Hilsum brilliantly synthesizes it all, separating wheat from chaff and building a portrait of a remarkable and somewhat troubled woman.Īlso, “In Extremis” seems fresh. She had access to substantial source material - people who knew her, as well as Colvin’s extensive very personal and very honest diaries. Hilsum knew Colvin, covered conflicts around the globe with her and is an excellent writer. This is a woman who lived life like a beer commercial: with gusto, passion and a bravery that set her apart - and it ultimately cost her her life.Īnd then there is the biographer, Lindsey Hilsum. There is the subject herself, Marie Colvin. Drawing on unpublished diaries and notebooks, and interviews with Marie's friends, family and colleagues, In Extremis is the story of our turbulent age, and the life of a woman who defied convention.For many reasons, “In Extremis” is the best biography I’ve read in what seems like ages. Written by fellow foreign correspondent Lindsey Hilsum, this is the story of the most daring war reporter of her age. Like her hero, the legendary reporter Martha Gellhorn, she sought to bear witness to the horrifying truths of war, to write 'the first draft of history' and crucially to shine a light on the suffering of ordinary people. In Sri Lanka in 2001, Marie was hit by a grenade and lost the sight in her left eye - resulting in her trademark eye patch - and in 2012 she was killed in Syria.
With fierce compassion and honesty, she reported from the most dangerous places in the world, fractured by conflict and genocide, going in further and staying longer than anyone else.
Marie Colvin was glamorous, hard-drinking, braver than the boys, with a troubled and rackety personal life. Categories Adult Non-Fiction, Biography and Autobiography
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