--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I followed the war wherever I could reach…" description: "\"I followed the war wherever I could reach it.\" — Martha Gellhorn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg" --- # I followed the war wherever I could reach it. ![“I followed the war wherever I could reach it.” quote by Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg) > “I followed the war wherever I could reach it.” [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She pursued conflict wherever it unfolded, seeking truth and bearing witness to human suffering. **In simple terms:** Chasing war to reveal reality. Key Takeaway Follow events to understand their impact. Themes journalism conflict truth humanity Mood somber determined Type reflective documentary When to use this quote - war zones - field reporting - human rights advocacy Key Concepts war reporting ethical observation Questions to Reflect On - How does witnessing war shape one's worldview? - What responsibilities do journalists have in conflict zones? A Different Perspective Risk of desensitization or personal trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Followed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followed/) [Followed War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followed-war-2935797/) [Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-reach-1270394/) ## Related quotes > [“one must go through war to reach peace.4”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/one-must-go-through-war-to-reach-peace-4/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Even people who aren't engaged on the actual battlefield - the effects of war reach out like tentacles into families, into economies, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/even-people-who-aren-t-engaged-on-the-actual-battlefield-the-effects/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [I grew up in Orange County, without a team. I never affiliated myself with the Chargers, south of me, or the Raiders, north of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colletti/i-grew-up-in-orange-county-without-a-team-i-never-affiliated-myself/) [Stephen Colletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colletti/) > [Those who follow the crowd will never be followed by the crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hunter/those-who-follow-the-crowd-will-never-be-followed-by-the-crowd/) [James Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hunter/) > [I'm being followed so much I'm causing traffic jams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-m-being-followed-so-much-i-m-causing-traffic-jams/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Yeah, I was going to follow her.  Staying away from her was not an option.  I would have to staple myself to the damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/yeah-i-was-going-to-follow-her-staying-away-from-her-was-not-an/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) > [I wish Twitter would notify me when someone UN-followed me, that way I could go star it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/i-wish-twitter-would-notify-me-when-someone-un-followed-me-that-way-i/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [Whenever we have had a need for a national security or public safety issue, Congress has always followed the recommendations of the White House,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/whenever-we-have-had-a-need-for-a-national-security-or-public-safety/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [“My career never went like anyone else’s, so I never followed anyone.” Cyndi Lauper People Magazine July 8, 2013”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-lauper/my-career-never-went-like-anyone-else-s-so-i-never-followed-anyone/) [Cyndi Lauper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-lauper/) > [The work of deciding cases goes on every day in hundreds of courts throughout the land. 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So anything on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/i-followed-the-1-2-million-people-with-my-hand-never-faked-anything/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [“On your left!” my bodyguard shouts again, skirting around me. “Looks like you only got two speeds—slow and slower!” I glare after him. “Excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-poston/on-your-left-my-bodyguard-shouts-again-skirting-around-me-looks-like/) [Ashley Poston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-poston/) > [We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-cannot-all-be-masters-nor-all-masters-cannot-be-truly-followed/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I've followed Gary Oldman his whole career... I've watched the movies he's directed, like 'Nil by Mouth' - I've seen that five times!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-ve-followed-gary-oldman-his-whole-career-i-ve-watched-the-movies-he/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) ## More by Martha Gellhorn > [Nothing is better for self-esteem than survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/nothing-is-better-for-self-esteem-than-survival/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [All politicians are bores and liars and fakes. I talk to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/all-politicians-are-bores-and-liars-and-fakes-i-talk-to-people/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [“This was not the velvet embracing desert sky at El Geneina; this was infinite space. The idea of no boundaries, no end, is terrifying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/this-was-not-the-velvet-embracing-desert-sky-at-el-geneina-this-was/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [I do not see myself as a footnote to someone else's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-do-not-see-myself-as-a-footnote-to-someone-else-s-life/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [the English don't go in for imagination: imagination is considered to be improper if not downright alarmist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/the-english-don-t-go-in-for-imagination-imagination-is-considered-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [My definition of what makes a journey wholly or partially horrible is boredom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/my-definition-of-what-makes-a-journey-wholly-or-partially-horrible-is/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Joseph McCarthy, the Junior Republican Senator from Wisconsin, ruled America like devil king for four years. His purges were an American mirror image of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/joseph-mccarthy-the-junior-republican-senator-from-wisconsin-ruled/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Public opinion, though slow as lava, in the end forces governments towards more sanity, more justice. My heroes and heroines are all private citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/public-opinion-though-slow-as-lava-in-the-end-forces-governments/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [I daresay I was the worst bed partner in five continents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-daresay-i-was-the-worst-bed-partner-in-five-continents/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Once