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.

I have nothing to do with the selection of stories. I'm the reporter.

In any war, there is a concealment of certain kinds of setbacks because it's propaganda for the enemy.

There was no equal pay law when I started working. I was no different to any other woman in any other job at the time.

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

But in the first Gulf war the United Kingdom was not under any threat from Iraq, and is still less so in the second one. Then there is no justification for obstructing freedom of information, particularly as nations have a right to know what their soldiers are being used for.

I also read modern novels - I have just had to read 60 as I am one of the judges for the Orange Fiction Prize.