The War and the Death of News: From Battlefield to Newsroom – My Fifty Years in Journalism

It is sad that in todays world there ase very few Journalists who get their stories out before being sanatised. My hpe that this will inspire noble young women and men to follow this profession in the same honest and raw way popele of the generation Martin Bell did without Fear or Favoour.

Husband loved it.

An incredible testimony and a protest for integrity in reporting, but it does ramble a bit.

Bought as a gift. The recipient was very happy

There is nothing in other reviews of this book I would disagree with, but there is one point I would like to make.Bell often refers to people with whom he has had a disagreement or who have criticised him without naming them. To me this is disappointing coming from a man who so publicly takes the moral high ground. What have you got to hide? Publish and be damned!

This former and excellent foreign correspondent has written a frank account of the death of news. The style is crisp. Martin spent most of his working life at the BBC. He argues here that the corporation's great days are long gone. Many would agree. Today, he says it is very conservative, slow witted and run by idiots.Bell was a sergeant in the 1950s and he served in Cyprus during the infamous EOKA insurgency. He describes his time there as the best education he ever had. It made him realise the importance of character and action. He later joined tha BBC as a reporter and was soon sent to places like Vietnam and other major war zones. He quickly became highly respected. He demonstrates here his anger at what took place in Bosnia how the West was so passive. As a result, Hurd, our Foreign Secretary, criticised him. Simpson, the world affairs editor, said he was talking nonsense. The reply here is devastating.In 1997, Bell stood for Parliament in Tatton. Neil Hamilton was the Tory MP. Bell won and remained their MP until 2001. In the final chapters, Bell examines the television reporter's trade. As an outstanding reporter, what he has to say is important. Bell regards news today as doomed. He gives his reasons. He is undoubtedly correct in exposing the fact that the business model is outmoded. Bell has a disdain for the Internet.One can argue that Bell simply does not like change, that he ignores the avalanche of news now available but there is much in this engrossing book to make you ponder.

Informative, entertaining and humorous. Bell is an accomplished journalist and a man of principle in the mould of the late Malcolm Muggeridge. he has seen convicts all over the world both as a soldier in Cyprus and a BBC journalist all over the world. He sees that military solutions do not solve political problems for often the military are inept and the politicians mistaken. His account of becoming an independent MP for one term is very funny and most revealing. The book leaves me thigh admiration for Bell's integrity. He gives a good history of radio and the development of TV news reporting. The extent of the censorship, both official and editorially is most alarming. You only get the truth the editors think you should receive. A lot of truths come out here which were hidden in their time. His Observations chapter has some laugh out loud anecdotes. I do not share his final pessimism on the death of news. Truth will out - eventually.

Bell writes dispassionately of turbulent times in our recent history. His views are very well put and are authentic. He has changed my mind about events of the time - I wish we still had his integrity in modern newscasting. This is a good read for the over 60s - they will learn much.