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News Cowboys
The off-camera world of a foreign correspondent.
News cowboys - it was the nickname the reporters and camera people at Seven Network's Los Angeles bureau jokingly gave themselves as they headed off on assignments, not knowing what to expect and often unprepared for what they found. It was a way of coping, of not taking too seriously what was often deadly serious, as they witnessed some of the worst moments in recent world history.
For 18 years Mike Amor was one of those journalists. He was on the ground during 9/11 and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, when so many were abandoned by their own government. He reported on mass shootings from Port Arthur to Sandy Hook, told the sad story of the senseless murder in Oklahoma of young Australian Chris Lane, covered the earthquake in Haiti and the astonishing rescue of a little girl named Winnie, investigated Mexican drug cartels, came under fire in Gaza - and much more. There were good times, too - following the Olympics or Chloë McCardel's record-breaking Cuban swim - but the mental and physical toll was incalculable, on him and on his wife and son.
Mike, who won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Network Award in 2011, recounts these experiences with honesty, compassion and humour, but also takes on the big questions: Why do foreign correspondents do this job? Why do they, sometimes recklessly, expose themselves to danger when they have family at home? Do they ever stop hearing the cries of injured children or the chirping alarms at the Twin Towers that marked the resting places of dead firefighters under the rubble?
News Cowboys is an extraordinary book, brave, moving and thought-provoking. To read it is to see the world differently and to understand the high price paid by those who will stop at nothing to tell the truth.
News cowboys - it was the nickname the reporters and camera people at Seven Network's Los Angeles bureau jokingly gave themselves as they headed off on assignments, not knowing what to expect and often unprepared for what they found. It was a way of coping, of not taking too seriously what was often deadly serious, as they witnessed some of the worst moments in recent world history.
For 18 years Mike Amor was one of those journalists. He was on the ground during 9/11 and in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, when so many were abandoned by their own government. He reported on mass shootings from Port Arthur to Sandy Hook, told the sad story of the senseless murder in Oklahoma of young Australian Chris Lane, covered the earthquake in Haiti and the astonishing rescue of a little girl named Winnie, investigated Mexican drug cartels, came under fire in Gaza - and much more. There were good times, too - following the Olympics or Chloë McCardel's record-breaking Cuban swim - but the mental and physical toll was incalculable, on him and on his wife and son.
Mike, who won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Network Award in 2011, recounts these experiences with honesty, compassion and humour, but also takes on the big questions: Why do foreign correspondents do this job? Why do they, sometimes recklessly, expose themselves to danger when they have family at home? Do they ever stop hearing the cries of injured children or the chirping alarms at the Twin Towers that marked the resting places of dead firefighters under the rubble?
News Cowboys is an extraordinary book, brave, moving and thought-provoking. To read it is to see the world differently and to understand the high price paid by those who will stop at nothing to tell the truth.
260 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2025
11 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 30, 2025
Mike Amor drops the reader into the hectic life of a foreign correspondent – it made me feel like I was on the ground alongside him for harrowing assignments and stories.
“If we were, at times, reckless, it was never with the truth - perhaps just with our own safety.”
Mike has certainly had a remarkable career for someone who almost failed English and was initially told he didn’t have a future in television. He has been on the ground during pivotal moments in history, covering huge stories – from 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, to mass shootings, the Haiti earthquake, Middle East conflicts and other noteworthy events.
It was easy to read this with Mike's distinct voice in my head. There’s honesty and compassion across these pages. It makes you better appreciate the lengths journalists go to when reporting from faraway places. Many stories are good reminders to never take things for granted.
I noticed something while reading – I could recall exactly where I was or what I was doing when many of these events took place. One example was 9/11. An intense, heartbreaking way to start the book, it set the tone to come.
“One of the firefighters next to me politely asked if he could make a call. When he spoke, to his wife or girlfriend, he broke down in tears. He was alive, he told her, sobbing, but so many of his friends and comrades were not.”
There was incredible contrast found within single chapters - i.e drug cartels in Mexico to the migration of monarch butterflies. News Cowboys is great for reminding people about the plights of those in forgotten places. The Haiti Earthquake chapter will stay with me. It was touching to read about Mike’s role helping rescue Winnie, a baby girl who had been trapped under rubble for days.
Hurricane Katrina was another memorable chapter. Mike had been holidaying with his dad when called upon to report it. The two ventured into a city on its knees, experiencing sights they would never forget.
