What do you think?
Rate this book
The Taliban Don't Wave
Captain Robert Semrau’s military trial made international headlines—a Canadian soldier serving in Afghanistan arrested for allegedly killing a grievously wounded Taliban soldier in the field. The trial and its outcome are a matter of public record. What you are about to read about the tour of duty that inspired this book is not.
What you are about to read is an emotionally draining and mind-snapping firsthand account of war on the ground in Afghanistan. It’s raw and explosive. Names have been changed to protect the brave and not so brave alike.
What you are about to read is an account of soldiers who live, fight and die in a moonscape of a country where it’s sometimes hard to tell your friend from your enemy. It’s about trying to hold it together when a mortar attack is ripping your friends and allies apart, and your world unravels before your eyes.
Rob Semrau wrote this book to tell us about the sheer hell that is the Stan, but also to recognize the incredible courage and compassion he witnessed in the heat of battle. The soldiers you are about to meet and the events that befall them will linger on in your mind long after you have closed these pages.
What you are about to read is an emotionally draining and mind-snapping firsthand account of war on the ground in Afghanistan. It’s raw and explosive. Names have been changed to protect the brave and not so brave alike.
What you are about to read is an account of soldiers who live, fight and die in a moonscape of a country where it’s sometimes hard to tell your friend from your enemy. It’s about trying to hold it together when a mortar attack is ripping your friends and allies apart, and your world unravels before your eyes.
Rob Semrau wrote this book to tell us about the sheer hell that is the Stan, but also to recognize the incredible courage and compassion he witnessed in the heat of battle. The soldiers you are about to meet and the events that befall them will linger on in your mind long after you have closed these pages.
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2012
19 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 23, 2014
Page 1 (from my book)
If the commercials are true and Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth, and if everything in life must have an opposite, then the saddest place on earth must be Afghanistan.
Page 428
When this is all done, and those of us still alive get to go home, will any of this have mattered? ...I remembered something Shamsallah [Afghan soldier] had told me, after a few weeks of patrolling with him. He came up to me and said, very seriously, “Thank-you for being here. Thanks to all Canadians. If Afghanistan was rich like Canada, and if you were in trouble, we would come to help, like you have come to help us.” No one had ever told me thanks before that moment...”Thanks to all Canadians,” Shamsallah had said.
When he told me that, I quickly said, “your welcome”, and we moved onto something else. But thinking about it now after three more Canadian deaths...
This is the story of a Canadian foot soldier in Afghanistan. He is acting as a mentor to Afghan soldiers – he is the leader of an OMLT (Operational Mentor and Liaison Team). His team of four Canadians accompany groups of about 20 to 30 Afghan soldiers on patrol. They speak to the Afghan soldiers through an Afghan interpreter. They patrol in Taliban occupied territory. The interpreters and soldier are at severe risk if they are ever caught by the Taliban – they would be seen as traitors to the cause.
This is a view of a soldiers’ life outside the wire. They patrol villages, they are shot at and they shoot back. They encounter IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) constantly. The villages they patrol harbour Taliban – and when they come across a cache of weapons – all (weapons, food, clothing...) is destroyed or confiscated by the Afghan soldiers.
They are trying to win “hearts and minds” – but as the author acknowledges this can be a very gray area. War consists of ambiguities, but, the Taliban are a very real enemy that kills. This book provides us with a very good view of the ground treaded by these Canadian and Afghan soldiers. There are harrowing encounters on patrols, of mortar attacks on the Canadian compound by the Taliban, of too close, friendly fire incidences.
The Canadian Army is much smaller than other NATO members in Afghanistan, like the U.S., so when Canadian soldiers are killed there are grim moments of silence. You may know of them – or of someone who knows them.
Many interesting things are pointed out:
In a Taliban cache they come across boxes of bullets made in the U.S. – this just adds to the Afghan rumour mill that the U.S. is actively supplying the Taliban.
On a patrol they come across the Afghan Border Patrol, who have no shoes, long hair and beards, and are stoned out on marijuana.
We are provided with a sad description of a Canadian soldier who is starting to suffer combat fatigue – and we feel for him in this forlorn country. During recruitment he was told that “if you love camping, you’ll love the army!”
Some of the Taliban killed are identified as being from Pakistan by the Afghan soldiers.
The Afghan soldiers are introduced to a visit from Santa Claus in December; this provided some needed respite as I read this book in December. Wondrous explanations ensue, and an Afghan officer kicks an Afghan soldier for laughing at Santa.
Also I never expected a writer-soldier from Saskatchewan to have such a sense of humour!
I would have liked to have known more about the other Canadian soldiers who accompanied him – as in where did they come from in Canada. There is a tremendous amount of dialogue in this book – does the author have that much recall?
There is also political incorrectness in this book; and there is a lot of honesty. This is a “guy book” in that these soldiers are all males; although the author does mention his wife and two young daughters in Canada.
If you want to know of a soldiers’ experience in Afghanistan I highly recommend this.
If the commercials are true and Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth, and if everything in life must have an opposite, then the saddest place on earth must be Afghanistan.
Page 428
When this is all done, and those of us still alive get to go home, will any of this have mattered? ...I remembered something Shamsallah [Afghan soldier] had told me, after a few weeks of patrolling with him. He came up to me and said, very seriously, “Thank-you for being here. Thanks to all Canadians. If Afghanistan was rich like Canada, and if you were in trouble, we would come to help, like you have come to help us.” No one had ever told me thanks before that moment...”Thanks to all Canadians,” Shamsallah had said.
When he told me that, I quickly said, “your welcome”, and we moved onto something else. But thinking about it now after three more Canadian deaths...
This is the story of a Canadian foot soldier in Afghanistan. He is acting as a mentor to Afghan soldiers – he is the leader of an OMLT (Operational Mentor and Liaison Team). His team of four Canadians accompany groups of about 20 to 30 Afghan soldiers on patrol. They speak to the Afghan soldiers through an Afghan interpreter. They patrol in Taliban occupied territory. The interpreters and soldier are at severe risk if they are ever caught by the Taliban – they would be seen as traitors to the cause.
This is a view of a soldiers’ life outside the wire. They patrol villages, they are shot at and they shoot back. They encounter IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) constantly. The villages they patrol harbour Taliban – and when they come across a cache of weapons – all (weapons, food, clothing...) is destroyed or confiscated by the Afghan soldiers.
They are trying to win “hearts and minds” – but as the author acknowledges this can be a very gray area. War consists of ambiguities, but, the Taliban are a very real enemy that kills. This book provides us with a very good view of the ground treaded by these Canadian and Afghan soldiers. There are harrowing encounters on patrols, of mortar attacks on the Canadian compound by the Taliban, of too close, friendly fire incidences.
The Canadian Army is much smaller than other NATO members in Afghanistan, like the U.S., so when Canadian soldiers are killed there are grim moments of silence. You may know of them – or of someone who knows them.
Many interesting things are pointed out:
In a Taliban cache they come across boxes of bullets made in the U.S. – this just adds to the Afghan rumour mill that the U.S. is actively supplying the Taliban.
On a patrol they come across the Afghan Border Patrol, who have no shoes, long hair and beards, and are stoned out on marijuana.
We are provided with a sad description of a Canadian soldier who is starting to suffer combat fatigue – and we feel for him in this forlorn country. During recruitment he was told that “if you love camping, you’ll love the army!”
Some of the Taliban killed are identified as being from Pakistan by the Afghan soldiers.
The Afghan soldiers are introduced to a visit from Santa Claus in December; this provided some needed respite as I read this book in December. Wondrous explanations ensue, and an Afghan officer kicks an Afghan soldier for laughing at Santa.
Also I never expected a writer-soldier from Saskatchewan to have such a sense of humour!
I would have liked to have known more about the other Canadian soldiers who accompanied him – as in where did they come from in Canada. There is a tremendous amount of dialogue in this book – does the author have that much recall?
There is also political incorrectness in this book; and there is a lot of honesty. This is a “guy book” in that these soldiers are all males; although the author does mention his wife and two young daughters in Canada.
If you want to know of a soldiers’ experience in Afghanistan I highly recommend this.
