Download or read book With the Paras in Helmand written by Craig Allen and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Craig Allen, a Paratrooper for 29 years, returned to 2 PARA as a reservist and unofficial photographer for the BattlegroupÍs dramatic 2008 Tour in Helmand. As both a respected soldier and photographer he had unrivaled access to the fighting and moved from area to area following the action. Every evening he wrote up his experiences and those of the men he was with, whose trust he had as ïa member of the clubÍ. He had a ringside seat to a very costly summer tour, with the Taliban proving themselves worthy enemies to even the most elite British Army soldiers. His story tells in superb action photographs and no-nonsense prose of the hardships, courage, fears and cost suffered by front line soldiers over prolonged periods. He captures the color of life and death in Afghanistan for both combatants and the luckless civilian population caught up in this vicious spiral of war. An unforgettable book which has true visual appeal.

Download or read book Blood Clot written by Jake Scott and published by Helion and Company. This book was released on 2009-01-19 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As you know 'blood clot' means blood cells coming together to form a strong clot that forms and sticks together to keep the wound sealed enabling it to repair. The Parachute Regiment's 'blood clot' acts the same, whether downtown scrapping or in some far away country fighting alongside each other. Our maroon berets come together, they stick together, they close ranks forming the blood clot and fight against anything that comes their way." (Jake Scott) When the 3 Para battle group departed for Helmand Province, south Afghanistan, nobody really knew what to expect. Within a month of being on the ground the first of many contacts between the Taliban and British forces began. The British government and media were in shock - for the men on the ground it was what they were trained for. As weeks went on the fighting increased. Resources and manning were poor but for the Paras it was too late - it was back to basics, living in holes in the ground in 60 degree temperatures, often in small numbers and under constant attack from the Taliban. It looked as if it was going to be a long six months... 'Blood Clot' is a personal account of the Parachute Regiment's ferocious tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan 2006 by a man who was involved in the thick of the action. Born in 1981, Jake Scott joined the Parachute Regiment aged 17, and had already seen service around the world - including Iraq - before becoming part of a small reconnaissance team trained to operate behind enemy lines, known as 'the Patrols'. Jake and his mates probed, escorted and fought their way in and around some of the most dangerous areas in the whole of the Middle East - virgin Taliban country. After intense fighting against the odds, leaving dead Taliban soldiers in their wake and encountering some very near misses themselves, the Patrols platoon eventually ended their tour of duty. This is their story - the very beginning of the Afghan troubles in the south, the build up and lack of support and equipment in the initial stages, the close and dangerous fighting, the boredom of the open desert and the uncontrollable sadness of friends killed and injured around them. The Paras and their battle group arrived in small numbers in Helmand in 2006. They set the example for others to follow for many years to come - the aggressiveness of the airborne soldier when it was called for, fighting the Taliban on their turf, up close and personal.

Download or read book 3 Para written by Patrick Bishop and published by HarperPress. This book was released on 2008-12-04 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Afghanistan, Summer 2006. This is war. Afghanistan in the summer of 2006. In blazing heat in remote outposts the 3 Para battlegroup is pitted against a stubborn enemy who keep on coming. Until now, the full story of what happened there has not been told. This is it.

Download or read book The Battle for Helmand written by D. J. Reynolds and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Three Para written by Patrick Bishop and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2008 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifty degree heat. Few provisions and no water. Bullets whistling past, shot from the guns of an enemy you can't even see. Can you imagine it? Probably not. But when the elite 3 Para Battlegroup were dispatched to Afghanistan, this was their dreadful reality. Their aim quickly changed from providing security during reconstruction efforts to just staying alive. 3 Para provides exclusive access to the soldiers whose tales of courage and endurance provide an unforgettable portrait of one of the world's finest fighting regiments.

Download or read book Task Force Helmand written by Doug Beattie and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Doug Beattie returns to Helmand Province for one final tour - and it's the most bloody and brutal conflict yet.

