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  • In Extremis

  • The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin
  • By: Lindsey Hilsum
  • Narrated by: Lindsey Hilsum
  • Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (422 ratings)

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In Extremis

By: Lindsey Hilsum
Narrated by: Lindsey Hilsum
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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 Drawing on unpublished diaries and notebooks, and interviews with Marie’s friends, family and colleagues, In Extremis is the story of our turbulent age, and the life of a woman who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
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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)

What listeners say about In Extremis

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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A balanced biography

Marie Colvin was an incredibly brave (or reckless) war journalist whose death was a tragedy. Lindsey Hilsum is also a wonderful and very brave journalist and friend of Marie Colvin. In this biography she tries to give the full picture of Colvin with flaws as well as her incredible bravery but it's difficult when you were close to someone who died so tragically. I think the book would have benefitted from some more context on whether the risks Colvin took were much more reckless than other journalists and whether the criticisms of her employer (The Sunday Times) for encouraging her to take those risks for a good story are justified.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing

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

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An amazing life

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

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

A great insight into the life of a remarkable woman and her quest to tell the world of what was actually happening in war torn countries .
She indeed leaves a wonderful legacy of her passion and courage in both life and work .
Can’t recommend this book enough .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

Remarkable portrait of a remarkable woman by a remarkable woman. Also fascinating on recent wars and the toll it takes to be war correspondent

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Holy cow!

What a fascinating and tragic life combined made up Marie Colvin. A true hero, completely transparent, and a marvel. This story is fascinating. I can only imagine not only what it would have been like to walk in her shoes, but to also be a part of her crazy gang.
A well written book.
The narration didn't really fit. The narrator being a bit shouty and aggressive in tone, as well as unclear in parts and very strange attempts at accents did distract from the story a bit. The narrator's frustration and anger came through but it was harsh on the ears, especially when listening with headphones on.
I loved every second of this story and shed a tear at the end. These brave souls put their lives on the line to show us what is really happening in the world. In a time when Covid 19 is being called a war, this is a timely reminder of how real war can be. Bravery in the face of adversity ensures the fight for the truth continues.
Rave In Paradise Marie Colvin.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Reading Far Too Rushed

The story is really interesting but I was very disappointed by Lindsey Hilsum’s actual reading. She was far too quick and rushed, in fact she read the book like a news bulletin! I kept hoping she would slow down but unfortunately she didn’t therefore sadly I couldn’t finish listening to this excellent book. She should definitely not have read this book for Audible, very disappointing.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Utterly inspiring read

This was an incredibly detailed account of the amazing, admirable, courageous life of Marie Colvin. It explains the history and context of the war scenes that she would enter throughout her life well and in a digestible manner. It highlighted to me the importance of journalists and war correspondents and how their role has changed over the period of Marie’s life, particularly those occupations in relation to being a woman. It pulls together an incredible array of voices who encountered her indicating the profound impact she had across the world. Although it covers the romantic life of Colvin throughout which initially felt unnecessary this builds up a well rounded picture of her capricious yet passionate character and which allows us to build emotion towards her. I felt very connected with her and her experiences and was totally heartbroken by the end of this audiobook. I think Lindsey Hilsum did a fantastic job of compiling what must have been a vast amount of material for this book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

I found this audiobook to present illuminating insights into the history of conflicts and the life of a war correspondent. Most of all it is a moving tribute to Marie Colvin, exploring her humanity and her personality, with forensic details, carefully researched. I was transported into her world and wished I had an ounce of her Joie de Vivre and warmth. Great job Lindsey Hilsum.

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