Under the Wire: Marie Colvin's Final Assignment

This book captures the spirit of journalism in an essential way. Paul Conroy comes to journalism naturally and genuinely, finding his path gradually, without schooling, which then becomes his entry into the true character of Marie Colvin and her essential spirit as a journalist, in a line stretching back through Martha Gellhorn (forget the diversion into E. Hemingway) and through Nellie Bly. Along the Colvin way, with the pirate's eye patch glaring at a world veiled behind its own black obscurities, is the contrast between the true, independent journalist like Colvin and those other journalists who lapse into stupor as though drugged and let themselves be managed by committees and bureaucracies. Colvin and Conroy gravitate to the crisis zone where they find their liberty and freedom to report, to right the balances of life, to ensure a hearing for justice. Conroy's book is an extensive journey through the back story of what produces truth in journalism and the character of the true journalist that goes with it. But the public does not normally see the back story that yielded the truth, and the character that yielded the truth, and it is too easy to miss it in journalism school, where the standard journalism text turns journalism into a technicality that can be taught and graded and an abstraction that can be grasped. The only shame in this book by Conroy is that it has not been issued in paperback form, which I could then make required reading for my deprived journalism students.

Being a war correspondent is not what it used to be! Between all of the online 'amateur' pics and videos of war zones (necessitating verification by vetted journalists) and the fact that in so many instances these journalists are targets (journalists and doctors, go figure). I kept asking myself why Conroy and Colvin would even attempt to sneak into Assad's crosshairs. It's crazy how they got in. Crazier once they got there. I kept asking myself if "bearing witness" to the insanity, the atrocities, was enough to keep people like Conroy and Colvin moving forward. I am in awe of their principles and their courage in the face of fear and destruction. There's unspeakable darkness in our world. In Colvin, we've lost one of those few special and credible people with the heart (and nerve) to shine a light for policy makers (and the rest of us) to see what's really happening. I could pick apart aspects of the writing (Conroy's primarily a photographer, I think), but there' s no point. I hope Conroy's OK, He went through a lot and I wish him well.

A compelling, edge of your seat story that will bring you into the action and leave you with a sense of awe and admiration for the fearless commitment on the part of Paul Conroy and Marie Colvin to telling the truth about life in war zones. It will also leave you saddened at the loss of a great journalist and wonderful human being, Ms.Colvin, in a senseless and outrageous war. This book is well written, personal, and truly gives one a sense of the dangers, and rewards, of being a war correspondent.

I had just finished Under the Wire and wanted to know more about Marie Colvin's last assignment, as I recalled the day it happened and reading her obituary in the Sunday Times so wanted to fill in the blanks a bit. Paul Conroy does a great job of revealing their working synergy and their desire to tell the truth, no matter the danger. The many messages in this story - from Marie's desire to ensure that the whole world would know the truth about Assad's destruction of Syria to the stories of the many FSA who looked after Marie and Paul and their colleagues while risking their own safety, to ensure that the story would be told - it is a great account of life, human suffering, human bravery and selflessness and the true costs of war. The details are so well recalled and told that I felt I had watched the journey myself and I learned so much along the way. Marie Colvin was a hero who lost her life telling stories we might otherwise have never known. Paul Conroy is a brilliant photographer, writer and warrior for the truth.

The book isnt about Marie Colvin or really about Paul Conroy, its about their final assignment. Im not trying to be funny, when I write this. If your looking for a biograph, this isnt it. But its an important story, I feel well written, and worth telling.The things many of us take for granted in our daily lives. Here is a story about journalist, trying to remind the many of us, what is going on in the rest of the world, and the price they will pay to tell that story. I enjoyed that the book was melodramatic, its was plain and clearly written. Its a good book about a small piece of a conflict that still goes on, but has fewer headlines than American Idol or X Factor.. It was worth the read to me

Since I first started seeing Marie Colvin interviewed on CNN, I had admired her courage and her diligence as a journalist. She was definitely from the old school of swahbuckler journalists of another era. I was saddened by her tragic death. Both "On the Front Lines" and "Under the Wire" are compelling in telling her life story and giving readers a sampling of her newspaper dispatches from many trouble spots over the past 10-15 years. She emerges as a larger-than-life character who cared about the people she wrote about and the always assessed the impact of war on them, whether it be Siri Lanka or Syria pr ,mamny other places, mostly in the Middle East. Her account of being shot in one eye, the horror of the pain that caused and how she coped with it for the rest of her life is heartbreaking and inspiring. Her colleague Paul Conroy was with her when she died and his own accdount of how he got out of Syria alive is exciting and dramatic. Both books sould be on the required reading lists of journalism schools everywhere.

This was a book that was hard to put down. Marie Colvin was a phenomenon all on her own. Her quest for truth and for informing the western world of that truth in war zones was truly inspirational. She did not “spin” anything as all politicians do. What she did was for all mankind and I hope her work is being carried on. Paul Conroy gave us a great gift by telling his and Marie’s story.

I couldn't put this book down. I didn't know anything previously about Paul Conroy but after reading his book, he and Marie were so brave to go into Baba Amr to 'bear witness' to what was happening to civilians. Anyone who complains about Syrian refugees fleeing into Europe should read this book and see what brutality was unleashed on them. Brilliant book.

An immensely horrific account of what dictators are capable of inflicting on their own people.Giving true insight into the kindness, support & determination people are capable of while in the depths of opposing human savagery.Such an amazing read. Eternal thanks to those who put themselves in these selfless positions to expose these awful atrocities & strive to help those that need it most.

Hard facts written in a very readable way. Paul the author shares his experience and those of Marie Colvin in hell on earth. Many, many others who helped them endlessly but have not been fully acknowledged, have my full admiration and respect. Well worth the read.

This is a well written & thought out factual book. I'm sure that Paul Conroy has got over his & Marie Colvin's experiences & friendhip in the only way possible, & I feel it does them justice. His writing is honest & graphic at times, so please be aware of that. His grief & reactions at the death of his friend are genuine, but in some respects he is so tied up in his own injuries & escape the event is almost downplayed (I've seen him interviewed about this book, and his writing of the day that Colvin was killed he recounts as the "day he has to kill marie", figuratively speaking.) The purpose of their trip was to highlight the damages being inflicted by the Assad regieme, which it does very well...

excellent, a real page turner but horrific in terms of what the author and Marie Colvin had to go through to get their story. I don't know how human beings survive circumstances like these, some don't, which is main point of this book. How people live in war torn cities with nothing, little food, no medical facilities, little water and not knowing who is friend or foe humbles me beyond belief.