May You Live In Interesting Times - Couverture souple

Conor O'Clery has been a witness to some of the major world events of the last thirty years, including the ending of the Cold War as viewed from Moscow; the reluctant opening up of China to the West; the Clinton years in the White House; and the 9/11 attacks. As foreign correspondent for The Irish Times, he was the first western journalist to open an office in Moscow at the height of Gorbachev's glasnost, and he subsequently acted as correspondent from Washington, Beijing and New York. In May You Live in Interesting Times, O'Clery reveals the untold stories of life as a journalist on the front lines of history. He begins on 11 September 2001, describing in compelling detail the attacks on New York's World Trade Center and their aftermath, which he witnessed from his apartment two blocks away. From there he moves back in time, reporting from conflicts in Afghanistan, Iran/Iraq, Chechnya, China and East Timor, and on the break-up of the Soviet Union. He also provides a fascinating insight into the US presidential race, having covered three elections. And he describes how he broke the story that Bishop Eamon Casey had fathered a son. This is an essential book for anybody interested in the ever-changing, restless chaos of modern global history.

'Wonderful reports and wonderful insights.' --Pat Kenny, RTE Radio 1

'Wry and insightful' --Irish Mail on Sunday

'An enthralling read, covering the entire tapestry of world events from the 1980s onward.' --Irish Examiner