Hobby Pages

Monday, 18 November 2024

Proud to have .. read a Book! "The Junior Officers Reading Club"

This makes a welcome change from my usual Audible listening to a book behaviour, actually opening and leafing through the pages of a physical book. I found it most enjoyable (see below, I also found it a different form of history from the norm, as you stepped inside the mind of a British Army infantry officer as his career built up to the expectation of combat and then experienced the elephant, albeit the new asymmetrical warfare of Afghanistan):   


This was a book from the pile of "many" paperbacks I have acquired over the years on this peculiar piece of history. "Their time" of reading has appeared to have now come. The Afghanistan list to date (in a sort of chronological order) is as follows: 
  • An ordinary Soldier: Doug Beattie (Irish Guards 16th Air Assault Brigade)
  • 3 Para: Patrick Bishop
  • 3 Commando Brigade Helmand: Ewen Southby-Tailyuor
  • Joint Force Harrier: Commander Ade Orchard RN
  • Apache: Ed Macey
  • Apache Dawn: Damien Lewis
  • Task Force Helmand: Doug Beattie
  • 3 Para, Ground Truth: Patrick Bishop 
  • 3 Commando Brigade Helmand Assault: Ewen Southby-Tailyour
  • Dead Men Risen: Toby Harnden (Welsh Guards)
  • Sweating The Metal: Flt Lt Alex 'Frenchie' Duncan (Chinook)
Further recommendations list (still to get):
  • Khandak Fighting with Afghans: Patrick Hennessey
Any further recommendations to the above greatly appreciated. So perhaps with this background knowledge I should be able to finally get into GMT's COIN "A Distant Plain" (another 'Bucket List' item). 

2 comments:

  1. I think that of all the alternative forms and formats of communication, information, narrative and entertainment, there is nothing quite like the printed word, and of that, the book stands (in my view) supreme.
    Cheers,
    Ion

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  2. Totally agree, it was nice coming back to print. If I like what I hear on Audible I generally bookmark the book for a paper copy at some point! Birthday, Xmas, treat .. sometimes it shouts .. must buy and I succumb ;) I do like books.

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