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Average Customer Rating:

Compulsory Reading

Customer Rating:

I wont go into detail about the content of the book, as others have done so on this page, and have probably made a better job than me! However this book should be made compulsopry reading for all children of school age. In an era when every one wants to be a "celebrity", and footballers & sportsmen are being calld "heros", this is a book about real heros. British men and women risking (and giving) their lives in far off lands, often without the support, understanding or even interest of us civilians back in the UK. This book puts into perspective what "heros" are, and what a sacrifice they have made. We should spare them all time in our thoughts. Well worth reading!

Absolutely Amazing! Hate the war, love the soldiers.

Customer Rating:

I bought In Foreign Fields as a present for my husband, but started to flick through it and then couldn't put it down. The stories, as told by the medal-winning soldiers/marines/airmen themselves, are incredible. Some of their accounts reduced me to tears. Without exception, they are incredibly brave and humble - many of those featured have suffered as a result of seeing their mates injured and killed - and they are not gung-ho about killing Iraqis or the Taliban. Many showed great compassion for the people whose country they were in. We only get snippets of information from the press, usually when someone is killed. In Foreign Fields opened my eyes to what is really happening out in Iraq and Afghanistan and made me proud to be British. A brilliant, brilliant book.

'In Foreign Fields' Review

Customer Rating:

With regards the content of the book, Dan Collins states that the purpose of 'In Foreign Fields' is for the winners of gallantry awards in Afghanistan and Iraq to tell their stories in their own words, however in doing so he has achieved much more. Of course the book allows the reader to get a better feeling of the incidents that took place and how these individual's actions during those incidents won them their gallantry medals, but more importantly it demonstrates the humility and selflessness of British servicemen and women with much more clarity and credibility than I have experienced from other books regarding current military conflicts. In my opinion the only exposure the majority of the British public appear to get regarding British Forces involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq is largely negative and impersonal, 'In Foreign Fields' to my mind is the perfect antidote to that. It is almost impossible for someone sat in middle England, whose only exposure to the wars is via snippets in newspapers or television news regarding the tragic death of a serviceman or the politics of the conflicts, to have any grasp of what is really occurring on the ground. For me, 'In Foreign Fields' provided that insight in a unique and tangible way. What also struck me about the book were not only the insights into current operations but also the very real and personal insights into the life and psyche of the modern British serviceman. Without exception, the individuals who contributed to the book all talk about how they were thinking of others at the time of the incidents and the safety and welfare of their comrades rather than their own. They state that they feel there may have been others worthy of recognition who did not receive it and how their awards were as much for them as for themselves. They also talk about the enemy and how it feels to take another man's life. Again, without exception, the contributors do not glorify killing the enemy but speak of how it has affected them and how they think about the families of those they have killed. For me this aspect provided an insight into battle rarely spoken about from such a personal viewpoint and certainly not one that tends to grace the pages of tabloid newspapers, the editor's of which would prefer to print much more negative and salacious stories regarding the military. In general I think that 'In Foreign Fields' is one of the finest books available at the moment for providing an insight into current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and the modern British serviceman. This may seem a strange statement when you take into account the fact that the book provides no strategic assessment of either conflict, it does not deal with the politics behind the deployment (a subject that remains so emotive for the general public - see William Podmore's review) and it does not talk of the future impact of either operation regarding long term security in the UK. However it is for that very reason that I feel the book sits apart from those that do deal with these subject matters and should be read by as large an audience as possible, not just those from a military background or with an interest in the military and most certainly by those detractors of the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and those who continue to link service personnel with the politics behind them. 'In Foreign Fields' does not censure the violence or the realities of modern warfare, it talks about them in stark reality but in doing so provides example after example of the bravery and determination of our Armed Forces. Even if you do not agree with the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, you cannot help but feel an immense sense of pride not only in these individuals but also of their comrades and the Armed Forces as a whole.

Incredible book, made me proud again

Customer Rating:

I've never served in the Army or the Marines, and have to admit I have no more than a passing interest in what they do. Sorry, make that 'HAD no interest'. I was given this book as a Christmas present and spent most of Christmas Day and evening totally engrossed in it. From the front cover picture, which apparently shows Commandos in real-life battle action against the Taliban (scary) to the back cover, which is packed with quotes from the 24 men and one woman featured inside, it has you absolutely hooked. It's a rich and varied collection of stories - from the bomb disposal expert who defused the biggest bomb ever found in Iraq right under the noses of the enemy, to the 18 year old girl who climbed up on to an armoured vehicle in the middle of a huge battle to save the life of her sergeant who had been shot in the face, to the sergeant who counted out enough bullets to kill his men and commit suicide as a howling mob closed in, to the corporal who ran through a huge barrage of machine gun fire and grenades to pick up and carry back a terribly injured mate... these are the stories you just don't get to hear about in full in the papers. Why? I don't know. Maybe the soldiers (and Marines and RAF) don't like talking, because they come across as amazingly modest. Seriously, and I'm not the sort of person to say this, you will weep tears of pride for these people. Makes you proud to be British once again.

In Foreign Fields

Customer Rating:

An excellent book, recommended to anyone - some incredibly modest accounts of outstanding acts carried out by young men (and one woman) who showed great professionalism and bravery. I hope this helps to convey to the British public what people are doing in our name and how they do our country proud. One does not necessarily have to support the political decision that lead to the wars in which they fight to support such people and they certainly do deserve our admiration and support. Dan Collins has doen an escellent job in putting these stories together.