Lost Horizons - by Denis D Gray (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Living life on the edge--the memoir of a legendary AP war correspondent in the world's war zones.

This is the remarkable life story and moving reflections of Denis D. Gray, who was born Zdenek Mecir in communist Czechoslovakia and went on to a legendary career as a foreign correspondent for the Associate Press.

From the frontlines of the Vietnam War and the "Killing Fields" of Cambodia to foxholes in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gray chronicles eight decades of relentless change and turmoil--as well as abiding resilience and timeless beauty--in this highly personal memoir. Through it all, Gray is caught between an impulse to find a refuge--a haven of perpetual peace, even a clearly unreachable "lost horizon" in a chaotic, madly spinning world--and the lure of living life on the edge as a war correspondent.

"In Lost Horizons, I try to make sense of it all as best I can. I tell my story and those of others--not only people but cities, countries and conflicts--through imperfect eyes. I chose not to present these accounts as a strictly chronological narrative but by subject and theme. In so doing, I hope to have captured the unique period in history during which I lived, loved and lost." --Denis D. Gray

About the Author

Denis D. Gray was born Zdenek Mecir in war-torn Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and fled with his family after the communist takeover. He later studied at Yale and served as a U.S. Army officer in Japan and Vietnam--experiences that sparked his lifelong bond with Asia. In 1972 he joined the Associated Press, beginning a 40-year career reporting from Asia, the Middle East and Africa on wars, political upheavals and environmental disasters. From the battlefields of Cambodia to the streets of Baghdad, his works have appeared in leading newspapers and magazines worldwide. He now lives in northern Thailand.