An Ordinary Soldier: Afghanistan: A ferocious enemy. A bloody conflict. One man's impossible mission - Couverture souple

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1847373771 ISBN 13 : 9781847373779

Synopsis

On September 11th 2006 - exactly five years after the Twin Towers atrocities - a modern day Rorke's Drift was played out in the town of Garmsir, known as the Taliban gateway to the notorious Helmland Province. 40-year-old Capt. Douglas Beattie of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment was charged with the mission to retake Garmsir from the Taliban. His commanders said it would take 2 days; it actually took two weeks of exhausting, bloody conflict in which he would be one of only three men up against a suicidal enemy in impossible conditions, without adequate supplies. His wife thought he had taken a desk job - instead he led from the front to seize an impossible victory, for which he was decorated with the Military Cross in December 2006.
This is a thrilling, modern war story. One that's visceral yet intelligent, immediate and action-packed, but also emotional. The maturity of voice and honesty sets this book apart from other war memoirs, but never skimps on page-turning action and even humour. AN ORDINARY SOLDIER tells of the comradeship and day-to-day life in a country where you can trust no one but your own battalion. Above all, it is Beattie's personal story of being what he modestly calls 'an ordinary soldier' - someone who balances being a loving father and husband with that of fighting in the world's most hostile place. It is a book that could change hearts and minds about the reality of Britain's soldiers in Afghanistan.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Doug Beattie entered 1 R Irish as 17-year-old. He served as an NCO in Bosnia, an RSM in Iraq, and completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan before retiring from the British Army in autumn 2008. He was awarded the Military Cross in 2006.
Co-writer Philip Gomm first met Doug Beattie in Helmand Province in 2006 while working for ITV News.

À propos de la quatrième de couverture

On September 11th 2006, 40-year-old Doug Beattie played his part in the War on Terror. As a guard of Rudolph Hess in Spandau Prison, as a junior soldier in Northern Ireland, an NCO in Bosnia and a regimental sergeant major to Colonel Tim Collins in Iraq, he thought he had seen it all. How wrong he was.
One of a tiny contingent of British troops, the Royal Irish Regiment captain went to help Afghan forces recapture the town of Garmsir - known as the Taliban gateway to Helmand Province. The mission should have lasted 48 hours. Instead Beattie was in Garmsir for two brutal and bloody weeks. At one stage the UK contingent shrunk to just three men. They were up against a ferocious enemy in impossible conditions, without adequate supplies. For his repeated bravery Doug Beattie was decorated with the Military Cross.
This is a thrilling, modern war story. Visceral yet intelligent; action-packed but also emotional, AN ORDINARY SOLDIER offers an extraordinary insight into the mission in Afghanistan and crucially the relationship between British troops and the Afghans they serve alongside. It demands to be read.
Doug Beattie has served in the British Army for 25 years. Co-writer Philip Gomm is a Westminster Correspondent for ITV News. The pair first met in Helmand Province.
978-1-84737-377-9
£12.99
Simon & Schuster UK
Autobiography

Détails de l'édition

• Date d'édition: 2008
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1847373771
• ISBN 13: 9781847373779
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 336
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible