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Warfare

John Simpson: Six Decades of Warzones

Warfare

History Hit

History

4.5943 Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2022

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Over six decades John Simpson has been on the frontline of reporting bringing news from some of the most dangerous places on the planet to the television screens of millions of people. His work has opened the public's eyes to the terrible cost of conflict across the globe. Along the way, John has been arrested, harassed, beaten up, threatened and nearly killed on a number of occasions. He joins Dan on this podcast to talk about his life, his career, the therapy of writing, why he keeps working and how his new novel 'Our Friends in Beijing' has been inspired by his experiences reporting in China.


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

As war reporters from around the world risks their lives and in some cases pay the ultimate price for bringing us the truth about what is happening in Ukraine.

0:15.4

I've dug into the History Hit Archive to pull out an episode with John Simpson.

0:19.9

He is one of the most famous war correspondence there is and has spent six decades in war zones.

0:27.6

Over that period, John has been on the front line reporting bringing news from some of the most dangerous

0:32.3

places on the planet,

0:34.0

and his work has helped open up the public's eyes to the terrible cost and realities of conflict.

0:40.0

Along the way, John has been arrested, harassed, beaten up, threatened and nearly killed.

0:45.2

He joins down on the podcast to talk about his life, his career, and his therapy of writing,

0:50.9

why he keeps on working, and how his new novel, Our Friends in Beijing, has been

0:55.9

inspired by his experience of reporting in China over the decades.

1:01.8

Enjoy.

1:04.0

John Simpson, thank you very much indeed for coming on the podcast.

1:07.1

Well, it's a real pleasure and a privilege to be asked Dan actually.

1:11.3

Really is.

1:12.4

You've witnessed a dizzying amount of history being made. Have you been able to predict the things

1:16.8

that have really endured or have some things fizzled out? Some things have just faded from the popular

1:22.3

view.

1:23.2

Do you know when you're living through a historical moment

1:25.4

that this will endure, this will change the world?

1:28.4

Yes, I mean quite a lot of things that you think

1:31.3

I am watching history. My grandchildren are going to be asking me what it was like

1:36.3

have just been forgotten, just sort of excised from the public mind. One example, I'm sure there are plenty actually, but one

...

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