I love reading books about strong, independent women in history. The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck is the true story of Dickey Chapelle, a war correspondent and photojournalist who started her career during WWII. The book follows her exciting adventures, which spanned from WWII through the Vietnam War.
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
Read more about the premise: https://amzn.to/47RF0Fb
Published on: August 19, 2025
From the publisher: “From bestselling author Erika Robuck comes the perilous and awe-inspiring true story of award-winning photojournalist Dickey Chapelle as she risks everything to show the American people the price of war through the lens of her camera.”
What I Liked About The Last Assignment:
I found Dickey Chapelle’s life fascinating. She was one of the first female war correspondents in US history. The Last Assignment reads like fiction, and yet, you know that the story is all true. It’s the best way, in my opinion, to learn about history. I used to teach US History in the beginning of my teaching career. Now, I can see that I didn’t cover much about the heroics of women during WWII. I would change that if I could.
Chapelle could not only fly a plane, she also jumped out of them to land in some of the different nations’ military units. She was determined to always be “first” to get the best shot. You can find many of her photographs here.
I liked that the book wasn’t especially sad. Robuck did an outstanding job of research, and then wove the story to make it an interesting book. Although much of the subject matter is dark, I mean Chapelle DID photograph wars, Robuck presented the story in a way that you are constantly cheering for Chapelle. She always wanted to find a place to belong, and it wasn’t easy in a male-dominated profession.
As quoted in the book, “I used to think of myself as a girl reporter, then a war correspondent. Now, however, I see I have to serve as an interpreter of violence. Find it, expose it, name it, exorcise it. That is my task, and I’m ready for my next mission.”
If you like reading about women who defied barriers, you will enjoy The Last Assignment. Her photos became an important part of history.
This was four out of five stars for me. The only reason it wasn’t a five-star read for me was the author’s decision to fictionalize certain events or when people appeared in the story to better fit the narrative, although she did disclose them at the end.
Where To Buy The Last Assignment and More:
- Purchase The Last Assignment: https://amzn.to/46cUmCT
- If you liked this book, I also recommend these historical books and autobiographies for your next read:
- Hold Strong: by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree
- Little Souls: by Sandra Dallas
- This American Woman: by Zarna Garg
- The Stars Are Our Witness: by Siobahn Curham
- My review (you’ll have to scroll down to it: https://judiholst.com/book-tours/
- Read more of my book reviews: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
- Missed my Top Books of 2024? Find them here: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Erika Robuck for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.
Now, I’d love to hear from you: What is your favorite historical fiction book? I’d love more recommendations.
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