Denis D. Gray was born Zdenek Mecir in war-torn Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and fled with his family after the communist takeover. He later studied at Yale and served as a U.S. Army officer in Japan and Vietnam experiences that sparked his lifelong bond with Asia. In 1972 he joined the Associated Press, beginning a 40-year career reporting from Asia, the Middle East and Africa on wars, political upheavals and environmental disasters. From the battlefields of Cambodia to the streets of Baghdad, his works have appeared in leading newspapers and magazines worldwide. He now lives in northern Thailand.
""Denis Gray's tender personal memoir, fused with often agonizing, vivid reporting of the insanities of war and the consequences of misguided policies, deserves a proud place alongside others in the genre forged by Martha Gellhorn, Sydney Schanberg, and Marie Colvin."" —Graham Watts, Former Editor of The Financial Times ""Gray's memoir carries us through wars and among warlords, spies, and spymasters—but also into realms where no bullets fly, yet the stakes are immense: the loss of wildlife and the destruction of Asian heritage cities at the hands of ruthless developers and profiteers."" —Jiri Sitler, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Czech Republic ""Haunting and beautiful—a wonderfully informative, adventurous weave of varied, often harrowing but also exhilarating experiences from child refugee to war correspondent, bearing witness to the devastating conflicts wrought my humankind, including our war with wildlife."" —Belinda Stewart-Cox, Founder of the Elephant Conservation Network, Thailand