We Can't Start Fighting - Kate hasn't arrived! (The Kindness of Strangers: The Autobiography - Kate Adie)

Member Name: bonsibabe

Product:	The Kindness of Strangers: The Autobiography - Kate Adie
Date:	15/01/08 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It is quite interesting to read about the places she has been to

Disadvantages: Can be a bit long winded in places, and is just about her career

This is a book that my dad bought for me as he knows that I will read just about anything! Priced at £7.99, this can be bought a lot cheaper on sites like Amazon or even Ebay, so shop around - you may just bag a bargain.

~~~Synopsis~~~

Kate Adie is one of the world's more well known female reporters for the BBC and has been in some of the most dangerous places. She has reported from Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, Northern Ireland and China, just to name a few.

My title was inspired by a cartoon featured in the book, of two soldiers waiting to go into battle in Iraq, with one saying "We can't start yet ... Kate Adie isn't here..."

To me this is quite poignant, as being married to a soldier, I understand the dangers of the places that she has reported from, and have to give her kudos for having the determination to go there. I certainly wouldn't be off to Iraq or Afghanistan to report the news! My husband actually told me a story about when he was in Kosovo at the height of the troubles there, and one officer told him it wasn't that bad because Kate Adie hadn't arrived there yet - when she arrived, then you knew that the poop had hit the fan!

The book itself is really the story of how she came to be a reporter and also how she came to be a reporter who was always in the thick of the action. From humble beginnings with her adoptive parents, to being in the heart of the action in Bosnia and Kosovo, this book tells it all. There is one story I particularly liked, about her being a radio presenter and giving the weather report while under the influence of alcohol and getting it hilariously wrong.

***My Opinion***

This book is exceptionally well written and is quite easy to read. I did find it a little hard going at times, but ploughed on and found the most of the book an easy read. There are some funny anecdotes but these are few and far between.

My main gripe with the book is that it is more of a job description. It is really a book about her job and the various aspects of it, without a lot of the more human aspect of her life.

I did enjoy the book, and will read it again, but not for a long while yet. I have plenty of other books to read (and review!) but will probably leave this one until I have "nothing" to read at all, and then it will really only be a stopgap till I have some other reading materials.

I will recommend this with 4 stars because it is really well written and it is somewhat interesting, especially for those who have an interest in the BBC and Kate Adie, as her career has been a rather interesting one.

So all in all, Kate gets a 4 star recommendation from me. I'd better hope she doesnt come reporting in our neighbourhood. If she does, then I will be running off before the action starts!!

Thanks for reading! Di xx

Summary: An interesting read to pass the time