John Hersey was born on June 17, 1914, in China. His parents were missionaries, and he spent his early years living in various locations in China before moving to the United States. Hersey attended Yale University, where he studied English and graduated in 1936. After graduation, he worked for the Yale Daily News and eventually became its managing editor.
During World War II, Hersey worked as a war correspondent for Time and Life magazine, where he reported on various events happening in Europe and Asia. His experiences during the war greatly influenced his writing style and subject matter.
Hersey is often credited as one of the pioneers of New Journalism, a style of journalism that incorporated literary techniques and storytelling into factual reporting. He believed in the power of narrative and used it to draw readers into serious and often difficult subjects.
One of Hersey's most famous works is his 31,000-word article titled Hiroshima, which was published in The New Yorker in 1946. The article documented the experiences of six survivors of the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city during World War II. Hiroshima was later published as a book and is considered a classic of journalistic literature.
Hersey was married to Clare Boothe Luce, a prominent American journalist, playwright, and politician. The couple had several children together and remained married until Hersey's death.
John Hersey's contributions to journalism and literature have had a lasting impact on the field. His innovative approach to storytelling and commitment to truth and accuracy have inspired countless journalists and writers around the world. He will always be remembered as a pioneer in the world of journalism.