On all fronts: the education of a journalist, by Clarissa Ward

I really enjoyed this memoir by journalist Clarissa Ward, currently the chief international correspondent for CNN. She studied comparative literature at Yale University, but was inspired to become a journalist after 9/11. Her first experience in journalism was an unpaid internship with CNN's Moscow office. Following graduation, she was hired by Fox News, then did later stints as a freelancer, and worked for CBS and 60 Minutes. Ward has worked in and reported from many dangerous situations in Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Beirut, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Yemen, China, and other places. While I've seen many of her reports on TV, reading about the behind-the-scenes action that allowed her to get close to the action is fascinating. She has had many close calls, including times in which she is in the midst of shelling or has crossed a border illegally. The book closes as she becomes a mother for the first time, and it's clear that being a mother has given her a new perspective on the impact of violence on children and families across the globe.