I picked up this book about two years ago at a visit to a local bookstore right as they were going out of business. If anything it was a better parting memento than I would've expected. Of all contemporary memoirs related to the military and Iraq and Afghanistan, it stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of wit and humor, as well as intelligence. Patrick Hennessey is a former British Army officer, and graduate of Sandhurst Military Academy, who served tours of duty overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan as well as in Bosnia. It's probably the most honest account of any modern army experience that I've read. Hennessey's story is not just a straight forward military narrative, his infusion of everything from pop culture to his relationships with his friends back home and his girlfriend make it an engaging read for anyone. As someone who is a similar age and who has served also, I found a lot to be easily relatable.
What makes his story especially interesting is that Hennessey is not one who just fell into the military due to circumstance or lack of direction. He is an Oxford grad and for lack of a better term, would be fall into the category of today's elite. It's a unique account of someone who falls outside of the the normal demographic that is generally represented or highlighted in the army.
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