Veteran bbc foreign correspondent john simpson will be at the frontline club on the eve of the publication of his new book unreliable sources examining the british press and its reporting of key events throughout history john simpson is the bbcs world affairs editor and one of the worlds most experienced and authoritative journalists. Dec 12, 2016 in a career spanning more than four decades as foreign correspondent for the bbc, john simpson has reported from conflicts in iran, iraq, afghanistan and kosovo. Bbc news middle east this is just a scene from hell. Sep 30, 2018 veteran bbc war correspondent john simpson gets revenge on his old boss who he tried to force him out because of his age with a wicked fictional character in his new book simpson revealed what happened when james harding took over bbc in 20 he said. Buy the wars against saddam main market by simpson, john, simpson, john isbn. Guardian foreign correspondents, on the whole, decline to report their individual adventures. Nov 07, 2003 factual, interesting and well written. A few of the youngsters at work are sceptical it actually happened and would love to see it. He has written four books about his life and travels, strange places, questionable people, a mad world my masters, news from no manas land and the wars against saddam. John simpson 1944, ayatollah ruhollah khomeini, edward vii king of great britain 18411910, f. John cody fidler simpson cbe born 9 august 1944 is an english foreign correspondent and world affairs editor of bbc news. John simpson was born in cleveleys, lancashire on 9 august, 1944. Over these 12 years, things in iraq have gone from bad to horrific to bad again.
He lives in london with his south african wife, dee. On november th 2001, john simpson and a bbc news crew walked into kabul, and the liberation of the afghan capital was broadcast to a waiting world. Jul 01, 2008 john simpson, a vietnamera veteran, has been a uniformed police officer of the year, a federal agent, a federal magistrate, and an armed bodyguard to royalty and a senior government executive. Twenty tales from the war zone brings together the most powerful, shocking and, also, hilarious experiences. John simpson as a top television journalist, john simpson has been involved in many dangerous events. For over thirty years, john simpson has travelled the world to report on the most significant events of our time. The wars against saddam by john simpson overdrive rakuten. It was the end of a sustained campaign against the taliban, a campaign that simpson had covered from the beginning, despite appalling difficulties and, often, great danger. John simpson has won a number of awards including three baftas, a golden nymph award for his reporting of ayatollah khomeinis return to iran and an international emmy award for news coverage for his report on the fall of kabul for bbc ones ten oclock news in 2002 and an rts award for his reporting during the invasion of iraq. This, john simpsons third book, is in fact two books an account of his experiences in afghanistan in late 2001 culminating with his famous walk into kabul after the taliban had fled interspersed with his own, anecdoteheavy opinions on how journalism specifically, tv journalism operates in the modern world. As the bbcs world affairs editor, john simpson cbe has enjoyed a remarkable journalistic career. A major work of serious reportage and essential reading for all.
During 1979s iranian revolution john flew to tehran with the returning ayatollah khomeini, dodged bullets during the tiananmen square massacre in beijing, danced on top of the berlin wall in 1989, and was there to report on the fall of communism in czechoslovakia and romania. Its why the veteran bbc world affairs editor has lampooned the boss who he maintains tried so hard to sack him on. While reporting on a nonembedded basis from northern iraq in the 2003 iraq war, simpson was injured in a friendly fire incident when a u. Strange places, questionable people by john cody fidler. Ten years after the invasion of iraq, the bbcs world affairs editor, john simpson, recounts the countrys seismic changes, and remembers the. Oct 12, 2007 john simpson is one of the most respected journalists in the world. He has twice been the royal television societys journalist of the year and won countless other major television awards. Id like to read this book on kindle dont have a kindle. His survey of 20thcentury reporting seems to confirm most of what critics of the msm claim. I feel this is the friendly fire scene from the book roughneck nineone. The book came with some interesting insights on journalism and also seems to be quite balanced. He has written several books, including five volumes of autobiography, strange places, questionable. Sign guest book view guest book a professional speaker and writer.
The officer in charge of the american special forces saw an iraqi tank in the plain about a mile away from us, and it was i think firing in our direction and he called in an air strike to deal with the tank. Taking the hard road to baghdad by john simpson 356pp, macmillan. He has now reported from 140 countries and interviewed about 200 world leaders. Embattled and underresourced todays reporter may be, but it still remains the.
An american plane dropped a 1,000lb bomb about 11 yards from john, killing 18 people and injuring at least 45. John simpson jack is a retired army officer and middle east specialist who has served in morocco, iran, malaysia, vietnam, thailand, italy, germany, and 20 other countries. He has spent all his working life at the bbc, and has reported from more than 120 countries, including thirty war zones, and interviewed many world leaders. This riveting and important book is the summation of more than 20 years covering saddam husseins iraq. John simpson is one of those bbc news men who seems to have been around forever, and according to this book of his he has. He joined the bbc in 1970, aged 25, and in 1988 was appointed the corporations world affairs editor. He earned awards from the vice president of the united states and the secretary of the treasury. John simpson journalist news newspapers books scholar jstor september 20 learn how and when to remove this template message john cody fidlersimpson cbe born 9 august 1944 is an english foreign correspondent and world affairs editor of bbc news. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Reporting afghanistan and iraq reuters institute university of. Apart from giving a very interesting and authoritive history to iraq and saddams regime of terror, john simpson recounts in vivid and sometimes disturbing detail how he witnessed the gassing at halabjah and was then gassed himself, how he stayed in baghdad in 1991 when hundreds of journalists packed up and fled and, perhaps more emotionally. Muslim culture, and the mistakes we have made in iraq, both tactical and dealing with the iraqi people. Towards the end of gw1 john simpson was doing a piece to camera when all of a sudden a tomahawk cruise missile flew over his head, literally following the line of the street he was standing on. Bbcs john simpson tells how a plate of kedgeree nearly.
