A writer's look at the writing industry and the Internet.

I’ve been quiet of late doing, among other things, the one thing that all accomplished authors I’ve encountered recommend of all aspiring authors: reading books. The upside is that I get to work through my mountain of unread books; the downside is that it means my creative output is reduced (well, I think it’s a downside). My reading tastes are probably as eclectic as my music tastes, as I figure there’s a vast world out there and there’s lots to experience and discover. I’m also convinced that the most interesting people are those who have experienced and read widely. A unitopical boor is easy to come by, but a polymath is a rare joy.

As part of my polymathic aspirations and the desire to inspire, I thought I would begin sharing the occasional book review. They probably won’t be news to those who are familiar with my Goodreads profile or occasional Amazon review, but I do hope that you enjoy them.

Today’s review is a modern war memoir recommended by a friend and a British Army officer. There may be a few such memoirs that end up reviewed here, but that is probably because he’s lent me some books and I don’t want to have them on my shelf collecting dust.

Danger Close: The True Story of Helmand from the Leader of 3 PARA by Colonel Stuart Tootal DSO

Review by Matt Bruce, 12 June 2010

This memoir from the commander of 3 PARA, the 3rd Battalion of The Parachute Regiment, details his experiences in Afghanistan during their tour of duty there in 2006, and their eventual return to the UK and his subsequent promotion up and away from 3 PARA. You may remember the author’s name from newspapers in 2007, as he resigned from the Army in response to the mistreatment of soldiers. This book is that story, but conveyed with pride of a job well done, not self-pity.

Unlike most war memoirs, this is written by not only an officer, but the battalion commander. As such, it gives both low level experiences that you would get from an on-the-ground soldier — such as that found in Sniper One — and the higher level picture of trying to do the right thing by your men while dealing with the politics and cost-cutting from above. It’s an unenviable task, clearly executed brilliantly, and written in a very engaging style.

The final chapter, “Fighting the Peace,” is the incredibly moving story of the return of 3 PARA to the UK, particularly the MOD’s treatment of the injured (now that the MOD shares existing NHS facilities rather than using dedicated military hospitals), and fighting to ensure that soldiers who have been disabled or mutilated in the service of their country aren’t just kicked out of the Army. Lastly, and perhaps more amazingly, although we have been aware of post-traumatic stress disorder for decades now, the chapter outlines that the facilities and procedures in place for dealing with it are laughable at best. If even half of it is accurate, it makes me ashamed to think that my votes and taxes are used to treat these people so badly.

In closing, it is worth mentioning that the book’s epilogue states that a number of situations and problems described in it and various newspapers have been, or are being, rectified.

This review can also be found on Goodreads and Amazon UK.