The low beginnings
Martin Fletcher is a well-known television personality and reporter who might be known by the reader, so his memoir is an invocation of dramatic irony. Back in his youth, there was a veil of time which prohibited him from seeing whether or not his desire to be a famous reporter could ever come true. That shapes the drama of his story as he becomes the personality the reader already knows him to be. The rags-to-riches story is set aside for a life of adventure and discomfort, and although he was acclaimed, he was also famous for going where other journalists would not go.
The first assignment irony
It is ironic for the first trial in his "hero's origin story" to have been so intense and historically relevant. He is sent to film the conflict in Palestine between Palestinian Arabs and Jews. The violence of that conflict was reaching a fever pitch, but Fletcher stayed his course and seized the day. His success on that story proved that he was unafraid, willing to speak the truth, and willing to work hard to find the truth, even at the risk of his own life. As bullets fly, he maintains his composure and delivers facts from the battlefield.
The ironic reaction to danger
In fact, young Martin learned something about himself in front of the camera in those days. He realized that the thrill of danger was enticing to him, and he knew that he had a tenacity that could—and would—set him apart. This is a powerful moment for him, because he realizes that there might be something great destined for him. It is also ironic in a synchronous way because so much goes right for him when he is willing to "do his duty on the battlefields of life," which is both professionally expedient and also heroic and laudable from a humanistic point of view.
The unlikely career
Because of his willingness to take risks and put himself in danger for the sake of the story, Fletcher's life becomes a wild and adventureous ride through the earth's wildest situations. Many of these stories involve traveling to new combat zones or areas where disease, famine, conflict, political unrest, or any of the other myriad social calamities are occurring. It is ironic because he doesn't know what will happen next (drama) and because his credentials are remarkable and completely unexpected.
Irony and depth
Toward the end of the memoir, Fletcher gives the reader a peak behind the veil, revealing his own personal beliefs and reflecting on how his life's work has elaborated and changed elements of those beliefs. He expresses important beliefs about the unknown. He says that there are many aspects of life that scare a human being, but by prioritizing the search for truth and narrative beauty, he has been able to make an adventure out of life. By leaning into the unknown, one amazes one's self, it seems, which is an important piece of drama for any reader to remember.
