Back on the warpath in 'Killing Fields'

Sydney Schanberg (R) and Dith Pran whose story was portrayed in the film The Killing Fields which depicted about the Cambodian genocide.

Published: Sunday, June 20, 2010

Andrea Boyarsky

For more information on “Beyond the Killing Fields,” visit www.beyondthekillingfields.com.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A native Staten Islander has collaborated with a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist to publish a new book featuring writings on war and its consequences.

Dr. Robert Miraldi, a former Advance reporter who grew up in Westerleigh, edited “Beyond the Killing Fields: War Writings” (Potomac Books), a collection of Sydney Schanberg’s reporting and commentary from wars he reported on in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and Iraq.

“One reviewer called the book a ‘grim reminder’ of war. It really is; it just shows us what wars do and how inhuman we can be,” said Miraldi, who is also author of “The Pen Is Mightier: The Muckraking Life of Charles Edward Russell” (St. Martin’s Press).

The journalism professor at SUNY New Paltz continued, “It gives you pause for why it is we need to think long and hard before we enter into a war. Not only is it wonderful journalism and wonderful reportage, it’s right on the mark about how war repeats itself in grim and horrible ways.”

In 2001, Miraldi met Schanberg, who won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his New York Times coverage of the communist takeover of Cambodia. Schanberg was a visiting professor at SUNY New Paltz as the first James H. Ottaway Sr. Distinguished Professor of Journalism.

Several years back, Miraldi came up with the idea to do an anthology of Schanberg’s work and proposed it to his friend. At first, they wanted to do a “best of” collection but with so much to choose from decided to concentrate the book on his war reporting.

“It’s partly because we’re always at war and we’re still at war. It seemed the natural and logical thing,” explained Miraldi, who currently resides in Stone Ridge, N.Y. He pointed to some of Schanberg’s other works focusing on New York, noting, “we thought his war stories has a wider reach.”

Miraldi worked with Schanberg to edit copy, find articles to feature in the book and get it ready for publication. They were also aided by Miraldi’s wife, Mary Beth Pfeiffer, also a former Advance reporter, and Schanberg’s wife Jane Freiman.

The book’s centerpiece is Schanberg’s signature work, “The Death and Life of Dith Pran,” which was turned into the Academy Award winning movie “The Killing Fields” starring Sam Waterston as Schanberg.

Pran was a Cambodian photojournalist assigned to translate and help Schanberg navigate the country, which was being taken over by the communist Khmer Rouge who massacred millions of people. In 1975 when the capital fell, Schanberg was forced to leave the country and Pran was taken captive. For several years, Schanberg didn’t know what happened to his friend, who managed to survive the genocide.

The book is dedicated to Pran, who died in 2008 of pancreatic cancer, and Schanberg’s wife, Jane.

“One of the characteristics of a great reporter is constant passion and indignation,” Miraldi noted. “When you read Schanberg’s work, there’s always this passion for people who are the victims.... This book really speaks to that.”