Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Dragon from Chicago:
She made the right enemies.
Quick synopsis:
The story of American journalist Sigrid Schultz and her reporting in Europe before and during World War II.
Fact for Non-History People:
Until the 1930s, women’s citizenship was defined by the citizenship of her father or husband.
Fact for History Nerds:
In the first month of World War II, Germany’s unemployment rate went from 2.7 to 22.7 percent.
My Take on The Dragon from Chicago:
Any person willing to verbally slap around Hermann Göring deserves a book written about them. That is what Pamela Toler does by writing a book about Sigrid Schultz in The Dragon from Chicago. Oh, and the title of the book? That is the name Göring gave her.
Schultz was a journalist who spoke so many different languages that I literally lost count. She traveled extensively and was based in Germany in the time between World War I and II. It goes without saying that being a female journalist at this time was impressive enough. To be a female journalist in Nazi Germany and unafraid to call out those in power is bravery with a side of suicidal tendencies.
Toler tells Schultz’s story straight and includes many wonderful anecdotes. I definitely felt like I knew who Schultz was and what drove her. I would say I felt like Toler probably could have pared down some of the book. There are certain sections which drag more than others. Also, it probably would have helped to add a bit more feeling to the narrative. Toler sticks to the facts, but for example, the sections on Schultz reporting from the site of concentration camps felt too academic. This is still a good book. My criticisms are mainly about why it is not as superlative as it could have been.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)
Verdict:
A good read. Buy it here!
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