Uncivilized beasts and shameless hellions: travels with an NPR correspondent, by John F. Burnett

 

This is a fascinating collection of essays by NPR correspondent John Burnett about his experiences reporting some of the biggest stories of the previous decades (this book was published in 2006). Chapters cover his time spent in the Middle East (Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan), Guatemala, Kosovo, and Mexico. Other chapters cover dramatic episodes in U.S. history such as Hurricane Katrina and the Waco siege. I always find it fascinating getting the inside scoop on important stories, often including details and anecdotes that don't make it into the daily reporting, and this book doesn't disappoint.