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Hankw
From Memoir to Conspiracy
The story begins as an autobiography covering a period in the war correspondent’s life. The reporter and his associates are attacked. The reporter suffers PTSD. Fifteen years later he returns to the scene joins up with a woman who was also a victim in the last encounter. The story rapidly takes on the character of a conspiracy book filled triple and double crosses. No one can be trusted except the woman attacked in the previous encounter. And of course their relationship develops.
The book is well written and a good read. As the book advanced it was hard to put it down. It also provided an excellent to recall the conflict in Bosnia and Serbia as well as the pursuit of Ratko Mladic.
Karen P. (Fredericksburg, VA)
A thriller based on the author's experiences - great read!
Based on Fletcher's experiences, The War Reporter is a suspense-filled and beautifully-written novel of war with all of its atrocities and the long process of healing after the fighting ceased. A touching love story between the reporter and his interpreter is deftly intertwined with the dangerous research for a documentary on a war criminal in hiding while struggling to cope with their own lingering demons from the war. This novel reads more like a thriller than a memoir. Highly recommended.
Janet_Schneider
Bosnian Conflict from a Reporter's POV
A well-told story from a unique perspective; especially recommended for fans of Girl at War. The reader is quickly drawn into Tom's world.
The War Reporter is a fascinating look at the very real dangers faced in reporting from the front lines, while also telescoping the war's impact in a before and after look at the Bosnian conflict. The novel follows Tom Layne first as he carefully navigates the reporter's role in covering the conflict, which a colleague tellingly describes as "the Unspellables versus the Unpronouncables", and later in a followup visit twelve years later. In his first assignment to the area Tom, his best friend Nick, and their translator Nina face unspeakable danger with tragic consequences. In his followup assignment, now suffering from PTSD and filled with regret, Tom's efforts to discover who encouraged ethnic cleansing and other heinous war crimes are packed with suspense. From his moving reunion with Nina to his realization of the importance of love Tom is finally able to gain redemption and closure.
A side note: I did object to Mr. Fletcher's repeated use of the archaic term harelip in a number of scenes. The more accurate terms of cleft lip/cleft lip and palate would have been not only kinder, but more illustrative to the context.
Melinda
The War Reporter
After closing the book I kept thinking of all the war correspondents - the ravages they witness, bloodshed embedded in their memory, terrifying nightmares, for some like Tom they experience hardcore trauma first hand. Whatever the circumstances it left me contemplating how many suffer from PTSD. With all certitude there are more Tom Layne's suffering silently as their family and friends remain helpless in what to do. No doubt a dangerous occupation where your life is on the line continuously, danger lurking at every corner. I have always held war correspondents in high esteem but more so after reading Fletcher's enthralling and brutal story of the Serbia-Croatia War.
Tom, Nina, Nick their chemistry and combined stories grip your attention. Tom and Nina tethered forever through the unthinkable, able to understand what each has endured and continues to struggle with years later. I love their chemistry together along with their tender romantic connection. Tom's quest for revenge seeking Ratko Mladic is exciting, his intelligence and motivation makes his search intriguing and fascinatingly dangerous. Fletcher excels in sketching a well defined portrait of a war journalist in the heat of battle as well as the aftermath of war atrocities. A well balanced emotional glimpse.
Fletcher's journalistic expertise paired with his stellar career to draw upon, his eloquent writing provides such an exciting story equal measures memoir, and thriller.
Elly M., Roswell, NM
The War Reporter
Mr. Fletcher has penned a fast paced historical novel with the subject matter covering something of interest for everyone; that is...a war, along with a love story.
The story centers on the conflict in the Serbia and Bosnia region, giving insight with regard to not only the hostilities, but the day to day experiences of a war correspondent. We read the news, but rarely do we think of what reporters must face In bringing it to us. This is a good example.
"The War Reporter" takes us into a combat that, unfortunately, too few in America gave much thought. This is definitely a lesson in history. For this reason, it would be a good novel for a book club to read and discuss.
I might also add that the inclusion of the love interest was necessary to the story and will serve to entice a larger readership.
Book Reviewer from IA/CA
A war that wouldn't quit
An American TV journalist covering the Bosnian war in 1994 is waylaid by Serbian troops with his photographer and translator, with tragic results. The journalist survives but is haunted by the event and by the memory of the translator. Twelve years later he returns to Serbia, a free-lancer doing a documentary, and reconnects with the translator. He wants to know why a known war criminal has not been arrested and who is protecting him. The romance with the translator continues apace while he gets closer and closer to the war criminal. End of plot description, as I don't want to include a spoiler. The story is pretty good. The characters don't seem too realistic -- the journalist is pretty one-dimensional and does some pretty unbelievable things. Other characters are similarly without a great deal of depth. I was bothered by the shifting point of view; 95 of the time, things are seen and described from the journalist's point of view, but then there will be a paragraph or two in which someone else's thoughts are described or the plot is moved forward by someone else's actions of which the journalist is unaware. Overall, a good but not great book.
Patricia H. (Norman, OK)
The changes war brings
in war torn Sarajevo a fearless front-line reporting crew try to get the real story for their readers at home. The human side of war that is. But going for that story leads to a horrible tragedy that affects the crew forever. With nothing but their lives the remaining crew face the past and the present in a world where the bad guys are protected and possibly by the U.S. Government itself. Well written. Acceptable for mature teens and adults.
Jeff M. (Somerset, NJ)
The War Reporter
Martin Fletcher, as a long-time correspondent for NBC News, understands what it is like to be a war reporter. He delves deeply into the mind of the major character, Tom Layne, as Tom tries to obtain THE story. Fletcher's descriptions of war-torn Sarajevo and the aftermath, twelve years later are especially riveting and in some cases, heartbreaking. So is the search for war criminal, Ratko Mladic (who, outside of the story thread, was ultimately captured). As the story progresses, the reader sometimes doesn't know what side some of the characters are really on which adds to the suspense. These action scenes and political intrigue reminded me favorably of recent novels by Owen Steinhauer. After a slow beginning, I did find the novel to be one where it was hard to put down. However, at the end, the rather long resolution of the love affair between Tom and Nina tended to leave me a bit flat.
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