Under the Wire: Marie Colvin's Final Assignment

by Paul Conroy Narrated by James Clamp

Overview

Marie Colvin, described as "the greatest war correspondent of her generation," was killed in a rocket attack in February 2012 while reporting on the desperate suffering of civilians inside Syria's besieged Homs. Paul Conroy, who had forged a close bond with Colvin as they put their lives on the line time and time again to report from some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones, was with her. Under the Wire is Paul's gripping, visceral and moving account of their friendship, and in particular, the final year he spent alongside Marie.

When Marie and Paul were smuggled into Syria by rebel forces, they found themselves trapped in one of the most hellish neighborhoods on earth. Fierce barrages of heavy artillery fire rained down on the buildings surrounding them, killing and maiming hundreds of civilians. Marie was killed by a rocket which also blew hole in Paul's thigh, big enough to put his hand through. Bleeding profusely, short of food and water and in excruciating pain, Paul then endured five days of intense bombardment before being evacuated in a daring escape involving a motorbike ride through a tunnel, crawling through enemy terrain, and finally climbing a 12-foot-high wall.

Astonishingly vivid, heart-stoppingly dramatic and shot through with the darkest of humor, in Under the Wire Paul Conroy shows what it means to a be a war reporter in the 21st century. His is a story of two brave people drawn together by a shared compulsion to bear witness.

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Judith Matloff

Conroy worked alongside Colvin, and…the narrative becomes unrelentingly gripping as he depicts the pair's path toward disaster. My hands left sweat marks on the pages.

Publishers Weekly

09/30/2013
News reporter Marie Colvin, an American war correspondent for The Sunday Times in London, died in February 2012 in a Syrian attack. Conroy, a British photojournalist, was with Colvin on assignment at the time of her death and recounts those final weeks in her life, delivering a paean to his dear friend, a remarkable woman whose "reputation as a hard-arsed war reporter—one of the toughest, best and bravest of our time—preceded her." Her decades-long career landed her across the globe in places such as East Timor, Chechnya, Baghdad and Sri Lanka. She had a "superb sense of the absurd" as well as an "easy-going manner and effortless charm." Most of all, Colvin believed strongly in the power and responsibility of journalists to hold governments to account and to " witness to the plight of ordinary civilians…." Writing also of his preparations for Syria and his own experiences once there, Conroy highlights the emotional toll war-zone reporting can take on journalists' families. He describes ways he and his colleagues navigated battlegrounds, "walking a tightrope between life and death on a windy day." Conroy's visceral account is provides readers with a greater appreciation for the work of war correspondents and insight into the sacrifices they make. (Oct.)

From the Publisher

Bookviews
“Anyone who has spent any time in a war zone, in combat, or just wondering what it is like will thoroughly enjoy this book. One might say they shared a foxhole or two together and the story he tells is gripping and a great tribute to his friend, a great journalist.”

Sunday Times
“A fine and gripping account of how the brave, rackety band of war reporters and photographers bring the human consequences of war to our breakfast tables.”

The Times, UK
“Paul Conroy's touching memoir...is a tribute to the metier of reporting conflict...It's a touching, if heartbreaking story.”

Humphrey Hawksley, BBC
“A masterpiece, possibly the finest account of war of this generation.”

Books Examiner
“This is an eye-opening account of what journalists go through to tell the world about the atrocities going on in war-torn countries like Syria.”

Another Opinion

David Remnick, The New Yorker
“Colvin devoted her life—and gave her life—for the proposition that the truth of history demands witnesses. Her death, like that of so many others, is yet another reminder, as if any more were needed, that experience in the field is no shelter from disaster.”

Tom Fletcher, British ambassador to Lebanon
“Paul's experience is a chilling testimony to what families in Homs are experiencing. We need renewed focus on humanitarian support and to put an end to violence.”


Booklist

“In this tense, hour-by-hour account, he takes readers back to Syria and the events that led to their being behind the battle lines… Colvin was a significant voice in international journalism and will be sorely missed, and Conroy's account is unforgettable.”

Vanity Fair
“In Under the Wire, Conroy relives their odyssey and its harrowing final hours.”

Publisher's Weekly
“Conroy's visceral account is provides readers with a greater appreciation for the work of war correspondents and insight into the sacrifices they make.

MARCH 2014 - AudioFile

Veteran foreign correspondent Marie Colvin was no stranger to war zones and heavy fighting in some of the most dangerous places on earth, but her mission in Homs, Syria, during the bombardment by President Assad's forces in February 2012 proved to be her last. Narrator James Clamp reads this account of the siege, which was written by Marie Colvin’s friend and colleague, Paul Conroy. Clamp is engaging and suspenseful in his narration of this white-knuckle account, which reflects the lengths to which war correspondents will go to bring a story to light. He is effective in recounting the political situation in Syria and manages to convey the daredevil, justice-seeking personalities of the two protagonists, Marie and Paul. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172590948
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged

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