ENGEL, Richard 1974(?)-

PERSONAL: Born c. 1974, in NY; married, wife's name Julianne (a business consultant). Education: Stanford University, B.A., 1996.

ADDRESSES: Agent—Richard Leibner, N.S. Bienstock Agency, 1740 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Journalist and writer. Freelance reporter for World, British Broadcasing Corporation Radio, Public Radio International, WGBH Radio, Boston, MA, USA Today, Reuters, and Jane's Defense Weekly. American Broadcasing Corporation (ABC-TV), correspondent in Baghdad, Iraq, 2002-03; National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC-TV), staff correspondent in Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Africa, 2003—.

WRITINGS:

A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad before, during, and after the War, Hyperion Books (New York, NY), 2004.

SIDELIGHTS: Upon graduating from Stanford University with a degree in international relations and with $1,000 in cash, Richard Engel decided to move to Cairo, Egypt and make a name for himself there as a journalist. Engel realized that the Middle East held the best opportunities for a young freelancer, and he soon found work as a radio reporter. With an eye on the coming war between the United States and Iraq, he managed to travel into Baghdad, and he was broadcasting from that city when the war began. Engel began his stay in Baghdad as a freelance journalist, but when he proved courageous and able to converse with Iraqi citizens, he was hired by ABC. By that time, he was the only American broadcast journalist still in Iraq who was not "embedded" with American troops. It was this boldness that prompted NBC to hire him, NBC News president Neal Shapiro noting, as quoted by the American Journalism Review, that "his drive, his willingness to go the extra mile to get the story" was compelling. Shapiro added of Engel: "I would not be surprised to see him anywhere there's a big story."

Engel's book A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad before, during, and after the War recounts his decision to locate in the Middle East, his move to Baghdad months prior to the outbreak of hostilities, and his coverage of the war phase of the United States' invasion of Iraq. Engel's book describes the daily lives of Iraqis prior to the conflict and their mixed emotions about the U.S. takeover. He also vividly depicts the bombing of the Palestine Hotel, where most of the foreign journalists were staying, and his reactions to the death and wounding of his colleagues in the press. In an Entertainment Weekly review of A Fist in the Hornet's Nest, Scott Brown contends that Engel's "content is nonpareil." The critic added that readers get "a rare street-level sample of the Iraqi temperament." Booklist correspondent David Pitt likewise praised the work, noting that it is "vivid, politically astute, and strikes the perfect balance between drama and reportage." A Publishers Weekly critic described the title as "gripping" and concluded that it "might restore some of the public's lost faith in journalism."

Engel has publicly stated the press that he did not seek out the war in Iraq merely to spark his career. "I'm not so psychotically ambitious that I had to risk my life to make a career jump," he told an interviewer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I felt compelled to cover this story. When you're in the Middle East, there are only two stories … the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iraq."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

American Journalism Review, June, 2003, Sofia Kosmetatos, "Richard Engel Jumps from ABC to NBC, after His Iraq Reporting Wins Kudos."

Booklist, February 15, 2004, David Pitt, review of A Fist in the Hornet's Nest: On the Ground in Baghdad before, during, and after the War, p. 1021.

Cincinnati Post, May 2, 2003, Lisa de Moraes, "NBC News Hires War Reporter," p. C4.

Entertainment Weekly, February 27, 2004, Scott Brown: "Live from Baghdad," p. 100.

New York Post, May 1, 2003, "Touched by an Engel," p. 83.

Philadelphia Inquirer, April 4, 2003, "Previously Unknown Freelancer's Career Takes off with War Coverage"; May 2, 2003, Gail Shister, "Richard Engel Signs with NBC News."

Publishers Weekly, January 19, 2004, review of A Fist in the Hornet's Nest, p. 62.*