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The Madness

A Memoir of War, Fear and Ptsd
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( 510 ratings, 41 reviews)
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The Madness is a powerful and deeply personal exploration of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by journalist Fergal Keane. Drawing on his extensive experience reporting from some of the world’s most brutal conflict zones including Rwanda, Sudan, and Ukraine, Keane confronts the mental toll of witnessing relentless trauma. This candid memoir delves into his struggles with complex PTSD, mental breakdowns, and hospitalisations, while examining the compulsion that draws him repeatedly back to war zones. The book offers a courageous reckoning with trauma and recovery, resonating far beyond the battlefield to those facing psychological challenges of many kinds.
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The Madness is an essential read for those interested in mental health, trauma recovery, journalism, and human resilience. It will appeal to readers who appreciate honest memoirs and powerful storytelling about the enduring effects of conflict on the mind. Suitable for mature audiences, including healthcare professionals, war correspondents, and anyone seeking greater insight into PTSD.

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BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK An Irish Times book of the year 2022

A powerful, probing book about PTSD.

A Memoir of War, Fear and PTSD from Sunday Times Bestselling Author and BBC Correspondent Fergal Keane

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

An Irish Times book of the year 2022

A powerful, probing book about PTSD.

As a journalist, Keane has covered conflict and brutality across the world for more than thirty years, from Rwanda, Sudan, South Africa, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and many more. Driven by an irresistible compulsion to be where the night is darkest, he made a name for reporting with humanity and empathy from places where death and serious injury were not abstractions, and tragedy often just a moment’s bad luck away.

But all this time he struggled not to be overwhelmed by another story, his acute β€˜complex post-traumatic stress disorder’, a condition arising from exposure to multiple instances of trauma experienced over a long period. This condition has caused him to suffer a number of mental breakdowns and hospitalisations. Despite this, and countless promises to do otherwise, he has gone back to the wars again and again.

Why?

In this powerful and intensely personal book, Keane interrogates what it is that draws him to the wars, what keeps him there and offers a reckoning of the damage done.

PTSD affects people from all walks of life. Trauma can be found in many places, not just war. The Madness speaks to the struggle of all who are trying to recover from injury, addiction, and mental breakdown. It is a survivor’s story drawn from lived experience, told with honesty, courage, and an open heart.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praise for The Madness

"Keane has not just the courage to risk death so that the most important stories can be told, as well as the eye to tell them with vivid subtlety, but also the humility to reveal the havoc that this task visits on the beholder" – Spectator

"A brutally honest exploration of what motivates Keane to keep reporting on atrocities despite the toll on his mental health… Gentle but unflinching" – Guardian, Book of the Day

"The Madness is engaging without resorting to sensation. Fluent prose follows the decline of the political situation – and of Keane’s own mental health – in chilling, compelling detail" – Observer

"Fergal Keane opens doors into closed places... beautifully written… This is an important book" – Irish Times

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008420437

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 November 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: William Collins

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 380g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Fergal Keane was born in London and educated in Ireland. He is one of the BBC's most distinguished correspondents and an award-winning broadcaster and author. He has reported for the corporation from Northern Ireland, South Africa, Asia and the Balkans. He has been awarded a BAFTA, been named reporter of the year on television and radio, winning honours from the Royal Television Society and the Sony Radio Awards, most recently for his Radio 4 series β€˜Taking a Stand’. Keane has won the George Orwell prize for literature, the James Cameron Prize and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the US Overseas Press Association. He is the author of a number of bestselling books including β€˜Letter to Daniel’ and his memoir β€˜All of These People.’ He lives in London with his wife and two children.

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  • The Madness
    An Irish Times book of the year 2022 A powerful, probing book about PTSD. As a journalist, Keane has covered conflict and brutality across the world for more than thirty years, from Rwanda, Sudan, South Africa, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and many more. Driven by an irresistible compulsion to be where the night is darkest, he made a name for...
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