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Loading... Hidden Soldierby Padraig O'Keeffe
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Pádraig O'Keeffe joined the elite and secretive French Foreign Legion at the age of twenty, seeking a challenge that would absorb his interests and intensity. He served with the Legion in Cambodia and Bosnia, then returned to civilian life, but military habits would not allow him to settle. His need for intense excitement and extreme danger drove him back to the lifestyle he knew and loved, and using his Legion training, he became a 'hidden soldier' by opting for security missions in Iraq and Haiti. In Iraq he was the sole survivor of an ambush in no man's land between Abu Ghraib and Fallujah, the most dangerous place on earth. An intense, exciting and vivid account of extraordinary and sometimes horrific events, Hidden Soldier lifts the veil on the dark and shadowy world of security contractors and what the situation is really like in Iraq as well as other trouble spots. This bestseller also includes photographs taken by Padraig O'Keeffe while he was a Legionnaire and when he was in Iraq. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)355.354092Social sciences Public Administration, Military Science Military Science Organization of military forces Armies; General staff MercenariesLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Essentially the book is split into two halves. The first half deals with Pádraig's Legion service, the second with his life as a private security contractor. I found the Legion part intriguing, but it lacks the detail I was looking for on training, hardships, etc. That said, it's a good starting point for me and I'll find those details elsewhere. The second half on life as a private security contractor was definitely an eye opener. His description of wannabe "Rambos" with ninja death stars is hilarious, even to a non-military guy like me; don't worry, those guys didn't even make if outside the security compound!
The funs soon stops when you realize what these guys actually go through in a war zone. His final battle is described in excruciating detail and is almost painful to read.
After he was treated and stabilized for his wounds, Pádraig opted to go back to Ireland to recuperate and have follow up treatment. While Irish healthcare is first class in my opinion, there often isn't enough of it to go around and when Pádraig had to wait three days for treatment and a hospital bed, it brought a wry smile of recognition to my face.
If Pádraig ever reads this, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and hope he made a full recovery. ( )