Ryszard Kapuściński (1932–2007)

Written by a Polish journalist this is a book in two strands. In one he reviews some of his past assignments, in the other he reviews his reading and relationship to Herodotus and his Histories. I enjoyed both. The fish out of water beginner who is entranced by every country he visits becomes a seasoned journalist but still retains some of that wonder. His interpretation of Herodotus was equally fascinating. He examines his technique as well as the content and proposes that Herodotus should be know n as the first journalist and The Histories would be better called The Investigation and is the first piece of reportage. I liked both strands and they way the interlinked.
I must re-read Herodotus.… (more)

«Nadie, lo que se dice nadie, amigo mío, presentía que se acercaba el fin. Aunque tal vez se detectaba que algo flotaba en el ambiente, tal vez algo nos rondara por la cabeza, pero era tan vago, tan confuso que no se podía hablar del presentimiento de algo extraordinario. Y, sin embargo, hacía ya tiempo que el mayordomo deambulaba por palacio apagando un cada vez mayor número de luces, sólo que nuestra vista se fue acostumbrando a ese paulatino apagamiento, y se producía en nosotros un confortable estado de resignación interior ante el hecho de que por lo visto-no visto todo debía ser así: apagado, eclipsado y sumido en la penumbra, en unas sombras tenebrosas y en una nebulosa oscuridad».… (more)