I sailed through my childhood with a complete lack of any drama.

It's totally mistaken to suppose that an armed escort is going to give a journalist any protection - on the contrary, journalists who turn up surrounded by armed personnel are just turning themselves into targets and in even worse danger.

I have no time for the endless nostalgia: 'Oh gosh I used to . . . ' Life is too short; I don't have any time for sitting and saying I miss things. What's the point? Go and do something else.'

I wrote in the book very specifically what I wanted to write about, period, and left it at.

The better the information it has, the better democracy works. Silence and secrecy are never good for it.

Hair is also a problem. I remember once, when I was reporting from Beirut at the height of the civil war, someone wrote in to the BBC complaining about my appearance.

Having had loving people who brought me up, and then I find another set of people. That really is a double blessing.