We Were There

“Fox’s first-rate treasury of reportage, diaries, oral history, and even fiction frames a scintillating panorama of the 20th century’s decisive moments” (Financial Times).
Covering two world wars, exploration, scientific discoveries, and the rise and fall of empires across the globe, We Were There reports on the defining moments of the previous hundred years, from the turn of the last century through the Wall Street Crash and D-Day, to the Vietnam War, Tiananmen Square, and 9/11. In a period of vast technological advancement that has given birth to mass-circulation newspapers, television, and the Internet, these evocative reports from around the world prove that the art of eyewitness reporting is as gripping and as valuable as ever.
We Were There includes not only some of the best journalism of the last century but also the private confidence of diaries and letters. Each selection from sources as diverse as Ernest Hemingway, Neil Armstrong, Woody Guthrie, James Cameron and Hunter S. Thompson, is preceded by a brief introduction that illuminates the passage’s historical context and introduces the author.
“A most wonderful collection.” —Simon Schama, author of The Story of the Jews
“In assembling his composite portrait of the last century, Robert Fox aimed at the magical effect of giving the reader the sensation of being there at great and curious events with extraordinary people . . . An enthralling mix, leavened with the frequent testimony of non-celebrities who just happened to wander into the historical hurricane.” —The New Republic
“A fun read. It’s easy to flip a few pages to find another fascinating peek into the 20th century.” —San Francisco Chronicle