Lost Horizons

Living life on the edge-the memoir of a legendary AP war correspondent.

This is the remarkable life story of Denis D. Gray, born Zdenek Mecir in communist Czechoslovakia, who went on to a celebrated career as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press.

From the front lines of the Vietnam War and the “Killing Fields” of Cambodia to foxholes in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gray chronicles eight decades of upheaval and resilience in this highly personal memoir. He reflects on a world of relentless change and fleeting beauty, torn between the urge to seek a quiet refuge-a “lost horizon” of peace-and the irresistible pull of life on the edge.

“In Lost Horizons, I try to make sense of it all as best I can. I tell my story and those of others-not only people but cities, countries and conflicts-through imperfect eyes. I chose not to present these accounts as a strictly chronological narrative but by subject and theme. In so doing, I hope to have captured the unique period in history during which I lived, loved and lost.” -Denis D. Gray

Author Biography

Denis D. Gray was born Zdenek Mecir in war-torn Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and fled with his family after the communist takeover. He later studied at Yale and served as a U.S. Army officer in Japan and Vietnam-experiences that sparked his lifelong bond with Asia. In 1972 he joined the Associated Press, beginning a 40-year career reporting from Asia, the Middle East and Africa on wars, political upheavals and environmental disasters. From the battlefields of Cambodia to the streets of Baghdad, his works have appeared in leading newspapers and magazines worldwide. He now lives in northern Thailand.