John Hersey (1914-93) was a correspondent for "Time" and "Life" magazines when in 1942 he was sent to cover Guadalcanal, the largest of the Solomon Islands in the Western Pacific. While there, Hersey observed a small battle upon which "Into the Valley" is based. While the battle itself was not of great significance, Hersey gives insightful details concerning the jungle environment, recounts conversations among the men before, during, and after battle, and describes how the wounded were evacuated as well as other works of daily heroism.
Biografie
John Hersey, geboren 1914 in Tientsin (China), ist ein amerikanischer Schriftsteller. Er arbeitete als Sekretär in St. Lewis, als Journalist und als Kriegskorrespondent in Italien, Polen, der UdSSR und Japan. Er veröffentlichte bereits zahlreiche Dokumentarromane.