Book description
Glorified and vilified, saint and sinner, everyone has an opinion
about soldiers, but behind the headlines and heroism, who are they?
Courage Under Fire is an intense and dramatic exploration of what life
on the frontline is like for soldiers of all ranks. From the last man
killed in The Great War to a young man running the risk of Improvised
Explosive Devices in Afghanistan today, it looks at the pressures and
fears, camaraderie and isolation of fighting battles. Filled with
voices of veterans from conflicts from World War II to the Korean War,
the Falklands, the Gulf wars and many others, it traces the journey of
a soldier from enlistment, through training, arrival on the
battlefield, facing enemy fire, the end of service and life after the
military. Published in partnership with Combat Stress, the book also
looks at the bravery of soldiers who have fought their own private
battles after leaving the armed forces, seeking help for illnesses
such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Tim Lynch joined the army at the age of sixteen and saw active
service with the Army Air Corps in the Falklands and Northern Ireland.
After returning to civilian life he co-authored one of the first studies
of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among British veterans and was closely
involved in the campaign for improved services for ex-service personnel.
He is also a freelance writer and photographer specialising in military
history and is a regular contributor to a variety of magazines in
Britain and the US. His books include 'Battlefield Archaeology', 'Silent
Skies: Gliders at War' and 'Dunkirk 1940: Whereabouts Unknown' as well
as contributions to 'The Falklands War: Then and Now' and '3 Para -
Mount Longdon'. General Sir Richard Dannatt, GCB, CBE, MC, is a highly
decorated Army officer and a former Chief of the General Staff, serving
between August 2006 and August 2009.
