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:
COIN:
- An ordinary Soldier by Doug Beattie (Irish Guards)
- 3 Para by Patrick Bishop
- 3 Commando Brigade Helmand by Ewen Southby-Tailyour
- Joint Force Harrier by Commander Ade Orchard RN
- Apache by Ed Macey
- Apache Dawn by Damien Lewis
- Task Force Helmand by Doug Beattie
- 3 Para, Ground Truth by Patrick Bishop
- 3 Commando Brigade Helmand Assault by Ewen Southby-Tailyour
- Dead Men Risen by Toby Harnden (Welsh Guards)
- Sweating The Metal by Flt Lt Alex 'Frenchie' Duncan (Chinook)
Further recommendations list (still to get):
- Khandak Fighting with Afghans: Patrick Hennessey
Russian invasion of Afghanistan:
Still to get:
- The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan by Grau and Glantz
- The War in Afghanistan by Mark Urban (Google Book preview) https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/War_in_Afghanistan/D-i-DAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA1&printsec=frontcover
In the library:
- War in a Distant Country Afghanistan: Invasion and Resistance by David Isby
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).
7 comments:
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
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.
I read The Junior Officers Reading Club when I came and thought it was very good, I particularly enjoyed the description of life at Sandhurst. Learning leadership through the medium of shouting, ironing and marching. Another couple of good Afghanistan books are "Joint Force Harrier" about the air war and the incomparable "The Bear went over the Mountain" about the Russian experience, and which rather kicked the whole thing off.
Is it Mark Urban who wrote "The Bear went over the Mountain? Being lazy here I should Google .. I did try and get hold of a copy of that but failed miserably!
Turns out I was getting confused with a different Mark Urban book (only available in expensive versions) "War in Afghanistan"
I emailed you a link to The Bear goes over the Mountain.
Thanks Martin much appreciated
Post a Comment