Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 Superb! July 26, 2008
David Addison (Newcastle upon Tyne England)
I've always enjoyed reading memoirs of British army personnel.They really are the best trained soldiers in the world,and they don't deserve the flak from the so called 'peace protesters.'Here,Sgt Dan Mills writes a superb account from his experiences in Iraq,with his sniper platoon.There are many interesting people who fight alongside him,as they battle an enemy,who eagerly look forward to die in a fanatical religous belief.The battle scenes held my attention all the time,and Sgt Mills writes an interesting account of the battle,to win the hearts and minds of the ordinary Iraqi people,who just want to survive.Sadly,this was not always possible.Its a fantastic read,and I just couldn't put it down.
Fantastic July 18, 2008
J. D. Edwards (Essex, UK)
I just finished this book. I haven't reviewed a book on amazon before but felt compelled to do so here.
Sgt Dan Mills captures the essence and mood of his men and Iraq perfectly. It is neither a scathing attack on the MOD nor a gritty tale of life as a sniper and what they endure. He just tells the story how it was.
Sgt Mills and the British Army in my opinion are regularly and routinely forgotten for what they are for the United Kingdom, the best in the world with the crap they are given. He expertly describes life as it was and how the soldiers all just got on with it with good old fashioned British spirit rather than bemoaning the MOD or his superior officers. When he does moan he looks at both sides of the coin and gives, in my opinion, one of the most balanced and true reflections on life in the now media forgotten front lines. Regularly we hear of death tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan and here we see the effect it has on the front lines, and the boys and girls that knew them.
If the MOD did try to ban this book, I am disgusted and it should be a wake up call to all the people who send our boys there and forget about them until the next election. I am sure Sgt Mills had more to say but it is a credit to his professionalism and integrity he told the story the way he did and still made it so gripping and honest. I guess that is more about the situation they were all put in.
All in all if you are interested in Snipers and life in Iraq this is a book you wont put down. It is funny, emotive and most of all honest as well as being fair to everyone involved.
Squaddies and the Army are always labelled thugs in the UK but for me this book labelled them for what they are. The British backbone which no-one will break and I am proud to have protecting me. Worth every penny of my taxes and the price of the book. I hope it makes him millions, unlike Andy McNab & Chris Ryan!
 Was Not For Me July 12, 2008
A. C. Saunders (UK)
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Firstly, I'd like to state I have nothing but the utmost respect for anyone who has served in Iraq/Afghanistan in recent years. Particularly those who have seen combat.
I read this book last week whilst on holiday. To be truthful I was expecting something written a little better - with some more thought. Sgt Dan Mills is obviously a very brave man but I couldn't help thinking he was at times gloryfying war. Specifically, I got the impression he was almost bragging when telling the reader about his first "kill" during a contact early in his tour. He claims it was a case of either him or me! Maybe so and without meaning to grag politics into this review, I cannot help but think "of course this chap was trying to kill you; in his eyes you have invaded his country" During another descriptive account, he likened another contact to the bank heist shoot out scene in the film "Heat" starring DeNiro and Pacino. I'm sorry, but this comparison in my opinion glorifies war.
Sgt Mills is a professional soldier and ultimately all soldiers are expected to fight when called upon and he carried out his duties to the best of his ability. Still, his account of his time in Afghanistan, in my opinion, presented a gung ho, war is cool impression.
 Mills and Boom....!! July 10, 2008
tallpete33 (London, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I brought this book on the recommendation of a friend and finished it in a just a few short days as it was difficult to put down.
It is very readable, informative and opens up your eyes to what really goes on in Iraq (and no doubt Afghanistan et al). Sgt Dan Mills gives a good honest insight into the life of a sniper, the elite of the Princess of Wales Regiment, and the hardships and camaraderie of soldiers in foreign war zones.
Posted to Al Amarah, Mills' platoon were essentially on a peace-keeping mission to win the hearts and minds of the locals and assist the local police. A lot of their basic training involved smiling....however, berets and "snatch" landrovers were soon swapped for helmets and Warrior armoured vehicles as the local insurgents attacked his CIMIC base on a daily and then hourly basis. Arms supplied to local police often found their way into the hands of the men they were fighting. When US soldiers damaged the turrets of Iraq's holiest mosque, the ante was upped massively. Basic defence became a siege with water and bullets fast running out, the compound in pieces and live mortars scattered everywhere. This was a feat of endurance, professionalism and bravery on a massive scale. Think Zulu with 82mm mortars and you're getting there.
Mills tells it as it was, the heroics, the cowardice (thankfully rare), the adrenaline, the humour...every human emotion is there and gives us a taste of a soldier's life under enormous pressure. He names names here and some of his platoon may not thank him for it, but many of them will be getting drinks for life on the back of it!
There is bloodlust in here, he admits that. The excitement at calling in a rare air-strike was well described but in the context very understandable. This can be distasteful in parts but so is war and these were disciplined and professional soldiers, trained for action and a credit to their country (or adopted country in some cases).
Read it before you make up your mind about it.
Astonishingly candid and fast-paced account of combat July 8, 2008
ianjt67 (Devon, England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This must be one of the most refreshingly candid and fast paced accounts of military action I have ever read. From the moment I picked it up I was hooked by a text which was both engaging and eye-opening. Devoid of any political posturing, it concentrates on what life is like at the fighting end of military orders - and it makes for intensive reading at times. If you are unsure what active service in Iraq or Afghanistan really means, you could do no wrong by starting with this account.
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