Keith Dalton Author
THE MAKING OF A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
Two Books. One Story
Together, these two books tell the story about how I left Australia, a 25-year-old journalist, and travelled alone for 18 months through Southeast Asia to garner the reporting experience I needed before I reached the Philippines.
It was in Manila that I transitioned from freelance journalist to self-made correspondent. For a decade (1977-87), I reported on the most tumultuous period in modern Philippine history for 10 radio stations and three newspapers on four continents.
These two books span more than a dozen jam-packed years. It was the most exhilarating and eventful period of my life.
Testimonials
Meandering to Manila
‘The vivid tale of a self-made foreign correspondent heading off from Australia to Southeast Asia in the 1970s, with just a typewriter in his pack. A wonderful travel read from a different time.’
Graeme Dobell, Inside Story and former ABC foreign correspondent.
‘Back in The Day, before the infernal curse of the internet ruined it for everybody, there was dash and glamour to the life of a foreign correspondent. Portable typewriter in one hand, notebook in the other, Sony cassette recorder slung over your shoulder, you roamed the world in hot pursuit of the wise and the wicked. Keith Dalton has written an absorbing account of those glory days in all their highs and lows, a vivid tale of temps perdu. A must-read for ambitious young journalists.’
Mike Carlton, former ABC foreign correspondent, now naval historian.
‘A wry, self-deprecating account of a young journo’s 18-month ‘gap year’ transition from reporter to foreign correspondent. Dalton’s curiosity, practical survival skills and passion for places less visited took him on many a discovery, the occasional embarrassment, and more than a few threats to life and limb. Armed with his trusty backpack, a battered typewriter and no shortage of single-minded focus, this self-styled ‘traveller, not a tourist’ meandered extensively among the diverse peoples and places of Southeast Asia, honing the fieldcraft of his chosen vocation in the process. A fine memoir and, though times have changed, an essential read for any aspiring foreign correspondent heading to the region.’
Ian Macintosh AM, ABC correspondent 1969-96.
‘Dalton’s tales of intrepid adventure, offers up vivid reminiscences of a kinder, gentler ‘old Asia’ – gone but not forgotten by his contemporaries. For the modern adventurer, it’s an inspiring reminder to always take the road less travelled.’
Bruce Dover, former Australian Journalist of the Year, foreign correspondent and international media executive.
‘For anyone with dreams and ambitions, Keith Daltons’ fascinating journey through Southeast Asia serves as both a poignant history and an inspiring reminder to just damn well do it. Whatever ‘it’ is. Dalton takes us on an extraordinary adventure through a lived history of people and places during the turmoil and transformation of Southeast Asia.’
Philip Williams, former ABC chief foreign correspondent.
‘Consciously or not, Dalton's hazard-prone Asian venture met Hemingway's challenge front-on: 'In order to write about life, first you must live it.’’
Geoff Heriot PhD, former foreign correspondent and broadcast executive.
‘Imagine you are 25, exploring Southeast Asia on the cheap 50 years ago. By canoe, bus, train, cargo boat Keith Dalton takes you through the highs (all non-drug) and lows (malaria, kidney stones, the runs) of the places less travelled.’
Hamish McDonald, former foreign editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and regional editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review.
‘Keith’s deeply personal journey conveys the spirit of a young journalist determined to carve a path through the unpredictability of Southeast Asia. Told with humour, clarity and a keen eye for detail, it’s an absorbing portrait of travel, discovery, and a life shaped by curiosity and courage.’
Emmy Tagaza-Bevege, former Financial Times correspondent in the Philippines 1980s and in Australia 1990s.
‘While 1976 is not long ago, in the broad sweep of history, this highly engaging narrative transports readers back to a time of typewriters, telexes, cassette recorders, rickety inter-island ferries, and jam-packed open-air buses. Dalton’s stories of his adventurous meanderings throughout Southeast Asia serve as a compelling first-hand account of the craft of the foreign correspondent just a half-century ago.’
Paul Hutchcroft, Emeritus Professor of Southeast Asian Politics, Australian National University.
‘Keith Dalton’s story captures a formative era in international journalism — when foreign correspondents worked on the ground, reporting directly from wars, revolutions, and moments of global change. As part of a generation who left the newsroom in the 1970s to witness events firsthand, Keith filed stories for international outlets from some of Southeast Asia’s most challenging locations. Much has changed in the media landscape because of the digital revolution, yet the need for informed, independent voices who can interpret complex events for a wider public remains as urgent as ever.’
