String of Pearls: On the News Beat in New York and Paris

Rating:
Summary: Breaking News
Review: "There is an excitement about raw news that is hard to explain, but is palpable . . . ."

During World War II, so many men were in the military that women took over what had been considered "men's" jobs. You've heard of Rosie the Riveter. This book introduces you to "Pitts" Buckley (an older sister of William F. Buckley, Jr. and later managing editor for the National Review for 27 years) in 1944 as she graduates from Smith College, where she edited the newspaper. Her memoir focuses on two stints she did with United Press, the first in New York during 1944-48 and the second in Paris during 1953-56. Like many journalistic memoirs, there's lots here about learning on the job, famous colleagues, interviewing celebrities, and major news events. The permanent value of this light, well-written book is a picture of what it was like to be a female news correspondent for a wire service when that was unusual. Ms. Buckley is a very delightful person, and you will enjoy reading about her experiences. The only drawback of the book is that she fails to connect her anecdotes back to a larger context to make them more meaningful.

Ms. Buckley has a good sense of fun, and you will probably remember her humor best from the book. Here's a flavor of how she introduces the book. In explaining why she chose United Press over a competing offer at twice the wages, she says she "opted for . . . starvation wages, and a wonderful life." "We lived on what would now be called the poverty level, but didn't know it." Her first job was a a "copy boy" and "it wasn't much fun." These were really gofers and she wanted to become a "newspaperman." And she did.

If you understand French, her stories about literal translations of English into French are quite funny.

The book has several running gags. One is about constantly changing apartments and living quarters for not paying the rent. The other is about having her Hillman-Minx breakdown in the busiest intersections in Paris and helping to cause riots.

There are also interesting insights into how news is made. Ms. Buckley was pretty open about meeting new people, even when there was no obvious story. During a tour of the George V hotel in Paris, she spotted an American tattoo on a man working on the pastry in the kitchen. This became a story about how a GI switched careers and countries.

One of the best stories in the book is about the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu in Indochina in 1954. Ms. Buckley and a colleague interpreted a mysterious French dispatch correctly as being a surrender, and beat the Associated Press by 15 minutes to the story. On another occasion, she tells about how a dying composer was miraculously "resuscitated" in a second story after being incorrectly reported as deceased on the wire. There are also wonderful stories of covering obscure sports from correspondents who spoke French quickly when no one was around to help translate.

Her reports about the famous are interesting, too. Once, she was dispatched with 10,000 francs (which wasn't very much) to take Gloria Swanson to lunch, in order to give Ms. Swanson tips on how to improve her column (which was a bomb, and was later canceled). Ms. Swanson only wanted an omelet, so the budget was saved. Ms. Swanson did not follow the advice, but was very friendly and nice. Ms. Buckley also covered Jane Russell trying on Dior dresses (with difficulty), and Premier Pierre-Mendes-France's campaign to have French school children drink milk (one protested).

After you read this memoir, I suggest that you think about where taking on a role that people of your sex normally do not do could provide some fun and change of perspective. Then try it, and see what you think. Men, you could take up embroidering outdoors. Women, you could roto-till the garden for spring planting.

See the potential all around you!

Rating:
Summary: Breaking News
Review: "There is an excitement about raw news that is hard to explain, but is palpable . . . ."

During World War II, so many men were in the military that women took over what had been considered "men's" jobs. You've heard of Rosie the Riveter. This book introduces you to "Pitts" Buckley (an older sister of William F. Buckley, Jr. and later managing editor for the National Review for 27 years) in 1944 as she graduates from Smith College, where she edited the newspaper. Her memoir focuses on two stints she did with United Press, the first in New York during 1944-48 and the second in Paris during 1953-56. Like many journalistic memoirs, there's lots here about learning on the job, famous colleagues, interviewing celebrities, and major news events. The permanent value of this light, well-written book is a picture of what it was like to be a female news correspondent for a wire service when that was unusual. Ms. Buckley is a very delightful person, and you will enjoy reading about her experiences. The only drawback of the book is that she fails to connect her anecdotes back to a larger context to make them more meaningful.

Ms. Buckley has a good sense of fun, and you will probably remember her humor best from the book. Here's a flavor of how she introduces the book. In explaining why she chose United Press over a competing offer at twice the wages, she says she "opted for . . . starvation wages, and a wonderful life." "We lived on what would now be called the poverty level, but didn't know it." Her first job was a a "copy boy" and "it wasn't much fun." These were really gofers and she wanted to become a "newspaperman." And she did.

If you understand French, her stories about literal translations of English into French are quite funny.

The book has several running gags. One is about constantly changing apartments and living quarters for not paying the rent. The other is about having her Hillman-Minx breakdown in the busiest intersections in Paris and helping to cause riots.

There are also interesting insights into how news is made. Ms. Buckley was pretty open about meeting new people, even when there was no obvious story. During a tour of the George V hotel in Paris, she spotted an American tattoo on a man working on the pastry in the kitchen. This became a story about how a GI switched careers and countries.

One of the best stories in the book is about the French surrender at Dien Bien Phu in Indochina in 1954. Ms. Buckley and a colleague interpreted a mysterious French dispatch correctly as being a surrender, and beat the Associated Press by 15 minutes to the story. On another occasion, she tells about how a dying composer was miraculously "resuscitated" in a second story after being incorrectly reported as deceased on the wire. There are also wonderful stories of covering obscure sports from correspondents who spoke French quickly when no one was around to help translate.

Her reports about the famous are interesting, too. Once, she was dispatched with 10,000 francs (which wasn't very much) to take Gloria Swanson to lunch, in order to give Ms. Swanson tips on how to improve her column (which was a bomb, and was later canceled). Ms. Swanson only wanted an omelet, so the budget was saved. Ms. Swanson did not follow the advice, but was very friendly and nice. Ms. Buckley also covered Jane Russell trying on Dior dresses (with difficulty), and Premier Pierre-Mendes-France's campaign to have French school children drink milk (one protested).

After you read this memoir, I suggest that you think about where taking on a role that people of your sex normally do not do could provide some fun and change of perspective. Then try it, and see what you think. Men, you could take up embroidering outdoors. Women, you could roto-till the garden for spring planting.

See the potential all around you!

Rating:
Summary: More than a pearl: a gem!
Review: This little book is a classic "good read". Miss Buckley has an astounding memory for detail (one can only envy) which puts the reader quite into the thick of a busy, no, frenetic news bureau. Such a tightly written book as this leaves the reader little time to wander off as the news of World War II and later, the Cold War, erupt from the offices of the United Press. If you enjoy a look into yesterday through the eyes of someone with keen powers of observation as well as a (dare I say spiritual?) optimistic outlook on life and people everywhere, you will not be disappointed. A very fun book. You'll want to order several as gifts.

Rating:
Summary: More than a pearl: a gem!
Review: This little book is a classic "good read". Miss Buckley has an astounding memory for detail (one can only envy) which puts the reader quite into the thick of a busy, no, frenetic news bureau. Such a tightly written book as this leaves the reader little time to wander off as the news of World War II and later, the Cold War, erupt from the offices of the United Press. If you enjoy a look into yesterday through the eyes of someone with keen powers of observation as well as a (dare I say spiritual?) optimistic outlook on life and people everywhere, you will not be disappointed. A very fun book. You'll want to order several as gifts.

Rating:
Summary: a real pearl
Review: What an amusing book. Priscilla Buckley had a spirit of adventure that propelled her to New York and a reporting career. Later that spirit took her to Paris in the 50s when it was still a magical place. I read this from begining to end in one afternoon because it's such a delight.