June 14, 2020
One of the best modern war memoirs I have read. The author served in Afghanistan in the late aughts (2008) and reminds us in his book that war is ugly, unpredictable and sometimes life changing. He recounts the harrowing firefights he engaged in with the Taliban and the sometimes hilarious antics of his Afghan National Army allies. Through it all, a very candid writing style prevails. Definitely one of the better books I have read on warfare in the Levant. Definitely worth your time.
Read
June 9, 2013I have not written a book review since High School, but this book warrants my best efforts.....
I am acutely ashamed of our military that a soldier/leader/human being of this caliber would be dragged through the political correctness which is a blight on our whole American society - all to feed the insatiable media. His circumstances were not normal; he was placed in an untenable position and asked to act as an agressor and then tried as a civilian. It implies that the rot that is governance in this country extendes to the upper ranks of our military. They should have protected him as he has protected those he was responsible for.
I read this book because I am curious about those men in the armed service who put themselves in the way of danger. I'm not deluded into thinking they are simply heroes and somehow they are out there to serve and protect. That's not to say they are not heroes - they definitely are, but what do they draw on to be able to risk their lives and endure harsh conditions when others could not? What sets them apart?
Rob Semrau's book answers many questions. As an individual he is very smart and quick to analyze, process and respond to information. He leads his men with compassion and would put himself in harm's way before risking them. Times when his back-up comrade would disappear he would be acutely frightened - not for himself, as I would be, but from concern for this team member. A true leader, he has his team's welfare in front all the time.
A major factor of Rob's character that makes him so good at what he is required to do in Afghanistan is his appreciation for the absurd. What enables him to roll with "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" is his sense of humour. Whether he is surrounded by absurdity in the form of the military Brass (Canadian, US or Brit), the ANA, The Taliban, his own foibles or that of his men, he can surmount it by finding the hilarity in the situation and rise above it. His steely resolve, his ability to appear calm and his being able to lighten the tension by pointing out or creating humour in a bad situation are the reason why his men held him in such high regard. It's too bad the Canadian Armed Forces sold him out.
I live not very far from where Rob Semrau resides and I will make it a priority to find an opportunity to meet and thank this man for serving me and his country so well.
I am acutely ashamed of our military that a soldier/leader/human being of this caliber would be dragged through the political correctness which is a blight on our whole American society - all to feed the insatiable media. His circumstances were not normal; he was placed in an untenable position and asked to act as an agressor and then tried as a civilian. It implies that the rot that is governance in this country extendes to the upper ranks of our military. They should have protected him as he has protected those he was responsible for.
I read this book because I am curious about those men in the armed service who put themselves in the way of danger. I'm not deluded into thinking they are simply heroes and somehow they are out there to serve and protect. That's not to say they are not heroes - they definitely are, but what do they draw on to be able to risk their lives and endure harsh conditions when others could not? What sets them apart?
Rob Semrau's book answers many questions. As an individual he is very smart and quick to analyze, process and respond to information. He leads his men with compassion and would put himself in harm's way before risking them. Times when his back-up comrade would disappear he would be acutely frightened - not for himself, as I would be, but from concern for this team member. A true leader, he has his team's welfare in front all the time.
A major factor of Rob's character that makes him so good at what he is required to do in Afghanistan is his appreciation for the absurd. What enables him to roll with "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" is his sense of humour. Whether he is surrounded by absurdity in the form of the military Brass (Canadian, US or Brit), the ANA, The Taliban, his own foibles or that of his men, he can surmount it by finding the hilarity in the situation and rise above it. His steely resolve, his ability to appear calm and his being able to lighten the tension by pointing out or creating humour in a bad situation are the reason why his men held him in such high regard. It's too bad the Canadian Armed Forces sold him out.
I live not very far from where Rob Semrau resides and I will make it a priority to find an opportunity to meet and thank this man for serving me and his country so well.
