In the style of e-mails, Haley introduces the reader to his life before the Gulf War, from his stint as a junior journalist to his posting to the tiny Gulf state of Bahrain, where he was a sub-editor of an English-language newspaper. The excitement of this new position is cut short by Saddam Hussein’s invasion of neighbouring Kuwait. In a terrifying culmination of psychological trauma, Haley depicts with great candour his mental disintegration: his committal toa psychiatric facility; his return to Australia, which prompted another breakdown; and his fateful decision to jump from a fourth-floor window, which left him a paraplegic.

Haley’s narrative technique is relaxed and conversational; the action jumps about swiftly. This adds to the suspense, but the thread of the story can vanish. That said, Haley manages to evoke the rich, vibrant textures of the fascinating places he visits. Emails from the Edge is, above all, a powerful celebration of travel.