It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey AddarioSynopsis: “War photographer Lynsey Addario’s memoir It’s What I Do is the story of how the relentless pursuit of truth, in virtually every major theatre of war in the twenty-first century, has shaped her life. Lynsey Addario was just finding her way as a photographer when September 11th changed the world. One of the few photojournalists with experience in Afghanistan, when she is asked to return and cover the American invasion, she makes a decision – not to stay home, not to lead a quiet or predictable life, but to set out across the world, face the chaos of crisis, and make a name for herself. Addario travels with purpose and bravery, photographing the Afghan people before and after the Taliban reign, the civilian casualties and misunderstood insurgents of the Iraq War, as well as the burned villages and countless dead in Darfur. She exposes a culture of violence against women in the Congo and tells the riveting story of her headline-making kidnapping by pro-Qaddafi forces in the Libyan civil war. As a woman photojournalist Addario is determined to be taken as seriously as her male peers. She fights her way into a boys’ club of a profession; and once there, rather than choose between her personal life and her career, Addario learns to strike a necessary balance. Watching uprisings unfold and people fight to the death for their freedom, Addario understands she is documenting not only news but also the fate of society. It’s What I Do is more than just a snapshot of life on the front lines; it bears witness to the human cost of war. “

My Review

This book was fascinating, compelling and very easy to read, considering the content. I read it in less that 24 hours, which is very unusual for me when reading a nonfiction book.

I’d never heard of the author before, until I listened to her talking to Clive Myrie on his Music on the Frontline series on BBC Radio 3. I enjoyed her interview so much that I Googled her and discovered that she’d written a book back in 2015, which I didn’t realise was my Goodreads TBR!! I wanted to know more about her and her experiences as a war photographer, so I bought the ebook and got caught up in her life as a photojournalist.

I enjoyed learning more about her life in New York when she got her first camera. She taught herself the basics from an old ‘how to’ manual, just shooting landscapes as she was too shy to photograph people. Obviously she improved over the years getting bolder at photographing people, to then go on and become a conflict photographer.

I got caught up in Lynsey Addario’s life and experiences around the world, with the people she travelled with, photographed, interviewed and was kidnapped by! It was enlightening and upsetting at times, especially when I read about her photographing the women in the Democratic of Congo, who had been raped multiple times and then abandoned by their families.

It wasn’t all upsetting as there were lovely stories about how she met her husband, and the fun get togethers she had with fellow  journalists whilst on assignments.

Highly recommended if you enjoy memoirs and nonfiction, particularly about journalists.