Ryszard Kapuściński Journalist, writer and historian (1932 - 2007) Warsaw, Poland Kapuściński witnessed 27 revolutions, served on 12 war fronts and was sentenced to be shot on 4 occasions. Born in Belarus, he had a difficult childhood marked by economic hardships and did not read a single book until the age of 12. He graduated in history, but his vocation as a reporter soon led him to work as a correspondent and experience firsthand events that have marked history, such as the decolonization and independence of the Third World, the coup d'état in Chile and the Iranian revolution. During his travels he wrote 19 books, among which Ebony stands out, which recounts his experiences in Africa. Kapuscinski's work is characterized by the combination of exhaustive documentation and an in-depth knowledge of countries and their inhabitants. His extraordinary capacity for analyzing historical and political events makes his books an ingenious union of journalism, history, and philosophy.