Unveiling the Enigma: Walter Duranty, The New York Times Man in Moscow

Stalin's Apologist: Walter Duranty: The New York Times's Man in Moscow

by S.J. Taylor

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3406 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	432 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled

FREE

Walter Duranty was a legendary New York Times correspondent who covered the Soviet Union for over two decades. His dispatches from Moscow were often the only source of information about the country for Western readers, and he played a major role in shaping American opinion about the Soviet regime.

Duranty was a complex and controversial figure. He was a brilliant reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Russian Revolution. However, he was also accused of being too sympathetic to the Soviet government and of turning a blind eye to its crimes.

In her new book, The New York Times Man in Moscow, Sally Bedell Smith paints a vivid portrait of Duranty and his life. Drawing on extensive research, including access to Duranty's personal papers and interviews with his family and friends, Smith provides a nuanced and balanced account of his career and legacy.

Smith argues that Duranty was a brilliant reporter who was deeply committed to his craft. However, she also acknowledges that he was a flawed individual who made some serious mistakes. Ultimately, Smith concludes that Duranty was a complex and contradictory figure who played a major role in shaping American understanding of the Soviet Union.

Duranty's Early Life and Career

Walter Duranty was born in Liverpool, England, in 1884. He began his journalism career in London, where he worked for several newspapers before joining the New York Times in 1912.

Duranty was assigned to cover the Russian Revolution in 1917. He was one of the few Western journalists who remained in Russia after the Bolsheviks seized power. His dispatches from Moscow were often the only source of information about the country for Western readers.

Duranty's coverage of the Russian Revolution was controversial. He was accused of being too sympathetic to the Bolsheviks and of turning a blind eye to their crimes. However, he also provided valuable insights into the events that were unfolding in Russia.

Duranty's Pulitzer Prize

In 1932, Duranty won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Soviet Union. The prize was awarded for a series of articles that he wrote about the country's first Five-Year Plan.

Duranty's Pulitzer Prize was a major recognition of his work as a journalist. However, it also drew criticism from some who accused him of being too sympathetic to the Soviet government.

Duranty's Later Career

Duranty continued to cover the Soviet Union for the New York Times until 1936. He then returned to the United States, where he worked as a commentator and lecturer.

Duranty died in 1957. He was a controversial figure throughout his life, but he remains one of the most important journalists of the 20th century.

Walter Duranty was a complex and contradictory figure. He was a brilliant reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Soviet Union. However, he was also accused of being too sympathetic to the Soviet government and of turning a blind eye to its crimes.

In her new book, The New York Times Man in Moscow, Sally Bedell Smith paints a vivid portrait of Duranty and his life. Drawing on extensive research, including access to Duranty's personal papers and interviews with his family and friends, Smith provides a nuanced and balanced account of his career and legacy.

Smith argues that Duranty was a brilliant reporter who was deeply committed to his craft. However, she also acknowledges that he was a flawed individual who made some serious mistakes. Ultimately, Smith concludes that Duranty was a complex and contradictory figure who played a major role in shaping American understanding of the Soviet Union.

Stalin's Apologist: Walter Duranty: The New York Times's Man in Moscow

by S.J. Taylor

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3406 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	432 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled

FREE