By Lynsey Addario
“Trying to convey beauty in war was a technique to try to prevent the reader from looking away or turning the page in response to something horrible. I wanted them to linger, to ask questions.”
In Lynsey Addario’s memoir, we witness the journey of a young girl experimenting with photography to becoming a war-time photo journalist for the New York Times. She has won numerous awards and recognition, including the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Prize, for her work.
Addario has been a war photographer for two decades. In this gripping memoir she chronicles her experiences working in a male-dominated field, interesting cultural and political angles in the many countries she has worked in.
She has covered conflict in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Darfur, and many other places. She’s been kidnapped twice. She has been hunkered down with soldiers during battle and has had tea with members of the Taliban. Her career graph is impressive and insightful.
“So many women were casualties of their birthplace. They had nothing when they were born and would have nothing when they died; they survived off the land and through their dedication to their families, their children. I interviewed dozens and dozens of African women who had endured more hardship and trauma than most Westerners even read about, and they plowed on. I often openly cried during interviews, unable to process this violence and hatred toward women I was witnessing.”
While I was always in awe of war-time journalists, after reading this book I have a new found appreciation for what they do. By risking their lives, they make sure the unheard voiced are documented, allowing us to bear witness to history.
This is a powerful book and I highly recommend it. It also includes some of Addario’s work, making it a great gift for the upcoming holiday season.
You can find her work at http://www.lynseyaddario.com/
Book Broad 