Jacques Roujon

Born in Paris on October 30, 1884, Jacques Roujon was a French journalist, writer, and historian. He studied literature and law, worked first as a lawyer, and then entered journalism in 1912 at Le Figaro. He was the son of Henry Roujon, a senior civil servant and man of letters, which helps explain how naturally he moved in literary and political circles.

During World War I, he served as a soldier in the 152nd Infantry Regiment and fought at the front before illness forced him out of combat. He later drew on that experience in Carnet de route (1916), a war diary that was praised by critic Jean Norton Cru as a sincere and valuable testimony from an ordinary soldier.

Roujon went on to hold important editorial roles at several French newspapers, including Le Nouveau Siècle, L'Ami du peuple, and Le Petit Parisien during the Occupation. His career reflects both the energy of the French press in the first half of the 20th century and the political tensions that shaped it.