It was autumn of 1964 – with one war about to end and one about to start – although no one knew about that yet. So imagine you have just turned 19, a young soldier, a Staff Clerk by trade, who, having volunteered to serve in Aden to be with your fiancée, are given your ring back the night you arrived there! Furthermore, you are about to discover that the Army’s maxim of ‘soldier first – tradesman second’ is about to be put into practice.
Now in your role as a soldier, you are to be issued with a rifle and bayonet – no bullets! Because that nice Mr Healey thinks you might shoot a citizen of an oil-rich state, causing all sorts of problems. So, much better a dead soldier than an annoyed oil-rich nation. Now, if your imagination has carried you this far, see if you can carry on as well as ‘Jack’, our hero of this first of a trilogy. See how he is to find himself, although only a private soldier, a confidante of generals, a correspondent with a prime minister, an instructor of RAF officers and a bogeyman for the top military policeman. It is also worth reading to find out how he is the only man to escape a poo shower of gargantuan proportions generated by a pyromaniac with 20 gallons of petrol, lots of used ‘compo’ and a hidden ingredient. Could you survive as well as Jack or would you go sick?
My opinion:
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
It must have been the compo is a summary of events from Mike Huss's experience in the army, which are presented by his alter ego, Jack.
Even though most of the book is focused on Jack's life in the army and how he earned all the different titles we also learn about his early life as well. We get to meet him at the age of eleven where he had already developed a love for guns which was one of the reasons he joined the army
cadet. In his teenage years, his interests shifted into bikes, cars and eventually girls. From his eighteen years and later on, it was all about the army life, his first love and the meeting of his wife Janet. The whole story is described in great detail. His early personal life was rather
sweet and reminded me of the 70's movies. The scenes with the girls are limited and presented quite respectfully. For those who are familiar with the army and who love cars, bikes, and guns this will be an easy read (i am clueless). I liked that it alternated between serious and funny it made it more entertaining. While reading this I felt like watching the world from a man's point of view. I enjoyed reading it, even though it isn't a genre I am used to reading, and I will rate it with 3.8 stars.
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