First published 2023
Benjamin Hall opens his memoir on March 14, 2022, in Kyiv, where he woke up as a Fox News war correspondent with no idea Russian bombs would nearly kill him that day. The veteran journalist had covered dangerous conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan, but with three young daughters waiting at home, he planned to leave war reporting behind. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Hall volunteered for the assignment anyway. Weeks later, a Russian strike exploded near Hall and his crew, leaving him gravely wounded and trapped in the war zone. Hall recounts his ground level view of the Ukraine conflict, his dramatic rescue operation, and his continuing recovery process. He explores why he returned to war reporting one final time despite wanting to step away. The memoir features accounts from people across multiple countries who worked together to save his life, showing how their collective efforts transformed his survival into a shared mission. Hall's story reveals how family, friends, and strangers responded when he faced his greatest test.
Genres: autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family, survival
Setting: Kyiv, Russia, Syria, Ukraine
Period: 2022
288 pages · Hardcover · Harper
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war