Rosie Manins reviews a work of fiction based on fact.
A DYING BREED
Peter Hanington
Two Roads/Hachette
BBC journalist Peter Hanington tips his hat to the profession in his debut novel A Dying Breed, based around a juicy story unfolding in the midst of war-torn Afghanistan.
The London author spent 14 years on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, throughout the Iraqi and Afghanistan conflicts.
His main character is an ageing, scruffy hack dedicated to the truth by any and all means, having to navigate political corruption and golden handshakes in every direction while eternally grimy and hungover.
With his trusty Afghan translator he dodges threats, befriends civilians and ultimately sets off a full-blown military conflict complete with a kidnapping, beheading and rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
Hanington fleshes out a cast of interesting characters, including a mythic Afghan drug lord and a morally devoid blood-hungry British enforcer.
He perfectly illustrates the hierarchy of a news organisation and uses humour in describing the daily struggle for ratings while balancing ethics and pressure from agenda-driven authorities.
The novel highlights life in London and Afghanistan, from darkened old pubs and black cabs to the ramshackle BBC house in Kabul and donkey-trodden paths through opium fields.
It's adventurous and entertaining.
Rosie Manins is chief reporter at Dunedin Television.
