An excellent book about the history of submarines.
http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Killers...4434994&sr=1-1
An excellent book about the history of submarines.
http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Killers...4434994&sr=1-1
This is a good book for anybody interested in the Afghanistan campaign. Jon Krakauer is a fine writer who ably carries the reader through potentially boring pieces (descriptions of American football) to the core events. A decent young American soldier, Pat Tillman, gives up a million dollar sports career to serve in the Army Rangers.
He is killed by friendly fire.
Its a lesson in the unromantic reality of armed conflict.
I've read a lot of SAS biographies but few army reports of modern conflicts. So this book cured that in spades - it was almost too much.
Attack State Red is the record of the Royal Anglian Regiment's mission in the Sangin Valley, Afghanistan in the spring of 2007.
Fields of poppies and maize concealing Taliban fighters, narrow alleyways between mudbrick compounds, overgrown ditches and canals, mines, etc. Heat, dehydration, heavy bodyarmour, biting insects, jammed rifles... plus the Taliban are experienced fighters and no walkover.
A very realistic well written record. Recommended.
http://attackstatered.com/
Finished reading Croz=Larrikin Biker,very easy read biography of the legend,and written the way he rode,loose as lol.Can still recall the kwaka at Wanganui around 1977 ish on one wheel,he was our hero to all us kids at the time.
Hello officer put it on my tab
Don't steal the government hates competition.
I am still reading David Kilcullen's "The Accidental Guerilla" will finish on hols next week.
I thought elections were decided by angry posts on social media. - F5 Dave
Just finished reading Seven Troop, Andy Mcnab. Have only read Bravo Two Zero from him before.
Interesting & readable book but gets bloody depressing towards the end.
It covers his time in the SAS from first training in the jungle after selection, skimming through Northern Ireland, Belize, Oman & Iraq with recollections on his youth & different training throughout. The end of the book focuses on what happens when you leave the regiment, this is when it gets heavy & shows they are not super men.
One quote which hints at this is "more soldiers committed suicide after the Falklands war than died in it" Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Lots of swearing, larrikins & shooting but also a lot about the consequences.
I have read both. Bravo Two Zero is well written and a good read. But. McNab exaggerated and invented incidents to make it more exciting. For that reason I don't read him any more.
FYI Sgt McNab lead the Bravo Two Zero patrol to watch the MSR (main supply route - road) between Jordan and Baghdad. He could have taken trailbikes but elected to do it hard by tabbing in from the helicoptor drop off. With over 100kg per man. Bad decision. On top of that the guys had no warm gear despite it being winter with desert nights at freezing level.
Vince Phillips and Legs Lane died of hypothermia while evading the Iraqis.
McNab portrays himself to be the hero but the SAS debriefed the survivors and had a far different view.
If you want a good read on the SAS, try Peter Ratcliffe: Eye of The Storm. He retired as Regimental Sergeant Major and talks about McNab's mistakes at one point but mainly the Falklands and other operations.
Also, for the 1991 Iraq War, Sabre Squadron by Cameron Spence is an excellent book. Its about SAS squadrons in Pinkies roving around the deserts of Iraq and giving the locals some nasty surprises. Recommended.
I've just read Aussie Paul Carter's latest book "Is that a diesel?" about his ride round Australia on a Cagiva-framed adventure bike, powered by a small single cylinder pump engine running on cooking oil.
Paul writes in a style where you immediately identify with him and is one of the funniest writers around... as in snot coming down your nose! He's an ex-oil rig worker and his two previous books on rig life are outstanding too.
The review of his latest book is on my blog: http://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2011/...ok-review.html
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