Reviews
Book Description
Condor Blues is an action-packed, dramatic and true account of
modern British warfare in Iraq. It shatters the conspiracy of silence over
the direction of operations in that battle-ravaged country. Gallantry
medals may have been awarded on a scale unprecedented for half a century,
but is the British Army's record really so glorious?
Author Mark Nicol focuses on the lives of two platoons based at the
perilously isolated Camp Condor in Iraq's Maysan Province, having conducted
hundreds of hours of interviews. The soldiers' task was to live with and
train hundreds of Iraqi Civil Defence Corps recruits, and their lives
jack-knifed from moments of force to farce: being shot at, shooting at each
other, parading naked, stealing weapons and engaging in disturbing yet
amusing pranks on a daily basis.
They were also plunged into the biggest and bloodiest battles involving
British forces in Iraq. After one firefight they carried the broken bodies
of those they had slain from the battlefield - the emotional impact was
devastating.
Condor Blues is an honest and visceral account of soldiering in a brutal
environment. The flawed thinking behind post-war Iraq, the missed
opportunities and the `heavy metal' tactics which proved so
counterproductive are all laid bare, making this essential reading for
anyone who wants to know what its really like on the ground in the world's
most hostile territory.
Synopsis
"Condor Blues" is an action-packed, dramatic and true account of contemporary soldiering. It also shatters the conspiracy of silence over the direction of British operations in post-war Iraq. Gallantry medals may have been awarded on a scale unprecedented for half a century, but in winning the battles the British Army lost the peace. Author Mark Nicol focuses on the lives of two platoons based at the isolated Camp Condor in Iraq's Maysan Province. The soldiers' task was to live with and train Iraqi Civil Defence Corps recruits. Their lives jack-knifed from moments of force to farce, and they engaged in disturbing yet amusing pranks on a daily basis. They were also plunged into the biggest and bloodiest battles involving British forces in Iraq. After one firefight, they carried the broken bodies of those they had slain from the battlefield - the emotional impact was devastating. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews, "Condor Blues" is an honest and visceral account of soldiering in a brutal environment. The flawed thinking, the missed opportunities and the 'heavy metal' tactics that proved so counter productive are all laid bare, making this essential reading for anyone seeking an impartial account of the most violent and controversial period of modern British military history.
|