Constance Harvey Indulges in a Bit of Monkey Business

Constance Ray Harvey was an American Foreign Service Officer at the beginning of World War II—one of the first women to hold that position.* She was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Lyon, in Vichy France, in January 1941. Once there, she used her position as Vice Consul to gather information and smuggle it out…

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In Memory of Jack French

A reader informed me last week that long time reader and occasional contributor of guest posts Jack French recently died after a short illness. One of the best parts of writing this blog is getting acquainted with readers. You send me emails commenting on posts, pointing out typos,* recommending books, and sharing ideas. We end…

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Nansen Passports

Passports, visas, residence and work permits, and journalists’ overseas accreditations have been a recurring thread in my work for the last few years*—the inevitable result of writing about an American journalist who spent much of her life in Europe. Working her way through bureaucratic red tape to be sure she had the correct permissions to…

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