In Harm's Way: Bosnia: A War Reporter's Story

by Martin Bell

First published in September 1995, In Harm's Way established itself rapidly as a classic of war reporting. Martin Bell's was BBC TV's principal correspondent during the war in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995. The original version of this passionate and personal account of the conflict was written while the war was still going on, some of it late at night in the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo. In Harm's Way is not only about the progress of the war; it is about its origins, how it began and how it could have been avoided; it is about the human costs of war in which all the peoples of Bosnia became the victims; it is about a massive failure by the United Nations, beginning with an inadequate peace-keeping mandate and ending with the Srebrenica massacre; and it is about the practices of war reporting itself. In the introduction to this new edition, marking the twentieth anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities, Martin Bell reflects on the impact of what he calls the most consequential war of our time.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction, Politics, Biography

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Martin Bell is a British UNICEF (UNICEF UK) Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician who became the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton from 1997 to 2001. He is sometimes known as "the man in the white suit".

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

What you won't find here is a systematic analysis of the war in Bosnia. It is episodic, a series of penetrating vignettes told with passion and honesty by someone who was in an unique position to see both the best and the worst that human beings are capable of. He is especially critical of the politics of inaction. Lives could and should have been saved but, too often, the focus of the politicians was on national interest rather than principle. He is good also on the temptations and limitations of TV news in a world of instant gratification and short attention span. This is a thought provoking read that deserves being revisited. Although the events described are some twenty years ago the present day parallels are obvious though perhaps less black and white.

[Maarten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking account of a war time correspondent. The writing itself is not very special, sometimes even a bit hard to get through, but some of the insights and stories are very worthwile and leave a strong impression. Like the touching story about the military guy who rebuilds a destroyed orphanage, which gives him more satisfaction than any military achievement ever did. I read this book for an essay I am writing on why journalists should choose the side of the victims. Bell is a strong advocate of that stance and he makes a convincing case with his own experiences, which may not be the most dramatic or heroic ever, but harsh enough to take him seriously. The humour he manages to throw in now and then is account of both his Britishness and the darkness of what he has had to live through. An uncomfortable, but recommended read.

[Robin Newbold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin Bell’s In Harm’s Way is an exhaustive, and often exhausting, account of the Bosnian War in the 1990s. It is the ultimate for news anoraks, as the BBC war correspondent reveals many technical details of how reports from the front line make it to our screens or not, with Bell’s dispatches sometimes losing out due to the death of some minor royal or other pieces of such trivia.

It provides a fascinating insight as to his jockeying for airtime, sometimes just 90 seconds to camera, with the powers that be in London. What comes across is the broadcasting veteran’s absolute commitment to the cause and his desire to let the world know the horror that was unfolding on our doorsteps in Europe, when the world was often looking the other way, particularly the UN peacekeeping force. In fact, the UN and Nato receive most of Bell’s ire since they singly failed to keep the peace in the first years of the war, with its many atrocities making it the bloodiest such conflict in the region since the Second World War.

He is so committed that Bell risks his life daily to bring viewers the news, getting injured by shrapnel in the process. Fortunately for him it is a wound he dismisses as “superficial” and after a period of recuperation goes back to the front line for another 2-3 years. This leads to a period of reflection, with these latter musings on the war and his role in it the most revealing. Bell, then in his mid-fifties, concedes he is very jaded and too tired to be galumphing around war zones yet he somehow stays the course until a shaky peace breaks out.

The Daily Mail newspaper quipped that Bell in his later dispatches looked “very tired”, an epithet the author agrees with but I was left feeling jaded at the end too. Books by journalists tend to be spare and incisive, yet In Harm’s Way seemed to meander before getting bogged down in a war that went on and on. It is odd that a man with such a way with words in a 90-second clip becomes tongue tied in book form. Television is certainly his medium.

