- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
This is an adventure story aboutRoyal Marine Commandos going to war during the Falklands War of 1982. Myth and legend. War is an odd thing. It brings out thevery best in a person and probably the converse, too. It is also the story of Argentinian Marines whoalso went to war. The very same war and eventually the very same battle. Memories are still verymuch alive. But it is curious that people witness the exact same events but remember somethingquite different. This book allows for these differences, accepting them as truths. The dark stormystage is set and the players are not even aware they are going to war. One by one, they tell theirstory of this great Homerian adventure. But it is not a story of heroics and daring-do. It is a story ofquite normal people who, through the accident of birth dates, meet in the absurd position of fightingeach other for their very lives. Some are injured, some die. Some are deeply affected by the war. If there is acase for the 'Universal Soldier', it is truly in this story. Soldiers are sent to war by other people.They endure, suffer and kill for a cause they know or care little about. Real war and real fightingcreate a microcosm of experiences. Friendship groups reduce in size from aCommando Unit size of 600 men to much smaller groups. 9 Troop, Charlie Company, 40 CommandoRoyal Marines experienced this. 9 Troop comprises 32 men. All extremely close friends. Closer than you could possibly imagine.As the war progresses, the groups in the Troopreduce in size until you are only concerned with the other two men immediately around you. Microscopic. These are the men you fight for. These are thefriendships you will take to the end of your days. If love were ever a thing, it was clearly present amongthe men of Charlie Company in 1982, also, among the men of the Argentine Marines on Sapper Hill. The War was short and violent. Extremely violent. TheMarines on both sides suffered the extreme Antarctic weather conditions and the vicious fighting.Weather was the paramount concern. Royal Marines are trained to pay attention to detail andconstantly do their 'admin'. Clean and service equipment and themselves. It is a harsh religion withinthe Corps and we all pay homage to it. This may have affected the outcome as much as any fighting.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 A Call to Arms
- Chapter 2 Blue Beach and Blue Sky
- Chapter 3 Move to Wreck Point – Backwards
- Chapter 4 We’ll Be Home by Christmas
- Chapter 5 At Last! Forward to the Front Line – Terra Incognita
- Chapter 6 Battle Preparation and Scary Monsters
- Chapter 7 Sapper Hill – A Fight for Our Lives
- Chapter 8 Coda – A Reflective Future
- Postscript
- Appendix A: Alejandro Koch
- Appendix B: Charlie Company Nominal Roll
- Plates