Blood, Sweat and Steel: Frontline Accounts from the Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq, 1990–2010
ISBN 978-1847735133
New Holland Publishers Ltd, 2010
Distilled from hundreds of thousands of words, this book attempts to present a cross-section of experiences from service personnel during 20 years of conflict in the Gulf and Afghanistan. The politicians talk about short campaigns and surgical strikes, but for those who have to fight their wars the reality is very different, as this book makes clear. And when the politicians foul up, as they invariably do, it is always the men and women in uniform who pay the price. I’ve also included a chapter on the wounded, for the legacy of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is tens of thousands of injured young people, plus many more carrying psychological scars.
‘The interview excerpts record bravery and boredom with equal honesty and represent a true reflection of operational life which, when combined with the liberal use of military acronyms and in-jokes, will strike a chord with any who have served. For those who haven’t, the title strives to encourage empathy and paints a candid picture of the attitude, worries and observations of the fighting man and woman … making for a good personal library addition and a fine source of illustrative quotes and examples of life on the front line.’
Soldier Magazine, September 2010