“As we moved deeper into the city, Dad pointed out what he thought were two mannequins lying on the footpath. They were bodies left to bloat in the sun.”
I was often reminded how depressing the news cycle typically is. It’s understandable these events would inevitably take a mental and physical toll on Mike. As he admits, news people learn to push down emotions to cope with difficult stories, and it’s this self-preservation which occasionally made the book feel surface-level – but this didn’t detract much.
News Cowboys is a powerful journey through modern history through the eyes of a foreign correspondent who was there. Essential reading for aspiring journalists and those interested in news and global affairs.
Many thanks to Echo Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“If we were, at times, reckless, it was never with the truth - perhaps just with our own safety.”
Mike has certainly had a remarkable career for someone who almost failed English and was initially told he didn’t have a future in television. He has been on the ground during pivotal moments in history, covering huge stories – from 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, to mass shootings, the Haiti earthquake, Middle East conflicts and other noteworthy events.
It was easy to read this with Mike's distinct voice in my head. There’s honesty and compassion across these pages. It makes you better appreciate the lengths journalists go to when reporting from faraway places. Many stories are good reminders to never take things for granted.
I noticed something while reading – I could recall exactly where I was or what I was doing when many of these events took place. One example was 9/11. An intense, heartbreaking way to start the book, it set the tone to come.
“One of the firefighters next to me politely asked if he could make a call. When he spoke, to his wife or girlfriend, he broke down in tears. He was alive, he told her, sobbing, but so many of his friends and comrades were not.”
There was incredible contrast found within single chapters - i.e drug cartels in Mexico to the migration of monarch butterflies. News Cowboys is great for reminding people about the plights of those in forgotten places. The Haiti Earthquake chapter will stay with me. It was touching to read about Mike’s role helping rescue Winnie, a baby girl who had been trapped under rubble for days.
Hurricane Katrina was another memorable chapter. Mike had been holidaying with his dad when called upon to report it. The two ventured into a city on its knees, experiencing sights they would never forget.
“As we moved deeper into the city, Dad pointed out what he thought were two mannequins lying on the footpath. They were bodies left to bloat in the sun.”
I was often reminded how depressing the news cycle typically is. It’s understandable these events would inevitably take a mental and physical toll on Mike. As he admits, news people learn to push down emotions to cope with difficult stories, and it’s this self-preservation which occasionally made the book feel surface-level – but this didn’t detract much.
News Cowboys is a powerful journey through modern history through the eyes of a foreign correspondent who was there. Essential reading for aspiring journalists and those interested in news and global affairs.
Many thanks to Echo Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2026
Although I haven’t lived through the experiences of Mike Amor as a foreign correspondent, this book really gives you a front seat to many of the real and raw, traumatic events Mike reported on. On the scene at 9/11, the war in Libya, the Haiti earthquake, Skid Row in Los Angeles and more, navigating foreign cultures, crime, heartbreaking losses while keeping it together to beam back here for the nightly news in Australia. Perhaps the most touching recollections were on the senseless murder of Australian Chris Lane by three teenagers in the US. Mike and his colleagues interviewed Chris’ family, partner, the perpetrators and their parents to make a long form documentary.
Mike comes out of this memoir as a principled person and a devoted husband and father.
Mike has definitely lived a life and a half.
Would definitely recommend if you have an interest in journalism and truth telling.
Mike comes out of this memoir as a principled person and a devoted husband and father.
Mike has definitely lived a life and a half.
Would definitely recommend if you have an interest in journalism and truth telling.
January 13, 2026
News presenters and foreign correspondents used to be household names and you can see why.
It sounded like any major event for more than a decade, Mike was there. Id like to think I would have the same determination he had for chasing stories in such volatile regions, but he would risk his life more than once.
The lengths Mike and his camera crew went to for a story was inspiring. The honesty Mike speaks with about the life of a foreign correspondent was at times breathtaking.
The book seems to capture the pace of his life during those years perfectly. From being held at gunpoint to covering a football World Cup a page later. Mike sums it up at the end explain the attitude at the time of suck it up and get another yarn.
He openly talks about the challenges being a correspondent for 18 years can take on your mental health and those around you. At times it sounds like such an isolating and relationship destroying job. But his passion for being a journalist and pride he took makes it all seem worthwhile.
Great read!
It sounded like any major event for more than a decade, Mike was there. Id like to think I would have the same determination he had for chasing stories in such volatile regions, but he would risk his life more than once.
