Customer Reviews

Live from the Battlefield: From Vietnam to Baghdad--35 Years in the World's War Zones

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Want to know what really happened on the battlefield in Vietnam and else where? Read this book. As with most good journalists who stood firm maintaining the freedom of the press, and gave the public a true picture of what was happening abroad, he was railed on by the Pentagon and Whitehouse officials throughout his career. I've just read the book and something especially haunting was the last chapter. He is covering Afghanistan, the year was about 1993 after the 'freedom fighters' got rid of the communists and the entire country is ridden with corruption, violence, and warring factions. While waiting for his plane to Kabul he has a conversation with an influential Pakistani who blamed the chaos on the "mercurial American foreign policy". Saying "all you Americans cared about was destroying communism, and you welcomed extremists to the struggle and trained them to kill. But many of those people don't like you either, and you're the next target". On the very last page, Arnett ends the book as he is leaving Afghanistan, he writes: "The collapse of the Soviet empire, the end of the Cold War, had not brought harmony to Afghanistan, merely conflict and criminality. And the United States would reap a bitter harvest from the seeds of the Islamic revolution it helped sow. I was glad to be leaving Afghanistan but I knew that the story was not over". I would probably have to go back". As usual,the Pentagon and their right-wing pundits who attack people like Arnett as sympathizers, and conspiracy theorists, have been proven wrong by history, and the current events today.

A thrilling account by a master journalist who pursued `the story' for four decades over four continents. Guided by a determination to write only what he himself saw, Arnett sent out a steady stream of reports about what was actually happening in Vietnam, shrugging off the official military handouts as the "Five O'Clock Follies." His doggedness, bravery and resourcefulness in getting to where the action was resulted in Pulitzer Prize winning reports. He later became famous, if controversial, as one of the few American reporters to cover the Gulf War from inside Baghdad. An exhilarating read.

The following comments are for the abridged audio book version of "Live From the Battlefield" by Peter Arnett copyright 1994 by Simon & Schuster. The audio book consists of 2 cassette tapes with a total run time of 3 hours. Peter Arnett reads which, in my oppinion, add a significant degree of historical interest to the narrative.

It was unfortunate that this audio book was abridged. It would of been appropriate if actual excerpts from his news broadcast had been included on a few additional tapes.

The narrative form employed for this audio book consists of several sentences about a particular event or news worthy issue punciated by a lengthy pause. It gave the presentation an episodic feel, which I found disconcerting.

I would certainly recommend this audio book particularly if you have an interest in the Vietnam War and how it was reported. The old expression "The first causality in war is the truth" is clearly explored in this first person account.

Peter Gregg Arnett, born November 13, 1934, is a New Zeland-Americian journalist. He is known for his coverage of war, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. He was awarded the 1966 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for his work in Vietnam, where he was present from 1962 to 1975, most of the time reporting for the news agency.

A final note on audio cassettes books. I write these comments in 2011 so that makes these tapes 17 years old. I have no idea how long audio recording will last but these two tapes played without any mechanical problems and the audio was excellent.

This book is an important book, Why ?, because Mr. Arnett really did walk the walk and show how the truth hurts, but lies will kill you. Too many people will never understand the taboo of looking at a place and time from the point of view that Mr. Arnett tried to nuzzle (were insight lies). So... if you consider yourself even partly open minded (unbiased), then read this book and maybe you to will see the folly in play. It really doesn't get any better then this, it's kind of amazing that he survived to tell the tale, being the proverbial rope in a tug-of-war. The only negative comment is the intro is useless and there is no epilogue. One other comment, Universality is a taskmaster that will never exist.

I had no idea of the things Arnett had done before the 1st Iraq war. He has led quite an amazing journalistic life. Very enjoyable read.

I have read several reporters auto-biographies but Peter's is the most interesting and gripping. It is full of insightful detail that really makes you feel the excitement and terror of being a war correspondent.

For anyone with the least bit of interest in the Vietnam "police action" and the Gulf War, and honest wartime reporting from someone with an impenetrable sense of integrity, this autobiography is a "must read." Dr. Arnett's autobiography should also be required reading for all jounalism students as a measure of their worth and what it takes to persevere when the "real story," the story on the ground, may not necessarily match that of the "party line."