The Log of a Noncombatant

A wartime correspondent assembles first-hand dispatches and diary entries from his first year on the Continent, tracing a journey from America to besieged cities and front-line forts. He describes bombardments, a city surrender, episodes of capture and espionage, and lighter moments such as a local dance, alternating between scenes at staff headquarters and observation of trench work. Portraits of soldiers, officers, diplomats, and anxious civilians emphasize daily routines, stoicism, and fear. Reflective passages and an appendix address reported atrocities and the widespread sorrow experienced by the populace.