If journalism is the first draft of history, then independent journalists are surely its most daring composers. Along with such celebrated and high-profile figures as Christiane Amanpour and Wolf Blitzer, there exists a stratum of journalists - self-employed, working under dire conditions, and with minimal resources - who often place themselves at ground zero of world events. In this account, the author takes us into the world of independent journalists, and the daily challenges they face confronting dictators, hostile military, and narcoterrorists. Unfettered by any ties to those in positions of power, these guerrilla journalists are often the first on a story - whether reporting on corruption in Mexico, organized crime in Russia, or sexual scandal in the Middle East - and accordingly face the brunt of their subject's wrath.
