Part memoir, part social history, Journalists and Their Shadows captures the deplorable state of the American media in our time—recording its deterioration, its moments of crisis and ultimately, its transformation as seen through the eyes of a journalist engaged at its very heart through all its phases. The American media’s dysfunctional relationship with the national security state today is strikingly reminiscent of how it was in the Cold War’s earliest days. As a result, the media has entered into a period of profound transformation, in the course of which independent media are emerging as the profession’s most dynamic sector.

“Patrick Lawrence, as witty and cunning as they come, has written both a rapturous and knife-wielding history of journalism in the post WWII days of America’s containment. His love for our flawed profession and his delight in having been in the mix of it makes his regrets and criticisms ring with only the best of intentions. It also is a hell of a lot of fun to read.” — SEYMOUR HERSH

“This richly evocative book masquerades as the memoir of a globe-trotting foreign correspondent. At heart it is much more: the poignant story of how an idealistic reporter watched his beloved profession collapse. This is a vivid account of how American journalism degenerated into public relations, what effect that has had on our democracy, and what we can do about it.” — STEPHEN KINZER

“Patrick Lawrence has written an outstanding, eloquent book about journalism. It is angry and bracing and wise, and it gives us hope. It says the subversion of much of our craft to raw propaganda is not yet complete and a ‘Fifth Estate’ of independent truth-tellers is rising. One truth is enduring: that we journalists are nothing if not servants of people, never of power.” — JOHN PILGER