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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse of Baghdad in the months leading up to the war and the days after the bombing started in April 2003 until US troops took the city. Garrels was one of the few journalists (American and otherwise) who stuck it out in less-than-ideal conditions. I remember hearing her reports on NPR at the time, but it's been so long, I don't remember the particulars. Now, I wish I could go back and listen to them with my new knowledge of what effort it took to obtain the information and report it back to NPR via satphone. Interspersed throughout Garrels' story were the email bulletins her husband read from those he had sent out to family and friends at the time, as well as references to some of the other charming locales from which she had reported, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Chechnya, comparing those experiences to the current one. This is a good book to listen to because Garrels reads it herself, so the story is told in her words and with her familiar voice.
This was an absolutely fascinating read!!! It gave such real insight into the war I grew up hearing about but not understanding.
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
This book checked all the boxes for me. Getting an inside view of war from a non-political, non-fighting point-of-view is a nice change of pace. The Iraq War was a confusing time and this book shows how the prelude to war and the initial invasion affected so many Iraqi citizens.
Anne Garrels is a great journalist and her writing is second to none. I could hear her voice in every part of this book. I only wish the stories she filed were also included in the book.
Anne Garrels is a great journalist and her writing is second to none. I could hear her voice in every part of this book. I only wish the stories she filed were also included in the book.
My first book on CD! Sarah, aren't you proud??
Brandon and I listened to this on our 13 hour drive to California and our 26 hour adventure on the way back. It was most excellent. She is so brave! And smart.
Brandon and I listened to this on our 13 hour drive to California and our 26 hour adventure on the way back. It was most excellent. She is so brave! And smart.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I found this book entirely fascinating. As an NPR junkie, learning the backstory of how a reporter like Ann Garrels gets her stories in a war zone was enlightening to say the least. She's a factual writer - and much of her writing sounds like her reporting. I was incredibly impressed with her boldness and bravery to get the best story for NPR's listeners, as well as her ethics and humility in contrast to networks like CNN and the way they get by in a war zone. As if I needed another reason to love NPR, I have an even broader respect for the quality of the journalism and I feel blessed that our country has a news outlet that avoids sensationalism and seeks truth.
Everyone, read this book. Part reportage, part personal journal, part love letter, it's an inside look at the lead-up and first months of the Iraq war. From this vantage, now nearly five - FIVE - years later, it will break your heart.