in advance of the German occupation and the true scope of the Blitz destruction。 Cowles' account of the diabolical atmosphere of one of Hitler's pre-invasion rallies， and seeing the silhouettes of German planes at the airfield the night before invasion， is both haunting and terrifying。 LOOKING FOR TROUBLE is like riding the crest of a tsunami until it crashes ashore。 If Cowles' story weren't true， you wouldn't believe it。 Believe it。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Afterwards
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Immensely enjoyable read， fascinating detail and clear， clean writing style that immediately places you by Virginia Cowles side through many dangerous episodes from the Spanish Civil War through to the London Blitz。 Loved it。 This is why I read， to spend time in the company of someone intelligent and obserant。
Norm
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A gripping memoir of the years 1935 （Spanish civil war） through 1940 （the battle of Britain） by a journalist who saw most of the theaters where the action was。 She was fearless， and had enough influential friends to cut through the red tape that would have kept her away from where she wanted to go。 If you are interested in that period， you will enjoy this book， and get a new perspective on it as well。。。
IlliniDave
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