Ricks second book on the iraq war, the gamble, traces the low. John simpson is the bbcs most senior news broadcaster. One fatality was kamaran abdurazaq muhamed, whod asked to join simpsons crew as a translator. He also presents the current affairs programme simpson s world and is a columnist for the sunday telegraph newspaper.
He joined the bbc in 1966 and has stayed there ever since. His new book, we chose to speak of war and strife is an account not only of his own career, but of the journalists who have often risked life and limb to witness and bring us news of pivotal moments in our history, from the crimean. The wars against saddam meet your next favorite book. The war against saddam offers, in five acts, the full story. Jessica simpson s memoir is a major tellall but heres what we wish open book had covered by seija rankin february 04, 2020 at 07. In april 2003 he was injured in a friendly fire attack by a us navy jet which killed his iraqi translator. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app.
John simpson is the world affairs editor of the bbc. The fifth act will draw on simpsons firsthand experience of the 2003 war in iraq. Mar 19, 20 ten years after the invasion of iraq, the bbcs world affairs editor, john simpson, recounts the countrys seismic changes, and remembers the aftermath of a bombing he was caught up in. He is the author of five books, two of which are about islam and terrorism and three about helicopter pilots and green berets in vietnam. This riveting account is the summation of more than twenty years covering saddam husseins iraq. In this devastating and brilliant new book john simpson offers a compelling and cogent analysis of the wests relationship with saddam hussein and iraq, past and present. He is a director and writer, known for crimewatch uk 1984, panorama 1953 and bbc world news america 2007. On a visit to norwich he talked about his book not quite worlds end, whether he will ever think of retiring and how life looks. Of those already in afghanistan, 1,300 are in kabul and 4,200 are in the southern province of helmand. This riveting, important and timely new book is the summation of more than twenty years covering saddam husseins iraq. John cody fidlersimpson cbe born 9 august 1944 is an english foreign correspondent and. Apr 17, 2010 this is an idea that john simpson, the bbcs veteran world affairs editor, examines in unreliable sources. John simpson, the bbcs world affairs editor for more than 20 years, knows.
John simpson is the bbc s most senior news broadcaster. He received training from the armys special forces training center at fort bragg, north carolina in special warfare and psychological warfare. From being punched in the stomach by harold wilson on one of his first days as a reporter, to escaping summary execution in beirut, flying into teheran with the returning ayatollah khomeini, and narrowly avoiding entrapment by a beautiful czech secret agent, simpson has had an. John simpson has survived gunfire in baghdad, belgrade and tiananmen. In this devastating and brilliant new book john simpson offers a compelling and cogent analysis of the wests relationship with saddam hussein and iraq, past. John simpson, the bbc foreign reporter who was narrowly missed by a cruise missile during the gulf war, will not be sent to iraq if war breaks out. The wars against saddam, his account of the wests relationship with iraq and his two decades reporting on that relationship encompassing two gulf wars and the fall of saddam hussein, is also published by pan macmillan. John simpson john cody fidler simpson born august 9, 1944, commonly known as john simpson, is a british journalist who currently holds the role of world affairs editor for the bbc. He started at the bbc in 1966 in the radio news room, and after a short while, started to climb the ladder within the news room. Apr 05, 2017 one of the first topics discussed was the 2003 iraq invasion. Simpson doesnt mention his afghan venture in his latest book, although he gives high praise to hastings for his act. John simpson was born on august 9, 1944 in cleveleys, lancashire, england as john cody fidler simpson. Unreliable sources, by john simpson the independent. Apr 06, 2003 later, john simpson filed this report on how the attack unfolded.
Bbcs john simpson gets revenge on his old boss in new book. That is that the daesh propaganda, whether spoken, written or visual, emphasizes, as propaganda did in 2001 in afghanistan, the destruction and defacement of imagery, which was seen to be a powerful counter message to their. By far the most comprehensive and readable account to date. Life under khomeinis regime by john simpson, author. Im afraid that the conclusion is potentially quite grim. Sep 29, 2018 revenge, john simpson believes, is a dish best served piping hot in print. The abiding image of john simpson, the bbcs weighty world affairs editor, is of him attempting to do a max hastings and lead the liberation of kabul in 2002, all crouching caution and whispered. The war against saddam offers, in five acts, the full story of his rise to power and the wests relationship with saddam throughout his dictatorship. The wars against saddam, his account of the wests relationship with iraq and his two decades reporting on. Sep 23, 2016 john simpson collapsed unconscious on the floor of his bedroom at home in oxford earlier this month, in front of his wife dee, a 53yearold tv producer, and lapsed in and out of consciousness. Altogether a very good book that talks about the life of saddam husein and john simpsons reporting from iraq. John simpson went on to report from northern iraq when the us and britain attacked the country in 2003.