September 24, 2012
How do you write about war? Robert Semrau has done it well in his memoir about his experiences commanding a Canadian Operational Mentor Liaison Team in Afghanistan. He takes the reader through his entire tour, from August 2008 to the end of that year, with clear descriptions of the operations and patrols his team carried out with a company of the Afghan National Army which they were mentoring. In doing so, he highlights the sense of urgency required as they patrolled through compounds and narrow alleyways, the fear and tension involved, and how he kept himself under control by his personal sense of humour. His wry wit and soldier’s banter is constant, no doubt helping him and his men through the daily crises they faced. Accepting the irony in many situations is probably necessary in order to keep sane, as he must fight not only the Taliban but also intransigent or incompetent superior officers, while dealing diplomatically with the often unpredictable behavior of the Afghan soldiers he is mentoring. In these incidents, one can't help but relate his writing to the ironic humour of Spike Milligan’s memoirs from the Second World War or of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. One example happens at Combat Outpost Mushan, when orders are received for his counter-mortar radar to be sent to another outpost which never receives mortar fire, despite the fact that his outpost is under such fire almost every day.
The book is well written and two incidents particularly stand out. The first occurs early on, just outside Forward Operating Base Sperwan Ghar, where he rushes out to deal with an IED which has just been planted in the road. He tells this tale with full suspense, as the incident turns into a day-long farce, while they remain in danger of being blown up at any time or coming under Taliban fire from a suspicious compound nearby. The other incident occurred near the end of his tour, this time while he was in Combat Outpost Mushan when it came under accurate mortar fire and a number of Afghan soldiers were killed or wounded. His writing brings out the fear and panic he felt, as he risks his life to save a wounded Afghan soldier from dying.
Semrau’s writing gives you the full exposure to what it was like fighting in Afghanistan, unvarnished by any public affairs release or historical analysis. That is what he wanted to do, and he achieves it.
The book is well written and two incidents particularly stand out. The first occurs early on, just outside Forward Operating Base Sperwan Ghar, where he rushes out to deal with an IED which has just been planted in the road. He tells this tale with full suspense, as the incident turns into a day-long farce, while they remain in danger of being blown up at any time or coming under Taliban fire from a suspicious compound nearby. The other incident occurred near the end of his tour, this time while he was in Combat Outpost Mushan when it came under accurate mortar fire and a number of Afghan soldiers were killed or wounded. His writing brings out the fear and panic he felt, as he risks his life to save a wounded Afghan soldier from dying.
Semrau’s writing gives you the full exposure to what it was like fighting in Afghanistan, unvarnished by any public affairs release or historical analysis. That is what he wanted to do, and he achieves it.
July 17, 2018
I found this book to be engaging. Semrau takes you through the lives of soldiers in Afghanistan and shows the boredom, the living conditions along with the terror faced in fire fights and rocket attacks. I give him full marks for his casual writing style that gave good descriptions of what they faced.
The only thing I found hard to follow was all the abbreviations he used. I thought I'd become used to the ANP, BFG, BIP and, AO, however, when he threw in 'ack' for acknowledge and IR for infrared, I found myself constantly flipping back to his list of abbreviations for guidance.
A well-done book. I think Semrau should take up writing fiction. He has a good way with words, as well as good sense of humor...something sadly missing in the military.
The only thing I found hard to follow was all the abbreviations he used. I thought I'd become used to the ANP, BFG, BIP and, AO, however, when he threw in 'ack' for acknowledge and IR for infrared, I found myself constantly flipping back to his list of abbreviations for guidance.
A well-done book. I think Semrau should take up writing fiction. He has a good way with words, as well as good sense of humor...something sadly missing in the military.
August 21, 2020
This book was enjoyable to read. It feels kind of strange to say that, given its sometimes grave subject matter, but it is the truth. Having served in the Canadian Army, but never in Afghanistan, I had wondered what it was like to be the ones to train the Afghan National Army. This book brought me there.
‘Captain Rob’, in his own words, comes across as the kind of infantry officer I would gladly follow. His concern for the morale of his troops and his desire to do the job to the best of his ability is apparent.
He embodies the kind of modern soldier that has more pop-culture geek references than Deadpool. It is a trait that meshes strangely with the traditional machismo of the fighting man. I feel like a kind of lucky geek to have ‘gotten’ all the movie quotes and TV references (some rather obscure) that are interspersed in his speech, without much elaboration.
I particularly enjoyed the part where he encounters some British Paratroopers at the end of a long patrol, (of which he used to be one) In order to ask for a favour, he switches to their language…a cockney English with a cryptic lexicon of slang that had me grinning, reading and re-reading to ‘suss out’ the hidden meaning!