Download or read book Company Commander written by Russell Lewis and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-06-07 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2008 Major Russell Lewis commanded a company of two hundred soldiers from the British Army's legendary Parachute Regiment on a six-month tour in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan. Company Commander is his story, a riveting first-person account of incredible bravery, telling what it is like to have 200 Paras depending on you constantly, to make decisions which can and do cost lives, to see men under your command killed and injured and being under the most intense pressure imaginable every minute of every day for six long months. Company Commander is a true leader's story – a unique and vivid mix of front-line battles and strategic decision making and an intensely personal and inspiring account of a tour in the most perilous theatre of war on the planet.

Download or read book Callsign Hades written by Patrick Bury and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-09-02 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In summer 2006 Helmand Province erupted into violence as NATO forces struggled to crush Taliban strongholds. For six weeks the Royal Irish Regiment and the Paras defended Sangin in the face of ever-mounting attacks. At this point young officer Patrick Bury was learning the trade of the infantry in the Brecon Beacons. Paddy had always wanted to be a soldier - a desire fraught with the contradictions of a complex history overridden by a 'warrior calling'. When he arrived in Afghanistan with 1stRoyal Irish, he was surrounded by men oozing bloody combat experience. This was not Sandhurst. It was extreme violence and killing. Hades Four One was his callsign and the infantry mantra rang in his ears: 'To close and kill the enemy, in all weather conditions, in all terrain, by day or night.' Over six months, Paddy and his company dealt with over a hundred IEDs, of which 60 exploded on them, killing his comrades in the most vicious of ways and fuelling a sense of ever-growing dissatisfaction in the young captain. This powerful and thoughful first-hand account about the 'eternal truths of military life' places the reader in Paddy's boots, sharing every thought, ache, smell and taste of life on the frontline in Afghanistan. He describes modern warfare in a way that creates an understanding of the myriad complexities soldiers are faced with, the conditions in which they operate and the moral and emotional challenges they endure.

Download or read book Blood Clot written by Jake Scott and published by Helion and Company. This book was released on 2009-01-19 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As you know 'blood clot' means blood cells coming together to form a strong clot that forms and sticks together to keep the wound sealed enabling it to repair. The Parachute Regiment's 'blood clot' acts the same, whether downtown scrapping or in some far away country fighting alongside each other. Our maroon berets come together, they stick together, they close ranks forming the blood clot and fight against anything that comes their way." (Jake Scott) When the 3 Para battle group departed for Helmand Province, south Afghanistan, nobody really knew what to expect. Within a month of being on the ground the first of many contacts between the Taliban and British forces began. The British government and media were in shock - for the men on the ground it was what they were trained for. As weeks went on the fighting increased. Resources and manning were poor but for the Paras it was too late - it was back to basics, living in holes in the ground in 60 degree temperatures, often in small numbers and under constant attack from the Taliban. It looked as if it was going to be a long six months 'Blood Clot' is a personal account of the Parachute Regiment's ferocious tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan 2006 by a man who was involved in the thick of the action. Born in 1981, Jake Scott joined the Parachute Regiment aged 17, and had already seen service around the world - including Iraq - before becoming part of a small reconnaissance team trained to operate behind enemy lines, known as 'the Patrols'. Jake and his mates probed, escorted and fought their way in and around some of the most dangerous areas in the whole of the Middle East - virgin Taliban country. After intense fighting against the odds, leaving dead Taliban soldiers in their wake and encountering some very near misses themselves, the Patrols platoon eventually ended their tour of duty. This is their story - the very beginning of the Afghan troubles in the south, the build up and lack of support and equipment in the initial stages, the close and dangerous fighting, the boredom of the open desert and the uncontrollable sadness of friends killed and injured around them. The Paras and their battle group arrived in small numbers in Helmand in 2006. They set the example for others to follow for many years to come - the aggressiveness of the airborne soldier when it was called for, fighting the Taliban on their turf, up close and personal.

