In Extremis

The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin

By: Lindsey Hilsum

Narrated by: Lindsey Hilsum

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Random House presents the audiobook edition of In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin, written and read by Lindsey Hilsum.

** BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK **

‘It has always seemed to me that what I write about is humanity in extremis, pushed to the unendurable, and that it is important to tell people what really happens in wars.’ Marie Colvin, 2001

Marie Colvin was glamorous, hard-drinking, braver than the boys, with a troubled and rackety personal life. 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. 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. 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.

Written by fellow foreign correspondent Lindsey Hilsum, this is the story of the most daring war reporter of her age. Drawing on unpublished diaries and notebooks, and interviews with Marie’s friends, family and colleagues, In Extremis is the story of our turbulent age, and the life of a woman who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.

©2018 Lindsey Hilsum (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

An extraordinary account of one reporter's fearless and ultimately fatal dedication... Hilsum draws an empathetic portrait of a woman whose courage often crossed into recklessness, both in combat zones and outside them... Now, thanks to Hilsum's deeply reported and passionately written book, Colvin has the full accounting that she deserves (Joshua Hammer)

A wonderful book – a fitting tribute, certainly, but also a well-told tale of a remarkable life (Jane Bonham Carter)

A stunningly good biography – compelling, revelatory and very moving. Lindsey Hilsum is the perfect writer to tell the story of Marie Colvin's rackety, brave and charismatic life (William Boyd)

STUNNING

An absolute must not only for aspiring journalists but for anyone with a heartbeat. Marie Colvin put a face to the brutality of war. May her legacy echo for decades to come.

A breath-taking adventure story

The story of a fascinating and courageous character and the storied life she chose. Full of adventure, romance, bohemian parties and delicious dialogue. The author does a great job of putting famous Marie Colvin tales into context by sketching out the conflicts that drew her into the battle zone. The author is a fellow war correspondent and is fully equipped to bring her story to life in technicolor. Marie Colvin’s compassion and sense of duty are contagious. Recommend!

Dull reading

I was excited to download this book but sadly I’m going to give up listening to it.
The author reads it but sadly her voice and tone is really monotonous. She also swallows a lot of words with I hurt find irksome. It’s a bit like someone taking turns to read aloud in high school.
Sorry. Would have been better read by a voice actor.
I haven’t listened to enough to rate the story yet.

An incredible book for an incredible woman.

I utterly loved this book. It made me smile and it made me cry but most of all, it made me feel. It made me feel despair, pain, regret, happiness, frustration, incredulity and awe. This has been my introduction to Marie Colvin and I will undoubtedly be reading (and watching) more about her. The book also acts as a very good overview summary of events in the middle-east and inspired me to find out more about that world. Lindsey Hilsum gave me this impression: Marie Colvin wasn't perfect but she lived and she cared and she fought to do what was right in this world. Having read this book, I will aim to do the same. There are worse things to do with your life after all.

P.S. Respect to all war correspondents.

An amazing life

This is a brilliant book. An amazing life, described beautifully. Unflinchingly honest without being salacious.

Amazing

I haven't finished listening to the book yet but I loved every second of it.

Interesting story read with bad American accents

An interesting listen which covers both professional and private life of Marie Colvin. Good book but didn't like the narration. The attempted American accents became highly irritating.

What's with the weird, quasi American accent?

Amazing woman, well written, but I'm not sure the orator is the right choice for this book. I found I couldn't get over the not-quite-american accent the orator puts on to quote Colvin. It sounds contrived, clumsy and slightly mocking. Not intentional, surely, but it detracts from the story.
You need an actor to bring this to life.

An enthralling real life story

A well narrated, attention grabbing story about a complex woman who led an extraordinary life. I am looking forward to seeing the movie but always feel that the book tends to be better than the film! if you haven't purchased it already - go get it!

Inspiring and addictive

Brilliant story and finished in one sitting, then revisited several times... excellent and am recommending to everyone

Incredibly moving!

The story of a remarkable woman who was bent on reporting the truth. It’s funny in parts and heartbreaking in others. Makes you wonder what it is that motivates people to live such extreme (some would argue - foolhardy?) lives.
Marie was no saint; she was brave, stubborn, headstrong and unlucky in love but lived life to the full. However you look at it, this book tugs at your emotions.

Gripping

What an incredible tribute to a remarkable human being who understood the plight of the individuals caught in the monstrosity of war. A remarkable life and a wonderful tribute to her and the work she did.

powerful

This audio book gives you a wonderful insight into the life and career of an extraordinary person. her life at times just as chaotic as her work environment. it is a thrilling story to listen to, and I would highly recommend.