Sue Ahern, creator of The Pacific Newsroom and former ABC journalist and editor.
‘If true stories of courage in the face of danger are your thing, then Meandering to Manila delivers a compelling rollercoaster ride from start to finish. In the late ‘70s, travelling alone, a young Dalton ventured through half a dozen Asian countries, through crowded cities and remote jungle villages, challenged by wonders and dangers in equal measure. The fact that he survived to tell the tale is both extraordinary and a gift to all readers in the twenty-first century.’
Steph McCarthy, author ‘The Tyrant & The Teenager – Philippines, 1968’.
Reinventing Marcos
‘For young readers and specialists of the Marcos years, Reinventing Marcos will be a fast-paced, refreshing and exciting read. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself!’
Prof. Xiao Chua, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines.
‘As history is twisted to restore the reputation of the deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, an angry foreign correspondent returns to the stories he wrote on a deadly regime. The headline is ‘Journo versus tyrant’. Keith Dalton elegantly crams two books into one: his life as a correspondent, and a vivid attack on ‘apologists, fantasists and propagandists’ trying to rewrite Philippine history.’
Graeme Dobell, ‘The journalist and the dictator’, Inside Story
‘Dalton’s first-hand accounts, including moments of brutality and resilience, ground his critique in lived experience, offering a visceral counterpoint to the fabricated glorifications proliferating on social media… His prose is both incisive and evocative, blending historical analysis with poignant personal anecdotes… Reinventing Marcos is a passionate call to action for truth-telling and historical integrity. Dalton’s work is essential reading for those grappling with the challenges of combating disinformation and preserving the integrity of historical memory. It stands as both a memoir and a warning, urging vigilance against the seductive allure of revisionist narratives.’
Joe Assi, Management Consultant.
'Dalton forcefully challenges the state of orchestrated forgetfulness surrounding the rise to power of Philippines president Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr. As a young man, Bongbong held government posts during the harsh presidential regime of his kleptocratic father. From the author’s gritty on-the-ground experience as a Manila-based foreign correspondent, he offers eloquent testimony to the abuses, brutality and grand corruption enabled by the late dictator, Ferdinand
Marcos Snr.'
Geoff Heriot. Media consultant, author, former correspondent.
'At the age of 25, Keith Dalton – a young journalist – journeyed through Southeast Asia to the Philippines where he became a self-made foreign correspondent. He arrived in 1977, stayed a decade, and reported to the Western world the worst of the brutal Marcos dictatorship. On several occasions, he nearly lost his life. His story would have remained untold had it not been for Marcos’s son, Bongbong, being elected president in 2022, thus continuing a dynasty which had smashed democracy and ruined the country’s economy. Shocked that a dictator’s son was now in power, Dalton realised that a whole new generation of Filipinos was blissfully unaware of the 21-year Marcos regime that ended in 1986 in a People Power revolution. Reinventing Marcos is a reminder that history must never be forgotten if it is not to be repeated.'
Steph McCarthy, author ‘The Tyrant & The Teenager – Philippines, 1968’.
'Reinventing Marcos is an incredible story of how power can become obscene and bring wealth to those who are corrupt. It deals with some extremely difficult issues with great compassion and sensitivity. Instead of being put off by the telling of horrific events, I couldn’t put the book down. Keith sets out how this dictator was able to increase his power and wealth to unimaginable levels, a pertinent reminder of what we should all be wary of in our leaders - whether or not we live in a democracy.'
Vicki Moss, former Australian government social policy manager.
‘Do you really know what it was like to live in the Philippines during the rule of President Ferdinand Marcos? Reinventing Marcos is not a product of research. It is an eyewitness account of corrupt and criminal conduct at the apex of political power. As a foreign correspondent Keith Dalton lived and worked in the Philippines during this despotic rule. He has produced a fascinating, gritty exposé!’
Glennise West Ph.D. Independent history researcher
‘This is an impactful book. At times riveting, like an action-packed thriller, and at other times it’s heart-stopping and heartbreaking. For 10 years as a foreign correspondent, Keith was a witness to the excesses, the brutality, and the corruption of the Marcos regime. He brings a journalist’s clarity to the stories he tells, and a sympathetic human perspective to the many traumatic moments and bloody events he witnessed. Keith saw history in the making and that makes Reinventing Marcos a testament to truth.’
Myrna Del Rosario-Engalla, former systems engineer and analyst.