Coming across the names of soldiers who were killed that I knew personally struck me in the same way that hearing it the first time did. A poignant reminder that all of this happened in a very real place in a very real time.
Many times since reading the book, I find myself passing on his stories to the people around me. The strange situations that arose. The abject comedy in the futility of some of the tasks. The sheer frustration at trying to mentor the Afghans who don’t want to do the job. The experience in the ANP bathroom…
After telling these stories, I always conclude with: I cannot do this story justice. Please read the book. I’m glad I did.
‘Captain Rob’, in his own words, comes across as the kind of infantry officer I would gladly follow. His concern for the morale of his troops and his desire to do the job to the best of his ability is apparent.
He embodies the kind of modern soldier that has more pop-culture geek references than Deadpool. It is a trait that meshes strangely with the traditional machismo of the fighting man. I feel like a kind of lucky geek to have ‘gotten’ all the movie quotes and TV references (some rather obscure) that are interspersed in his speech, without much elaboration.
I particularly enjoyed the part where he encounters some British Paratroopers at the end of a long patrol, (of which he used to be one) In order to ask for a favour, he switches to their language…a cockney English with a cryptic lexicon of slang that had me grinning, reading and re-reading to ‘suss out’ the hidden meaning!
Coming across the names of soldiers who were killed that I knew personally struck me in the same way that hearing it the first time did. A poignant reminder that all of this happened in a very real place in a very real time.
Many times since reading the book, I find myself passing on his stories to the people around me. The strange situations that arose. The abject comedy in the futility of some of the tasks. The sheer frustration at trying to mentor the Afghans who don’t want to do the job. The experience in the ANP bathroom…
After telling these stories, I always conclude with: I cannot do this story justice. Please read the book. I’m glad I did.
June 20, 2017
I received this book as a gift. It was difficult to put down. Captain Semrau ( I won't call him Lieutenant even thought the Canadian military demoted him as part of his wrongful conviction) is an excellent writer and soldier. His book illustrates the difficulties of the mission he and so many other brave Canadians (and all ISAF and coalition forces who actually went outside the wire) are faced with in Afghanistan. We need to honour and celebrate our Canadian warriors more in my opinion. This book simply serves to strengthen that belief. I'm glad to hear Captain Semrau appears to be succeeding in the private sector.
April 10, 2020
Good book about Afghanistan and an incredible Captain
I got the book thinking it was going to all be about the murder and trail. Instead it was about life in Afghanistan for Canadian combat teams that were training and leading the Afghan National Army forces.
The trail was a short chapter at the end.
Good read.
I got the book thinking it was going to all be about the murder and trail. Instead it was about life in Afghanistan for Canadian combat teams that were training and leading the Afghan National Army forces.
The trail was a short chapter at the end.
Good read.
December 8, 2024
Robert Semrau describes each mission outside the wire during his time in Afghanistan. He wears his heart on his sleeve and his stories were well written. The book was starting to feel a bit redundant, recounting each skirmish, but he did pull it all together in the end, finally leading towards a crescendo of sorts.
May 31, 2017
For the most part this was an interesting read, but it got a little repetitive toward the end.
September 14, 2021
Fascinating story of brotherhood and how those bonds cannot be broken.
October 8, 2022
An interesting read for a military audience.
November 4, 2012
Veterans of the First World War produced a large amount of fiction and poetry reflecting on their experiences. The modern conflict in Afghanistan has produced, in Canada, memoirs by journalists, such as Christie Blatchford's Fifteen Days, but less material by soldiers. Ryan Flavelle's The Patrol is an early example of a soldier's memoir, which Rob Semrau's The Taliban Don't Wave now joins. Semrau commanded a unit mentoring the Afghan National Army. He succeeds in capturing the alternating monotony and randomness of modern warfare. Interestingly, he also brings a great deal of humour to his writing, dryly recounting episodes that, after a safe return to base, command laughter. Semrau also troublingly recounts the difficultly of training Afghan soldiers. Although the ANA has its share of brave soldiers, Semrau describes a force that is generally ill-equipped, poorly directed, often corrupt, and sometimes unwilling to engage the Taliban. Given that politicians told Canadians for years that we were helping to rebuild Afghanistan, the lack of progress and local will apparent in Semrau's book is disturbing.
