3 Para by Patrick Bishop
is a fantastic book. I say a book but I actually "listened" to it as I purchased it as an audiobook from Audible.com. It details the deployment of the British 3 Para battlegroup to Helmand province in Afghanistan a few years ago. It focuses on the day to day action experienced by A, B and C companies of 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, Patrols Platoon, the Pathfinders and a few additional elements such as the Royal Irish, Signallers and some Dutch elements in and around Now Zad, Sangin, and Musa Qaleh.
Some increadible action is detailed in this book and you really pick up on the frustration of the soldiers in the "Platoon Houses" and that fact that no improvements were able to be made due to the daily and sometimes hourly attacks by the taliban. It was good to see that once things got hot, the civilians moved out of these towns. If this happened more often, there would be less civilian casualties instead of sticking around and hoping things don't get too hot. It's often that the guys had to resort to personal one on one tactics instead of support assets to clear enemy positions just so civilians did not get hurt. This is what often leads to the deaths of the good guys as it increases the risks manyfold.
Great book. If you have any interest in how the action in Helmand began and the British troops in action, this book is for you.
It is followed up by Ground Truth: 3 Para: Return to Afghanistan by Patrick Bishop and I am keen to get into that one as well. Stay tuned.
3 comments:
MAte I picked up Ground truth a couple of weeks ago from QBD for about $8. It's next on my list after the current one; Target Basra.
I found 3 Para a fascinating read as you said.
Yeah I have Target Basra as well. Probably read this after these 3 Para ones and then Danger Close by Tootal (the CO of 3 Para) and then Attack State Red.
Let us know what Tootal's book is like.
I'm intrigued.
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