Dispatches from the Edge：A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival

FewpeoplehavewitnessedmorescenesofchaosandconflictaroundtheworldthanAndersonCooper,whosegroundbreakingcoverageonCNNhaschangedthewaywewatchthenews.Inthisgripping,candid,andremarkablypowerfulmemoir,heoffersanunstinting,up-closeviewofthemostharrowingcrisesofourtime,andtheprofoundimpacttheyhavehadonhislife.AftergrowinguponManhattan'sUpperEastSide,Cooperfeltamagneticpulltowardtheunknown,anattractiontothefarcornersoftheearth.Ifhecouldkeepmoving,andkeepexploring,hefelthecouldstayonestepaheadofhispast,includingthefamesurroundinghismother,GloriaVanderbilt,andthetragicearlydeathsofhisfatherandolderbrother.Asareporter,thefreneticpaceoffilingdispatchesfromwar-torncountries,andthedangerthatcamewithit,helpedhimavoidhavingtolooktoocloselyatthepainandlossthatwasrightinfrontofhim.Butrecently,duringthecourseofoneextraordinary,tumultuousyear,itbecameimpossibleforhimtocontinuetoseparatehisworkfromhislife,hisfamily'stroubledhistoryfromthesufferingpeoplehemetallovertheworld.FromthetsunamiinSriLankatothewarinIraqtothestarvationinNigerandultimatelytoHurricaneKatrinainNewOrleansandMississippi,Coopergivesusafirsthandglimpseofthedevastationthattakesplace,bothphysicallyandemotionally,whenthenormalorderofthingsisviolentlyrupturedonsuchamassivescale.Cooperhadbeeninhisshareoflife-threateningsituationsbefore--duckingfireonthestreetsofwar-tornSarejevo,travelingonhisowntofamine-strickenSomalia,witnessingfirsthandthegenocideinRwanda--buthehadneverseenhumanmiseryquitelikethis.Writingwithvividmemoriesofhischildhoodandearlycareerasarovingcorrespondent,Cooperrevealsforthefirsttimehowdeeplyaffectedhehasbeenbythewars,disasters,andtragedieshehaswitnessed,andwhyhecontinuestobedrawntosomeofthemostperilousplacesonearth.Striking,heartfelt,andutterlyengrossing,DispatchesfromtheEdgeisanunforgettablememoirthattakesusbehindthescenesofthecataclysmiceventsofourageandallowsustoseethemthroughtheeyesofoneofAmerica'smosttrusted,fearless,andpioneeringreporters.