Martha Gellhorn
Martha Gellhorn: A Life of Courage and Conviction
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Martha Alicia Gellhorn was an American journalist, novelist, and war correspondent who traveled extensively throughout her life. She is often referred to as one of the greatest journalists of the 20th century.
Birth and Death Dates
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Martha Gellhorn was born on November 8, 1908, in St. Louis, Missouri. She passed away on February 14, 1998, at the age of 89.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Gellhorn held dual citizenship of the United States and Ireland. Her profession spanned multiple fields: journalism, novel-writing, and war correspondence.
Early Life and Background
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Martha Gellhorn grew up in a family that valued education and literature. Her father, George Gellhorn, was a physician, and her mother, Edna Woolsey Stevens, was an accomplished pianist. Gellhorn's early life was marked by a passion for writing, which she developed during her high school years. She attended John Burroughs School in St. Louis before moving to Paris with her family at the age of 16.
Major Accomplishments
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Martha Gellhorn's career was defined by her courage and conviction as a journalist and war correspondent. Some of her notable accomplishments include:
Reporting from the front lines during World War II, including D-Day, where she witnessed the Allied invasion of Normandy.
Traveling extensively throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia to cover conflicts and report on social issues.
Publishing numerous novels and non-fiction works that explored themes of war, politics, and human rights.Notable Works or Actions
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Gellhorn's writing often reflected her experiences as a journalist and war correspondent. Some of her notable works include:
The Face of War, a collection of essays on the nature of conflict.
A Stricken Field, a novel set during World War I.
Travels with Myself and Another, a memoir that explored her experiences as a woman traveling alone in post-war Europe.
Impact and Legacy
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Martha Gellhorn's impact on journalism and literature is immeasurable. Her courage and conviction have inspired generations of journalists, novelists, and human rights advocates. Her legacy serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting truthfully, accurately, and with compassion.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Martha Gellhorn's quotes and writings are widely remembered for their insight into the human experience during times of conflict and social change. Some notable quotes from her works include:
"I've never been able to think of war as anything other than a necessary evil."
"The greatest thing I have ever learned is that our world, however terrible it may be, can still produce women who are brave enough to take the first step towards making it better."
Martha Gellhorn's life and work serve as a testament to her courage, conviction, and dedication to reporting truthfully about the human experience.
Quotes by Martha Gellhorn
Martha Gellhorn's insights on:
Then somebody suggested I should write about the war, and I said I didn't know anything about the war. I did not understand anything about it. I didn't see how I could write it.
But the soul concerns me; and I am beginning to wonder whether it is wise or useful to spend so much time searching for one’s own.
The manipulated millions could be aroused or soothed by any lies. The guiding light of journalism was no stronger than a glow-worm.
My kind of loneliness now has no cure, you know; it is something I expect to live with until I die. Friends are heavenly kind, sometimes fun; it would be fatal not to have them. But I by no means need or want daily contact; perhaps it takes as much out of me as it gives, perhaps takes more.
Then somebody suggested I should write about the war, and I said I didn’t know anything about the war. I did not understand anything about it. I didn’t see how I could write it.
I love you. Have a hell of a good time. I don’t really know what else is worth having.
Since I am devoted to my own freedom, I didn’t think it just to deny other people theirs; and a basic freedom must be to be bossed by your own kind, not by foreigners.
I felt both puny and pretentious, trying to write in the grandeur of that natural world where everything was older than time and I was the briefest object in the landscape.