Fire in the Wind: The Biography of Dickey Chappelle

Interesting book about Dickey Chapelle. She wanted to be a pilot, but became a photojournalist--the first woman photographer to get accredation to cover the war in the Pacific in World War II. After that, she was present at nearly every noteworthy conflict or event there was--if something was going on, Dickey wanted to be there, and usually got her way. She worked for Life, Reader's Digest, National Geographic, and many other magazines and papers. She was killed in 1965, while with the Marines in Vietnam.Her personal life was not always smooth sailing, and I find it incredible that she achieved all she did.What I found most interesting about Dickey was her spirit--she didn't let conventions or anybody stand in her way. She was a trailblazer in her field, and I'm glad that Roberta Ostroff wrote this book--Dickey certainly deserves recognition for her courage and and heroism.

I was actually a bit annoyed to find this book, since I didn't know anyone had written Chapelle's biography, and I had thought of doing it myself. That said, Ostroff has written it much better than I could have. While what drove Dickey Chapelle to her achievements and disasters remains a bit hard to grasp, Ostroff has done an excellent job of tracing her cliffhanger career. There are nitpicks: Ostroff puts herself in Chapelle's head at times, as if she knows exactly what Dickie was thinking, and there is no mention of Chapelle's spiritual beliefs or lack thereof. Despite these slips, the book is an excellent tale, well told. I've recommended it widely.