http://www.soldiermagazine.co.uk AUGUST 2019 69INTERVIEW: BECKY CLARK, SOLDIERBOOKS
BOOK RELEASES
Valor in Vietnam
by Allen ClarkWITH the tag line “chronicles of honour, courage
and sacrifice”, this new paperback release
certainly doesn’t disappoint. Told through the
eyes of those who experienced the Vietnam
War – including the author himself – it covers
19 different episodes over the 14-year conflict, from America’s first
involvement as advisers through to the major engagements of the late
sixties, Special Forces incursions into Cambodia and Laos, and, finally,
the fall of Saigon. What comes through in all the stories is the troops’
commitment and dedication to each other – something that can only be
understood by brothers in arms. Well worth a read for any history buff.
Cpl Scott Roberts, RiflesLethal Shot
by Sgt Rob DriscollTHIS Afghanistan memoir is the author’s attempt
to highlight what he sees as the miscarriage
of justice meted out to colleague Alexander
Blackman, also known as “Marine A”. The
two sergeants were deployed at neighbouring
command posts during Herrick 14 and Driscoll’s account provides context
for Blackman’s eventual shooting of an injured insurgent. Losing friends,
lack of sleep, poor rations and constant patrolling saw his own team
worn down to the point of emotional detachment too. Setting the legal
discussions aside, this is an excellent book in which the writer’s feelings
are laid bare, resulting in the reader totally empathising with the troops
and their predicament.
Andy Kay, ex-RSHistory of the Small Arms School
Corps
by Richard FisherFROM its origins as the School of Musketry up
to the present day, this book is the first detailed
history of the Small Arms School Corps – a
formation that is not replicated in any other
modern army. Such volumes naturally appeal most to those belonging
to the cap badge in question but this account should also be of interest
to anyone curious about how British soldiers have been equipped and
trained during different eras. Dotted throughout the narrative are profiles
of various personalities, some of which are more informative than others,
but on the whole this is a comprehensive, well-researched reference text.
Alistair Clark, ex-R Signals★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★“Some have emotional or mental
health issues, some come from bad
backgrounds, are being bullied or feel
that they have no future prospects.
“We didn’t take them back directly
to their homes – we took them
to a place where they could hand
themselves over to the appropriate
local security services.
“I saved lives without judging them.”
Had he not done so, Carney believes,
the women would have disappeared,
been killed or potentially trafficked
to Europe where, without de-
radicalisation, they could later carry out
terrorist atrocities.
He maintains that bringing former
jihadi brides back to face justice
and then reintegrating them and
their children into society is the best
approach, both from a moral and
security perspective.
Among those he rescued was Diana
Abbassi, who after returning to the UK
completed the government’s Preventcourse and now works as a counsellor
on the programme.
Such success stories came at a price,
however. The book reveals how Carney
ended up both on Daesh’s death list
and the UK’s terrorist watch list for his
troubles, as well as seeing a friend killed.
All of this comes across in gripping
style in Operation Jihadi Bride. The
issues around foreign jihadists remains
highly complex, but the book largely
steers clear of politics, opting instead to
tell a straightforward story of one man’s
efforts to help in the only way he knew
how, even if his decisions often blurred
the lines between bravery and insanity.
It also offers a stark warning – the
“Islamic State” may have collapsed as a
geographic entity, but its ideas live on in
its surviving members.
How the international community
responds to the threat will have grave
implications for the future. ■● Operation Jihadi Bride, by
John Carney, is published by
Monoray and priced £18.99Picture: Sebastian Backhaus65-70-sol-aug reviews.indd 5 25/07/2019 18:34