Book description
Mark Ormrod was a 'gravel belly', a 'bootneck' marine who loved being
in the heart of the action when things kicked off, and he relished the
prospect of a tour of duty in Afghanistan. And then the unthinkable happened.
In one heartstopping moment Mark's life was brutally shattered when
a landmine tore off both his legs and his right arm. The catastrophic
injuries he sustained and the shocking truth behind the doctors'
battle to save him are all described in graphic detail in this
remarkable memoir. So too is the story of how, on the brink of
despair, Mark began the greatest battle of his life - to walk again
and, using state-of-the-art 'bionic' legs, to stand shoulder to
shoulder with his comrades to receive his campaign medal. It was a
battle he had to win if he was to rebuild his life.
Told with brutal honesty, Man Down is a moving, action-packed
account of courage and comradeship, of life on the frontline and the
terrible legacy of war. It is a story of true grit you will never forget.
Marine Mark Ormrod
, known to his mates as 'Rammers', was born and brought up in Plymouth,
Devon and joined the Royal Marines at the age of seventeen. He was one
of only sixteen men from a troop of sixty recruits to pass the gruelling
thirty-week Commando Training Course at the first attempt, earning him
the right to wear the coveted Green Beret. After taking part in the
invasion of Iraq, working with a team of medics in 2003, he transferred
to a 'warfighting'infantry role for the ultimate test, a frontline tour
of Afghanistan in October 2007. He is now based at 42 Commando in
Plymouth.
