No Ordinary Assignment: A Memoir, written by Jane Ferguson, chronicles her career as a Middle East and South Asia war correspondent spanning thirteen years. The book was published in July 2023 by Mariner Books of New York.[1][2][3][4]
 2023 dust cover | |
| Author | Jane Ferguson |
|---|---|
| Country | United States, United Kingdom |
| Subject | Ferguson, Jane; War Press coverage; Women war correspondents Northern Ireland |
| Genre | Biography, memoir |
| Set in | Modern combat zones |
| Published | July 2023 |
| Publisher | Mariner Books |
| Media type | Print, Digital, Audio |
| Pages | 310+ |
| ISBN | 9780063272248 0063272245 |
| OCLC | 1385405906 |
| Website | HarperCollins |
Synopsis edit
Ferguson has reported from modern battle zones in such places as Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine. Her childhood occurred amidst the Irish Republican Army's insurgency during Troubles of Northern Ireland, in the 20th century's last decades. As she grew up, female television news correspondents became her role models. Hence, these were formative years that led to her career as a network news reporter and war correspondent.[1][2]
Filled with determination and a willingness to take risks,[1] "...Ferguson became...a foreign correspondent for CNN and, later, Al Jazeera, where she covered major stories including the Arab Spring uprisings, the war in Afghanistan, and the Syrian civil war."[2] When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 she also covered that. She is currently a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. Moving to New York in 2020, and away from the battle zones, gave her a chance to reflect on her life and career. "...[L]ooking back, she acknowledges, reveals just how much there is to take in."[2]
See also edit
Related memoirs:
References edit
- ^ a b c Becker, Elizabeth (6 July 2023). "A Brutally Honest Exploration of What It Means to be a War Reporter". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Chamlee, Virginia (July 10, 2023). "War Reporter Jane Ferguson Details Life Beyond the Combat Zones in Personal New Biography". People magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ^ Staff writer (July 11, 2023). "No Ordinary Assignment | Kirkus Reviews".
- ^ Waters, John (July 15, 2023). "The Woman Who Goes to Dangerous Places". RealClear Defense. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
I had no plan. I just needed to act,
she writes in her outstanding new memoir.'
Further reading edit
- Book excerpt: Ferguson, Jane (June 22, 2023). "From Belfast to Sana'a". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- "Jane Ferguson's New Yorker contributions". The New Yorker. July 13, 2023.
External links edit
- Official website
- Author's web page
- Book excerpt. "Prologue". PBS NewsHour.
- Author interview. PBS NewsHour. Video.
- Author interview. WGN Chicago. Video.
- Author interview. MSNBC. Video.
- Editorial reviews. July 14, 2023.