[Brian Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you wish to better understand the likes of Libya, Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Myanmar, and the current refugee crisis, look to the example of Bosnia, and this book. In Harm’s Way: Bosnia: A War Reporter’s Story isn’t so much an account of Martin Bell’s daily exploits during his years of reporting from Bosnia as it is an analysis of the international response to the conflict. In Bell’s view, much was found wanting: “We sleep-walked into it. How could it ever have happened?” (p. 2) Bell sees the war in Bosnia along with the United Nations’ tardy and ineffective response to it as a turning point in global affairs. “I believed from the start that this was a crisis which would end in one of two ways: either the stability of Europe would spread to the Balkans, or the instability of the Balkans would spread to the rest of Europe.” (p. 245)

Along the way, Bell critiques the role of the press in conflict reporting and he takes a dim view of 24-hour talking heads: “It is my experience that twenty-four-hour news spreads rumour and falsehood on a global scale. It does not deliver good journalism but obstructs it.” (p. 42) As a BBC television reporter he includes his own organization in similar criticism. Bell also sprinkles in bits of journalistic advice: “In the news business it isn’t involvement but indifference that makes for bad practice. Good journalism is the journalism of attachment. It is not only knowing but also caring.” (p. 138) In the Balkan sea of complicated loyalties, Bell reminds us that, “In war reporting we are not in the business of liking or disliking, but only of understanding.” (p. 118) This brings its own dangers: “This business I am in is not just physically dangerous, but morally dangerous too.” (p. 185) In Harm’s Way is a classic memoir of war reporting, and it’s also a critique of western civilization in the face of a genocidal conflict that could have be prevented.

[Fionnuala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has got a good balance of personal insight and observation along with the wider context and historical narrative of things. This is doubly impressive considering it was written while the events were still ongoing -- the predictions and observations made at this time show a deep understanding of the issue, as they all turned out to be depressingly accurate.

There's definitely an anger in this book that I suppose one could call bias, though I would argue that point. It's a very polarising subject and I think it's impossible to look at the facts alone without forming an opinion and feeling angry at how events played out. Bell, being there as it happened, is obviously going to have an even greater emotional response. What happened in Bosnia -- or should I say, what was allowed to happen in Bosnia -- has long since been an unrecognised shame of the world; Bell's book does a good job highlighting just why that is.

At the same time, he does a decent job of neutrality, at least in terms of reporting on everything he saw, from all sides. The facts really do speak for themselves, but Bell makes sure to remind the reader that despite this, there are plenty of grey areas. It doesn't change the outcome, but it makes for balanced and informative reading.

[Classic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into some of the darkest wars in living memory (aside from WW2), the Yugoslav Wars of independence, and its impact on those involved.
It is also an interesting look into journalism and the various people and roles within that industry.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too focussed on Martin Bell’s personal experience and perspective. I would have liked more objective analysis of the conflict.

[✨arrianne✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this hoping for more of a story about Bosnia, but really it’s more about being a war correspondent. It’s interesting but quite blokey and while he makes a point to talk about the women in that job who he very much admired there’s lots more comments about their charm than there is about any of his male colleagues…

[Dorinda Balchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a war correspondent Mr Bell saw the tragic events of the Bosnian war unfold, and reported them to millions of viewers back in the UK. His professional reports did not show his anger and frustration at the lost opportunities to bring peace. Neither did they show the people in his team who made the reports possible. ‘In Harm’s Way’ addresses these omissions.

Mr Bell explains the causes of the war, the frustrations of the UN forces on the ground, the hatred which led to ethnic cleansing on both sides. This book is not an easy read, but it was never meant to be. It is a report on the horrors of modern warfare, the tragedy of civilian casualties, the depravation of besieged cities. Through it all Mr Bell is non-partisan, chronicling atrocities committed by all sides as he seeks to answer key questions. Why was this war allowed to happen? Why was nothing done to stop it sooner? What is the role of the UN?

‘In Harm’s Way’ also gives us an insight into the life of a war reporter. It is not just about standing in front of a camera for a couple of minutes twice a day; it involves real hardship, and real danger. Mr Bell himself was wounded, as were a number of his colleagues. Others lost their lives.

If you are interested in history, journalism or politics; if you enjoy a good biography, then ‘In Harm’s Way’ is a must read.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grossly disappointing....

We saw this man become an icon on our news - how he seems to have shrunk. As a journalist you would've thought that he could construct a book that was at least readable. This was anything but. I seem to remember him being interviewed once and thinking how inarticulate he actually was. He really should have stuck to being a reporter.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally love books written by journalists about life in the warzone but this one didn't do much for me. I suppose if I was a die hard BBC fan and knew everyone he was talking about but it was gossipy in a boring way.

[Andrew Mcneill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely riveting book. It has so many fascinating insights into war reporting as well as many poignant recollections of the war in Bosnia.

[John Wynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much deeper than I would have though. Love it.