A Review of Twenty Tales From the War Zone
John Simpson's Experiences as a BBC Journalist – a Quick Reads Book
Jul 26, 2009
After years of experience, as a BBC foreign correspondent, John Simpson has highlighted some of his most moving and difficult assignments. There is much to interest here. Many of the stories contain grim reminders of the perilous situations Simpson has found himself in and the brutality of war that he has witnessed, in countries such as Northern Ireland, Angola, Iraq and Iran.
Despite the title, not all the stories are about war. There is an entertaining account of his noisy encounter with Colonel Gadhafi and in another Africa country he worries about meeting a head of state who is rumoured to be a cannibal. Like many, he was bowled over by meeting Princess Diana and entranced by Nelson Mandela’s visit to Simpson’s old Cambridge college.
In a likeable, self-effacing fashion, he doesn’t always take himself too seriously, as he describes his and a fellow passenger's reaction to air turbulence above Italy and the cunning theft of his money in Prague.
Hard to Put Down?
John Simpson, in keeping with the style of the Quick Reads series, writes simply and in many ways rather as he might for a news report. He presents a powerful account of the influence that significant individuals and events have had on his and others’ lives over the past few decades. The tales come straight to the point but lack, at times, sufficient context and detail to make them totally satisfying. This is particularly true of those scenarios where there are complex political and/or religious influences, for example in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. However, more background would probably not have been within the remit of Quick Reads.
There are some stories where, in contrast to factual news reporting, Simpson allows his feelings to emerge. Particularly good examples are his account of the loss of his translator in friendly fire in Iraq in 2003 and his encounters with world leaders such as Nelson Mandela.
About the Author
John Simpson has been a TV journalist for the BBC for over forty years. After Cambridge University, he joined the BBC as a sub-editor, rapidly progressing through political reporting to his current forte of foreign affairs. He has reported on major wars and world events all over the world, one of the most recent being the ongoing situation in Zimbabwe.
Quick Reads series
Quick Reads are aimed at people who’ve either lost or never developed their reading habit or just want simply that, a quick read. They are short, often only about 100 pages long, and are written in an accessible and appealing style.
There are 32 books in the series including 10 published 5 March 2009, to coincide with World Book Day. Learning resources are provided to develop reading skills.
Reviews of 2009 Quick Reads
Twenty Tales from the War Zone: The Best of John Simpson. (ISBN: 978-0-330-44999-1). Published by Pan Books (UK) – 2007.
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