you get a tyranny, you don't easily get rid of it. Much better to remember about eternal vigilance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/once-you-get-a-tyranny-you-don-t-easily-get-rid-of-it-much-better-to/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [In the last camp they all ate grass, until the authorities forbade them to pull it up. They were accustomed to having the fruits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/in-the-last-camp-they-all-ate-grass-until-the-authorities-forbade/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Citizenship is a tough occupation which obliges the citizen to make his own informed opinion and stand by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/citizenship-is-a-tough-occupation-which-obliges-the-citizen-to-make/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Americans did not acquire their fear neurosis as the result of a traumatic experience - war devasting their country, pestilence sweeping the land, famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/americans-did-not-acquire-their-fear-neurosis-as-the-result-of-a/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [From the earliest wars of men to our last heart-breaking worldwide effort, all we could do was kill ourselves. Now we are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/from-the-earliest-wars-of-men-to-our-last-heart-breaking-worldwide/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [Why do people talk of the horrors of old age? It's great. I feel like a fine old car with the parts gradually wearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/why-do-people-talk-of-the-horrors-of-old-age-it-s-great-i-feel-like-a/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) [Explore all 84 Martha Gellhorn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) ## More Followed quotes > [I've followed Gary Oldman his whole career... I've watched the movies he's directed, like 'Nil by Mouth' - I've seen that five times!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-ve-followed-gary-oldman-his-whole-career-i-ve-watched-the-movies-he/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [We cannot all be masters, nor all masters Cannot be truly followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/we-cannot-all-be-masters-nor-all-masters-cannot-be-truly-followed/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“On your left!” my bodyguard shouts again, skirting around me. “Looks like you only got two speeds—slow and slower!” I glare after him. “Excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-poston/on-your-left-my-bodyguard-shouts-again-skirting-around-me-looks-like/) [Ashley Poston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-poston/) > [I followed the 1.2 million people with my hand. Never faked anything. Never bought any followers or anything like that. So anything on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/i-followed-the-1-2-million-people-with-my-hand-never-faked-anything/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [It's no accident that most self-help groups use 'anonymous' in their names; to Americans, the first step toward redemption is a ritual wiping out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/it-s-no-accident-that-most-self-help-groups-use-anonymous-in-their/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [The work of deciding cases goes on every day in hundreds of courts throughout the land. Any judge, one might suppose, would find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-work-of-deciding-cases-goes-on-every-day-in-hundreds-of-courts/) [Benjamin N. Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-n-cardozo/) > [“My career never went like anyone else’s, so I never followed anyone.” Cyndi Lauper People Magazine July 8, 2013”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-lauper/my-career-never-went-like-anyone-else-s-so-i-never-followed-anyone/) [Cyndi Lauper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-lauper/) > [Whenever we have had a need for a national security or public safety issue, Congress has always followed the recommendations of the White House,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/whenever-we-have-had-a-need-for-a-national-security-or-public-safety/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [I wish Twitter would notify me when someone UN-followed me, that way I could go star it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/i-wish-twitter-would-notify-me-when-someone-un-followed-me-that-way-i/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [“Yeah, I was going to follow her.  Staying away from her was not an option.  I would have to staple myself to the damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/yeah-i-was-going-to-follow-her-staying-away-from-her-was-not-an/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) > [I'm being followed so much I'm causing traffic jams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-m-being-followed-so-much-i-m-causing-traffic-jams/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Those who follow the crowd will never be followed by the crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hunter/those-who-follow-the-crowd-will-never-be-followed-by-the-crowd/) [James Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hunter/) > [I grew up in Orange County, without a team. I never affiliated myself with the Chargers, south of me, or the Raiders, north of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colletti/i-grew-up-in-orange-county-without-a-team-i-never-affiliated-myself/) [Stephen Colletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colletti/) > [Akshay's idea of a romantic date is a six-kilometre jog, followed by 500 crunches... together! Eeeeks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twinkle-khanna/akshay-s-idea-of-a-romantic-date-is-a-six-kilometre-jog-followed-by/) [Twinkle Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twinkle-khanna/) > [My priority in life is my whanau, followed by my work as an artist, which has blessed me with the ability to provide opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/my-priority-in-life-is-my-whanau-followed-by-my-work-as-an-artist/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) [Browse all 375 Followed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I followed the war wherever I could reach it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martha Gellhorn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reach-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Followed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reach-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/martha-gellhorn-8061_war_i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reac_1919036.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I followed the war wherever I could reach it.” — Martha Gellhorn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martha Gellhorn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I followed the war wherever I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reach-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/i-followed-the-war-wherever-i-could-reach-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```