Download or read book Danger Close written by Stuart Tootal and published by John Murray. This book was released on 2009-07-27 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colonel Stuart Tootal is the first senior commander to provide an account of the fighting in Afghanistan. A gritty portrayal of unforgiving conflict, Danger Close captures the essence of combat, the risks involved and the aftermath. 3 PARA was the first unit into Helmand in 2006. Sent on a peace mission, it became engaged in a level of combat that has not been experienced by the British Army since the end of the Korean War. Undermanned and suffering from equipment shortages, 3 PARA fought doggedly to win the break in battle. Numerous gallantry decorations were awarded, but they were not without cost. On returning from Afghanistan, Tootal fought to get proper treatment for his wounded and feeling frustrated with the Government's treatment of its soldiers, he resigned from the Army. This is a dramatic, and often moving, insight into the leadership of soldiers and the sharp end of war.

Download or read book The Paras written by Max Arthur and published by Hodder & Stoughton. This book was released on 2017-11-02 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tough, highly adaptable and efficient, the Parachute Regiment has established itself as one of the finest fighting forces in the world. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its founding, renowned historian Max Arthur has compiled this enthralling oral history of the modern Parachute Regiment. This unique chronicle is told through the voices of more than a hundred of the soldiers themselves, and of those involved closely with them. Whether in the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone or Afghanistan, the Paras have maintained their reputation for being where the fighting is fiercest and where the odds of survival are often stacked heavily against them. The gripping, visceral first-person narrative makes The Paras stand apart from conventional regimental histories as one of the most remarkable accounts of conflict ever published.

Download or read book Losing Small Wars written by Frank Ledwidge and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2017-02-21 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition of Frank Ledwidge’s eye-opening analysis of British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan unpicks the causes and enormous costs of military failure. Updated throughout, and with fresh chapters assessing and enumerating the overall military performance since 2011—including Libya, ISIS, and the Chilcot findings—Ledwidge shows how lessons continue to go unlearned. “A brave and important book; essential reading for anyone wanting insights into the dysfunction within the British military today, and the consequences this has on the lives of innocent civilians caught up in war.”—Times Literary Supplement

Download or read book Attack State Red written by Richard Kemp and published by Michael Joseph. This book was released on 2009 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Green: Enter without explosives or firing unless enemy targets are identified. Amber: Enter firing. No explosive entry. Red: Explosive entry using a grenade or charge. Enter firing at will. What happened in Helmand's Sangin Valley in the spring of 2007 was nothing short of extraordinary. After the last gasp defence of the platoon houses by the Paras that preceded them in theatre, the soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment arrived in Afghanistan charged with taking the battle to the enemy. Despite brutal, debilitating conditions, the tour that followed became a bloody lesson in how to conduct offensive infantry warfare. Over a six-month tour of duty, the 'Vikings' battlegroup unleashed hell in heavy, relentless fighting that saw teenage soldiers battle toe to toe against hardcore Al Qaeda and Taliban warriors at unprecedented levels of ferocity. The stories that emerged from the Sangin Valley, defined by bravery, comradeship, endurance and, above all, aggression, are remarkable So much so that Sandhurst manuals were re-written to incorporate the lessons of the campaign. But the fight was far from one-sided. May 2007 saw the Anglians suffer the highest number of British military casualties in any single month since the end of World War II. And those that did return home came back changed by the intensity of the experience. In Attack State Red, Colonel Richard Kemp, a former Commanding Office of 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, and Chris Hughes, the Daily Mirror Security Correspondent, tell the story of the Royal Anglian's deployment for the first time. Combining the strategic insight of 3 Para with the adrenaline charge of Sniper One, they have produced the most dynamic, substantial and visceral account of the war in Afghanistan that's ever been written.

