In Extremis: A Book Review
Crazy. Brave. Inspiring. Reckless. Extraordinary.
These are only a few words you could use to describe the incredible war correspondent, Marie Colvin. But words would not do her justice.
In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin.
The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. A woman with an eye patch. There had to be a story there. Attractive. Confident. Extreme.
In Extremis is about a war correspondent who lived to be a voice for those who were not heard. Travelling to parts of the world where few were brave enough to venture. Afghanistan. Libya. East Timor. Kosovo. Syria. There was no place that was too dangeorus. No place that she feared.
She was a drinker and smoker, but her drug of choice was the danger zone. To be with the people, on the ground, telling their stories selflessly even when bombs were going off around her.
It’s impossible to know or even to guess what goes on in a mind that has witnessed the terrors of war. It’s hard to imagine it all in the comforts of our living room watching Netflix and sipping on wine as our kids sleep soundly in their beds.
From the humble beginnings of a middle class family, to a passionate and brave woman who trusted that her reporting as a war correspondent was necessary to not only inform the world but also help those in need. Her words and her dedication saved many lives.
In Extremis is rich in colour and emotion, leaving no stone unturned bewteen Colvin’s messy private life and career, written by her friend and colleague, it draws on interviews with family and friends, journal entries, published stories and email correspondence. Together telling a story of an inspiring woman, acclaimed journalist, taken too soon doing what she loved most. Marie Colvin was a war correspondent who refused to settle behind a desk. Her place was in the war zone and that’s where it all ended.
Her death could have been avoided, maybe only postponed. One will never know. But her selflessness will live on.
In Extremis: The Life and Death of the War Correspondent Marie Colvin