The lengths Mike and his camera crew went to for a story was inspiring. The honesty Mike speaks with about the life of a foreign correspondent was at times breathtaking.
The book seems to capture the pace of his life during those years perfectly. From being held at gunpoint to covering a football World Cup a page later. Mike sums it up at the end explain the attitude at the time of suck it up and get another yarn.
He openly talks about the challenges being a correspondent for 18 years can take on your mental health and those around you. At times it sounds like such an isolating and relationship destroying job. But his passion for being a journalist and pride he took makes it all seem worthwhile.
Great read!
October 6, 2025
Interesting stories from around the world in the life of an international journalist. It really puts everything in perspective when you see them doing news reports on the TV and how probably the public take them for granted. These journalists put themselves in very dangerous situations at times to give us the latest news. A great read!
October 13, 2025
If we were, at times, reckless, it was never with the truth - perhaps just with our own safety. - Mike Amor
In a career spanning more than 35 years, Mike Amor has covered some of the biggest news stories in the world, from standing on the streets of New York during 9/11 to rescuing Australian tourists trapped in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
From the very first chapter, when Mike Amor recounts the heartbreaking morning of 9/11, you know you’re in for something extraordinary. News Cowboys isn’t just a memoir, it is a front row seat to history, told through the eyes of one of Australia’s most respected journalists.
Mike Amor takes us behind the camera and into the chaos of some of the world’s biggest stories, from war zones and natural disasters to moments of hope and resilience.
Through his words, you are not just reading history, you are living it. You can almost hear the sirens, feel the dust, and sense the adrenaline of a reporter chasing the truth in the middle of danger.
What makes this book stand out is how honest and human it is. Mike Amor doesn’t just share the headline moments; he opens up about the emotional toll, and the responsibility that comes with telling the stories to others.
This is journalism at its rawest and most authentic. Brave, compassionate, and deeply moving. By the time you finish, you will have a whole new appreciation for the people who risk everything to bring us the news.
If you love powerful true stories, memoirs that inspire, or just a damn good read, then News Cowboys deserves a spot at the top of your list. Hands down one of my favourite reads for 2025.
In a career spanning more than 35 years, Mike Amor has covered some of the biggest news stories in the world, from standing on the streets of New York during 9/11 to rescuing Australian tourists trapped in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
From the very first chapter, when Mike Amor recounts the heartbreaking morning of 9/11, you know you’re in for something extraordinary. News Cowboys isn’t just a memoir, it is a front row seat to history, told through the eyes of one of Australia’s most respected journalists.
Mike Amor takes us behind the camera and into the chaos of some of the world’s biggest stories, from war zones and natural disasters to moments of hope and resilience.
Through his words, you are not just reading history, you are living it. You can almost hear the sirens, feel the dust, and sense the adrenaline of a reporter chasing the truth in the middle of danger.
What makes this book stand out is how honest and human it is. Mike Amor doesn’t just share the headline moments; he opens up about the emotional toll, and the responsibility that comes with telling the stories to others.
This is journalism at its rawest and most authentic. Brave, compassionate, and deeply moving. By the time you finish, you will have a whole new appreciation for the people who risk everything to bring us the news.
If you love powerful true stories, memoirs that inspire, or just a damn good read, then News Cowboys deserves a spot at the top of your list. Hands down one of my favourite reads for 2025.
November 1, 2025
This was a great window into the working life of a foreign correspondent. We definitely over-glamorised this profession, and it was interesting to truly understand the sacrifices that come along with a role like that.
December 7, 2025
interesting perspective, has an equal share between explaining events and his experience of them. told in quite a matter of factbway, as could only be achieved by someone who has seen a great many confronting things in life
August 12, 2025
“News Cowboys” provides a compelling and powerful account of a foreign correspondent’s career journey!
August 31, 2025
Amazing!
The amazing experiences of the foreign correspondence brings home the sacrifices they make, to bring us the news we take so for granted each day!
The amazing experiences of the foreign correspondence brings home the sacrifices they make, to bring us the news we take so for granted each day!
September 2, 2025
Always enjoy reading a Journalistic memoir and I’ve always had a lot of time for Mike Amor. A very interesting read that had me on the verge of tears more than once.
October 30, 2025
Such a brilliant book. thoroughly enjoyed it
August 27, 2025
Absolutely brilliant read! Such an honest insight to how journalists really live on the road! I didn’t want it to end, I wanted more stories from behind the scenes!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews