Through Gates of Fire: A Journey into World Disorder - Hardcover

'he is a good travelling companion: compassionate, wise, serious but not stuffy, with an insight into every hot spot in the world for the last 30 years. He writes well, by turns moving and wryly humorous..... those who have always admired Bell for his intelligent unaligned view on the world will find much to agree with in this book.' (Melanie Reid, THE HERALD )

'He deserved all his honours for unfolding a truthful tale in simple sentences, gradually filing his narrative with his special, lapel-grasping rhetoric, a compound of grim details, honesty-at-all-costs, and a suppressed but unmistakeable contempt for all politicians. These same qualities fill these pages.' (Fred Inglis, THE INDEPENDENT )

'A confrontational book that succeeds in its unspoken mission to open its readers' eyes (THE OBSERVER )

'He is refreshingly unguarded for a politician, while his unique combination of experiences makes this book far more than just a personal rant.... Bell's reporting skills are at their best when he recounts war zones such as Bosnia, Rwanda or Biafra..... THROUGH GATES OF FIRE shows he has lost none of his crusading zeal.' (Laura Kirby THE SUNDAY EXPRESS )

'a powerful, riveting analysis of the world in the new century' (Tam Dalyell THE SCOTSMAN )

'a sparky polemic about war, politics and the media...... it lands blows on deserving targets, and he always has an ear for a good line (Peter Millar SUNDAY TIMES )

'a mosaic of reflections, heartfelt, radical and original, written in the language of moral clarity....THROUGH GATES OF FIRE is, for the most part, hallmarked by Bell at his best' (Ed Vulliamy THE GUARDIAN )

'Bell's book is an important one.' (Mark Gallagher THE IRISH INDEPENDENT )

What kind of world are we making for ourselves? Martin Bell uses his personal experiences as a reporter of eleven wars (to date), and independent MP, to write an impassioned, heartfelt and coruscating call to arms. The three central theses are the way in which war, politics and journalism have changed beyond all recognition in the past thirty years. As Kofi Annan said, we have entered the 21st century 'through gates of fire' and Bell pleads with poetic conviction for a stark reappraisal of the world we're creating for ourselves. He has had first-hand experience in Afghanistan, Malawi, Rwanda, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and the first Gulf War. He has been an independent MP and testified at The Hague. In Bell's words, 'this is a world in which it isn't even safe to be dead'. In the first World War 90% of casualties were soldiers; in recent wars 90% of casualties are civilians. The advent of 'live' conflict coverage on CNN has led to television being used as just another propaganda tool where the truth is difficult to find. Such facts can be gleaned from the saturation coverage we're experiencing of the current Gulf War, but Martin Bell is keen to place this in a wider context and warn of the calamitous future we are shaping. Bells' synthesis of recent history and behind-the scenes insights will create intense media debate. As political activism increases this will be heralded as a benchmark work.