Colonel Richard Kemp, himself an ex-serving member of the Royal Anglian Regiment, decided that the public needed to know how his battalion had faired during their deployment to Helmand, Afghanistan. He therefore set it upon himself, with Chris Hughes from the Daily Mirror, to conduct interviews with individuals after they had returned from the hot dusty Afghanistan climate, where he is humbled as "they told their stories willingly, in graphic detail and with great candor. There was often a good deal of emotion, as many of these men recounted, often for the first time, the details of how their close mates had been killed or wounded right next to them"
Attack State Red
What ensues is a compelling and riveting account of the battalion between the months of April and October in 2007. Col. Kemp places you firmly in the boots of the men as they battle the ferocious Taliban in unfamiliar terrain, often at ranges between a few feet or 100 meters. You follow A, B and C companies as they learn to live, work and play in the debilitating conditions that they became immersed in. From the Kajaki dam to the unnerving 'green-zone' you tread in the footsteps of the young men sent to fight against the Taliban in the war on terrorism.
Colonel Kemp states "Being a member of the regiment for 30 years, enabled the interviews to take place on a level that is rarely possible and certainly could not be achieved by anyone outside of the military family. I think this, above all, makes Attack State Red unique." This is certainly true as you read through the 320 page book, wondering when the first shot will be fired in aggression and how unsettling this feeling is. You know that these men engaging in fierce combat, on a practically daily basis are on average 20 years old, yet it is not lost on you that this is a true account of events.
Summary
This incredible tale of bravery, humor and tenacity paints a gritty picture of what life for the soldiers faced in Afghanistan. You really feel that you are there with them on the ground, you become to know who the central men are in the book and feel humbled at their efforts to survive–or in some gut-wrenching cases their ultimate sacrifice. Colonel Kemp has truly captured what it was like to be a front-line soldier in Helmand during the summer months of 2007.
Whether you are interested in non-fiction military books or not, this is one book that you should pick up and read.
Source:
- Author - Colonel Richard Kemp
- Publisher - Penguin Books
- ISBN - 978-0-718-15506-3
- Attackstatered.com
Ben Blewett - I am a keen novice writer with a lot of enthusiasm. My writing interests involve travel, non-fictional and creative articles. My ...
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