September 4, 2013
After speaking from Canadian, British and American soldiers on their time in Afghan I find Capt (ret'd) Semrau's description of his third and forth (as he quipped) quite accurate to the day to day descriptions of life in the infantry.
This is an easy to read documentation and I am glad that he didn't degrade the story into a political rant.
In terms of war writing I consider this much more detailed than Patrick Hennessey's
"The Junior Officers' Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars" which focused on his career in the British Army. This book touched a similar tone to Dispatches by Michael Herr but view the first person view point of a man with a gun vice a typewriter.
All three books are entertaining and informative and I recommend them all.
As I mentioned it is an easy read interns of level of writing and fluidity. I'm impressed considering the insistent use of acronyms the military uses. The abbreviations took nothing away from the flow.
While mercy killing and military law were at the forefront of what I was expecting to read about I'm glad they were not the main topics. His first person account made this a great read.
This is an easy to read documentation and I am glad that he didn't degrade the story into a political rant.
In terms of war writing I consider this much more detailed than Patrick Hennessey's
"The Junior Officers' Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars" which focused on his career in the British Army. This book touched a similar tone to Dispatches by Michael Herr but view the first person view point of a man with a gun vice a typewriter.
All three books are entertaining and informative and I recommend them all.
As I mentioned it is an easy read interns of level of writing and fluidity. I'm impressed considering the insistent use of acronyms the military uses. The abbreviations took nothing away from the flow.
While mercy killing and military law were at the forefront of what I was expecting to read about I'm glad they were not the main topics. His first person account made this a great read.
August 11, 2017
An interesting book and one of the few I know of that shows a Canadian perspective on the war in Afghanistan. Like most good military memoirs, it comes with the trade off of an interesting experience as told by someone who isn't really a writer. There's enough exclamation points per page to last anyone else a lifetime, and he has a tendency to mix his popculture metaphors.
Semrau skips over his trial (he was acquitted on charges related to a mercy killing he performed) in favour of describing his time as part of the OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Team) group training Afghan soldiers. The Afghan soldiers aren't interested in sticking their necks out – and who can blame them? The OMLT forces have to word commands as suggestions, for fear of upsetting their soldiers' honour, which often leads them to deserting or worse. It's kind of a shame, because Semrau has the opportunity to get upclose with the Afghan soldiers, but can't often find stories to tell other than their staggering incompetence on the battlefield or their occasional gratefulness for Canadian gear.
Semrau skips over his trial (he was acquitted on charges related to a mercy killing he performed) in favour of describing his time as part of the OMLT (Operational Mentoring Liaison Team) group training Afghan soldiers. The Afghan soldiers aren't interested in sticking their necks out – and who can blame them? The OMLT forces have to word commands as suggestions, for fear of upsetting their soldiers' honour, which often leads them to deserting or worse. It's kind of a shame, because Semrau has the opportunity to get upclose with the Afghan soldiers, but can't often find stories to tell other than their staggering incompetence on the battlefield or their occasional gratefulness for Canadian gear.
March 26, 2014
Semrau was a career officer in the Canadian Forces who in my opinion was court martialed for committing an act of mercy, another instance of the old saw that no good deed goes unpunished. This is his memoir of fighting in Afghanistan. The simplest way to get across the content and the tone is to explain the title. One day, Semrau was out on patrol with an Afghan force when an American war plane over flew them and took interest in them. From a high altitude the Afghan forces didn't look different than the Taliban forces and Semrau was concerned that the Americans would obliterate his patrol and him as well. So he told them to wave, explaining that the Taliban don't wave.
The book is a good telling of a story that needs telling, both for the sake of Afghanistan as well as for Semrau and the other people who went there.
The book is a good telling of a story that needs telling, both for the sake of Afghanistan as well as for Semrau and the other people who went there.
December 3, 2012
This isn't the sort of book you read for the prose or diction, but it is a great re telling of the author's experiences in Afghanistan. Semrau hardly mentions the murder charges, describing them in a scant 4-5 paragraphs. He also doesn't tell "his version" of events and instead records the public testimony given.
