Foreign Correspondent: A Memoir Paperback – November 17, 2018

Greenway's personal trip through his history as a leading foreign correspondent for most serious major US publications is enhanced by his penetrating and highly thoughtful observations on cause and effect. These authoritative observations are illustrated by his prolific but understated use of "I was there and miraculously survived" the front lines of Southeast and Southwest Asian, the Balkans, and MidEast violence. His vignettes ranged from the whimsical history of the origin of Russia's current national flag through his many interviews with historically important movers and shakers, to his many opportunities to have been killed in his line of work.Embedded in this remarkably readable and all too short a memoir is an interesting soliloquy on the historical - and perhaps genetic - human practice of circling the tribal wagons and shooting at, or otherwise oppressing, the "other" when times are particularly tough. The unstated but logical implication is that there would be less killing and fewer wars if mankind could learn to govern itself in ways that produced greater general prosperity and fewer "unfair" inequalities. The prospects for such a sea change don't look very hopeful, as Mr. Picketty has recently documented.Greenway's memoir is a "must read" for all serious students of American Foreign policy in the hope that perhaps, just perhaps, the future leadership of this country can avoid repeating past mistakes.

Another reviewer shagged this book as "just plain boring." Mmmm. Not sure I can agree with that.Granted, this book doesn't have the spellbinding adventure of maybe Caputo's or Faast's stories but still very interesting background information about the various conflicts he covered and about the regions he covered them in and the politics that surrounded each.If anything, I wish he'd've included more pictures, but I thought it was a pretty good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. But then, I have been a fan of his writing from his days at the Globe some years ago. So glad he put these stories together in this book. A fascinating, well-written view to the world of a foreign correspondent on scene during some of the most momentous events of the past century.

I was impressed with this auto-biography! Greenway spent his life in the real life world of war correspondent and cast a lot of wisdom on the geo-politics that have formed our lives. John LaCaire used him as the basis of his character protagonist in the Honorable School Boy. I was very pleased and should be a good read for the baby boomers who lived most of this mans reporting history.

David Greenway gives journalistic professionals and those who follow the news some well told and rare insights into the world of journalism and especially that special world of foreign correspondence. I was particularly struck by his observation that the correspondents in Vietnam developed an emotional attachment to that country, something that certainly did not happen to those who followed in Iraq. One can only hope this book is not some kind of obituary, in a journalistic world turned upside down by technology and economic forces, for the kind of foreign correspondence that has served millions of Amiercan readers so well in the decades since World War II. A treat of a book.

Written by my husband classmate. Good to read.

Outstanding view of the world and its areas in conflict through the eyes of a fearless correspondent. The reader travels with him and his family throughout the agony of Vietnam and Asia. Wonderfully written and easy for the reader to "feel" the difficulty that he had as he moved from place to place. A great read!!

A totally gifted writer, his memoir is full of the backstories of the parts of the world he covered. He writes with panache, humor and sensitivity. I could not put it down once I started.