Download or read book Paras in Action written by Jason Woods and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2022-09-21 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The date is the 6 June 1944. The paratroopers on board the aircraft are crammed together, joking and singing over the drone of the engines, none of them dwelling on the gnawing fear in their guts. They reach the French coastline, and everyone goes quiet when loud explosions and flashes erupt around the aircraft. Pilots desperately dodge and swerve through the cool night air while the men hold firm, preparing to jump. They reach the open door; the green light flicks on and they leap without hesitation into a sky lit up by flak, ready to meet their fate. One after another, thousands of white parachutes billow out and the men fall through the air not knowing where they might land or if they will even survive the drop; but their minds are set. They are clear about their mission and its critical importance as part of the bigger picture. Some ’chutes do not open, weapons and kit are torn off in the slipstream, and anti-aircraft guns pick men off and many never make it to the ground alive. The Normandy landings of 1944 were just one of the many famous operations in the stunning history of the Paras. This book by former paratrooper Jason Woods gives the reader an unprecedented snapshot of the role that these brave and determined paratroopers have played throughout their history, demonstrating not only the courage, strength and fitness of the men who make up this mighty regiment, but also their intelligence, compassion, and wicked sense of humor. This powerful journey through aspects of all the key wars and conflicts that the regiment has been engaged in over the last eighty years is made through the eyes of those who served. The book reveals how the Paras have become seen as an elite fighting force, feared by those who have had the misfortune to come up against them on the field of battle. This book covers challenging operations in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. It includes an exciting overview of Operation Telic in Iraq, the epic battles in Afghanistan, and subsequent withdrawal of all British citizens and troops from Kabul in 2021, on Operation Pitting. Packed with short interviews and poignant quotes, many original and never seen before, from current and former Paras, the author highlights the regiment’s constant evolution, as the battlefield conditions have changed, into today’s modern 16 Air Assault Brigade Rapid Reaction Force and Special Forces Support Group, while always maintaining the core standards and ethos embodied in the regimental motto Utrinque Paratus – ‘Ready for Anything’. Finally, get a glimpse into the transition many Paras make when they eventually leave the regiment and join the secretive private security industry, known as the ‘Circuit’.

Download or read book Desperate Glory written by Sam Kiley and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2010-05-17 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The war in Afghanistan is over, but the memories will live as long as its veterans. This is their story. 'Riveting. Evocative. Spine Chilling. Taste the bullets and the fear. Kiley writes like a dream, taking the reader into the heart of the heat, blood and dust of the Afghan nightmare' Damien Lewis 'A triumph ... Without hyperbole, without any softening or glamorising effects, he takes us to the battlefield and shows us its grimness' Evening Standard In the dust and blazing heat of Helmand, the young men of 16 Air Assault Brigade find themselves in the most relentless battles faced by British troops in recent history. As the only writer to have obtained unprecedented, unrestricted access to the front line, Sam Kiley is with them to bear witness to the most intense challenges of their lives. Desperate Glory is an unflinching portrait of the reality of war - the bombs, the shooting and the daily struggles that push them to the very limit of human endurance.

Download or read book 3 Commando Brigade written by Ewen Southby-Tailyour and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A heartstopping account of the soldiers of 3 Commando and the six months of brutal combat they faced in Afghanistan.

Download or read book No Way Out written by Adam Jowett and published by Pan. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Helmand province in July 2006, Major Adam Jowett was given command of Easy Company, a hastily assembled and under-strength unit of Paras and Royal Irish rangers. Their mission was to hold the District Centre of Musa Qala at any cost. Easy Company found themselves in a ramshackle compound, cut off and heavily outnumbered by the Taliban in the town.In No Way Out, Adam evokes the heat and chaos of battle as the Taliban hit Easy Company with wave after wave of brutal attack. He describes what it was like to have responsibility for the lives of his men as they fought back heroically over twenty-one days and nights of relentless, nerve-shredding combat. Finally, as they came down to their last rounds and death stared Easy Company in the face, the siege took an extraordinary turn... Powerful, highly-charged and moving, No Way Out is Adam's tribute to the men of Easy Company who paid a heavy price for serving their country.