Into the Field: A Foreign Correspondent's Notebook

by Tracy Dahlby

Tracy Dahlby is an award-winning journalist who has reported internationally as a contributor to National Geographic magazine and served as a staff correspondent for Newsweek and the Washington Post . In this memoir of covering a far-flung swath of Asia, he takes readers behind the scenes to reveal “the stories behind the stories”—the legwork and (mis)adventures of a foreign correspondent on a mission to be the eyes and ears of people back home, helping them understand the forces and events that shape our world. Into the Field centers on the travel and reporting Dahlby did for a half-dozen pieces that ran in National Geographic . The book tours the South China Sea during China’s rise as a global power, visits Japan in a time of national midlife crisis, and explores Southeast Asia during periods of political transition and tumult. Dahlby’s vivid anecdotes of jousting with hardboiled sea captains, communing with rebellious tribal chieftains, enduring a spectacular shipboard insect attack, and talking his way into a far place or out of a tight spot offer aspiring foreign correspondents a realistic introduction to the challenges of the profession. Along the way, he provides practical advice about everything from successful travel planning to managing headstrong local fixers and dealing with circumstances that can range from friendly to formidable. A knowledgeable, entertaining how-to book for observing the world and making sense of events, Into the Field is a must-read for student journalists and armchair travelers alike.

311 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2014

Reviews

[Swizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of travel, specifically of the international breed, then this is definitely a book worth picking up for your next sojourn.

Dahlby's prose is captivating, particularly his humor and sharp wit. As he tells his stories, you can feel the fear he felt riding an airplane across Indonesia that might've just fallen apart in mid-air or his drunken embarrassment upon discovering he's been tricked into bathing naked with the elderly in a hot spring, as if you are right there alongside him and his "fixers". These "fixers" are natives or government diploments or the like who helped Dahlby navigate each of the countries he visited, and he breathed life into them, making the two of them into an almost cartoonish duo at some points and painting them a dysfunctional family in others.

I spent a year abroad in Tokyo and have studied the language and culture for almost a decade, so I was especially drawn to the chapters on Japan. I found myself snickering at Dahlby's many "Lost in Translation" moments and fondly looking back on my own experience living in a foreign country, taking in every little moment as if I were born again.

Despite Dahlby being a foreign correspondent and the book covering strictly Asian countries, the advice he peppers in among the pages applies to anyone who wishes to make a career or hobby out of writing (or blogging, as I did) about their out of country travels across the globe, all of which are consolidated into a handy list at the back of the book for easy reference. These are quips highlighting the importance of staying aware of your surroundings and taking all perspectives into account when telling a story--perhaps not new advice, but the stories in which he presents these tips as examples make them stick with you, even after you've long closed the cover.

[Andie]

This memoir by Tracy Dahlby, a former correspondent for The Far Eastern Economic Review and The National Geographic is very much in the tradition of travel writers like Paul Theroux. Mr. Dahlby takes us on his journeys throughout Asia over the past 40 years and he is an amusing story teller. There wasn't anything earth shattering revealed here, but it was a quick read and a good arm chair trip.

[Brendan Steinhauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a look into the life of a foreign correspondent. The author, UT professor Tracy Dahlby, chronicles his career reporting for National Geographic in Asia. Along the way he offers tips and advice for foreign correspondents and world travelers. The book is a good behind the scenes account of a fascinating line of work.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really in-depth look of a life as a Foreign Correspondent. I think the stories and accounts are excellent. Only wish there were more pictures to go with the different events.