But charges and trials aside, this book provides good insight into the real life of a coalition solider. It describes the challenges of dealing with foreign NATO forces, the Afghan National Army, and even other Canadian soldiers. It's always nice to hear the story from the ground up, from someone who is not towing the party line and isn't afraid to provide a non-sugar coated version. And that's exactly what you'll find in this novel.
But charges and trials aside, this book provides good insight into the real life of a coalition solider. It describes the challenges of dealing with foreign NATO forces, the Afghan National Army, and even other Canadian soldiers. It's always nice to hear the story from the ground up, from someone who is not towing the party line and isn't afraid to provide a non-sugar coated version. And that's exactly what you'll find in this novel.
May 17, 2015
Rob writes an easy to read account of a soldier's life in Afghanistan. Thankfully the writing isn't overly technical so that a lay person can easily understand it. The book provides details and information about Canadian soldiers and what they go through when they are in Afghanistan. Rob's sense of humour shows through in his writing and adds to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though it covers some gruesome and sensitive topics, it is well written and doesn't provide too much gore and blood which I'm certain has been seen by this author.
November 29, 2016
A pretty decent read this.
It's about a Canadian solider in Afghanistan, a Canadian who has trained with the British forces.
Generally it's well written but there's a few annoying moments where he uses Cockney rhyming slang but also includes the word it's supposed to mean, like "Pete Tong Wrong" and "China Plate Mate".
I found this very annoying as it's one or the other and seems a bit fake.
Overall I enjoyed it, it's quite an exciting read and can recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.
It's about a Canadian solider in Afghanistan, a Canadian who has trained with the British forces.
Generally it's well written but there's a few annoying moments where he uses Cockney rhyming slang but also includes the word it's supposed to mean, like "Pete Tong Wrong" and "China Plate Mate".
I found this very annoying as it's one or the other and seems a bit fake.
Overall I enjoyed it, it's quite an exciting read and can recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.
October 3, 2013
I haven't bin able to sit and get lost in a book until I picked this one up. Especially since I can relate to the ending when being kicked out of the CF is heart breaking. I know how he feels. This is by far the best book I have ever read. It puts into perspective what the troops have suffered from the war. I would recommend this book to anyone. Especially those who don't understand why Canadians are their in the first place.
January 3, 2013
Simply amazing. After having endured what he has, Robert Semrau not only manages to put into words the unimaginable experiences he had but is also eloquent throughout. I personally appreciated the language used by the author as it is the same down-to-earth, genuine language that is used by soldiers.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service.
October 31, 2014
Very good book, easy to read, not really as heavy as it sounds. First hand account of fighting in Afghanistan, what the soldiers and ANA went through fighting against the Taliban. Rather a sad and unfair ending for Captain Semrau. I felt he was a good, kind, honorable person even after being to hell and back. I would recommend this book.
January 22, 2017
This is what happens when the left takes over leadership for a war. Poor guy, just wants to serve in his army. Also some harrowing accounts of the atrocities of war that provide insight into why so many vets return with PTSD. Also kept wondering how we're supposed to win this war. Maybe there's a better strategy?
March 8, 2013
Incredible insight into the hell in which he and other Canadians were thrust into. A true leader, putting himself last over his men. Well written and hard to put down. Allows you to recognize the injustice done to one of Canada's finest.
January 23, 2014
An honest, no holds barred account of modern war. A shocking portrayal of decisions that soldiers are forced to make in a split second, risking their lives over and over and with lack of support from their country.
November 6, 2014
Excellent book. Highly recommend. Well articulated book. It puts you there. My hat goes off to any and all who have fought in wars, fought for our freedoms. Thank you! Thank you to Robert Semrau for writing this book!
May 25, 2015
my husband was in Afghanistan at the same time. I read the book because it interested me in general but also gave me a really great idea of what his time fighting over there was like. I loved it. It was funny and yet entertaining and insightful. A great book. I wish there were more like it.
January 22, 2016
Difficult book to read unless you are up on the military jargon. Kept having to go back and see what abbreviations meant and then would lose my train of thought. Very interesting hearing about how thngs are done on the battle field though.
Read
December 7, 2012Click here to find it in the catalogue
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews