Surrogate Fathers

by Sean Connolly

SURROGATE FATHERS“Bleeding on my Father’s carpet was the least of my worries, getting into the British army was my biggest concern. I had decided that the only way out of the violence from my home-life was to enrol as a Junior Soldier as soon as I was sixteen. But it was out of the frying pan and into the fire, because the Army had grossly underestimated the number of wannabe artillery soldiers for that year and had to whittle down 900 to just 200. The way they did this was brutal, cruel and dangerous.This tale blows the lid off the life of a junior soldier in the British Army during the 1970’s. It is a harrowing emotional journey that rises from the ashes of despair to prove that the human spirit can transcend bullying and abuse and find humour and reconciliation in even the darkest hours. The Seventies were the end of an era and though we finally may have got colour on our tellies, morally things were still very black and white. It was a time when ‘men were men’, except sometimes they weren’t, they were just boys, just abused, bullied and tormented boys living in a hell not of their making and trying desperately to find a way out. And this is the story of one such boy...This book is Sean Connolly’s second autobiographical novel. Sean enrolled in the British Army as a ‘boy-soldier’. He served as a Bombardier in Belize, Canada and Germany amongst others and has written about all the wonderful and happy times he had and yet while Surrogate Fathers is not without its moments of humour it describes his darker early days in the Army and the excesses of NCO’s and Officers who made adversity a way of life for so many young soldiers of that time. (N.B. - This eBook was originally published as two seperate ‘Not My Father’s Apprentice’ & ‘Surrogate Fathers’ - both volumes are now combined in this one eBook edition to match the paperback edition of Surrogate Fathers).

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2014

About the author

Sean Connolly will be familiar to listeners of BBC Radio Five Live and Radio Wales. Among his more than 50 books aimed at children and adults are Wholly Irresponsible Experiments and Witness to History: The Industrial Revolution. He has also written for the Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia. His three children are either collaborators or guinea pigs, depending on the project.

Reviews

[Michael Draper · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Work Of Fiction

Well written but total Bullshit. I must have heard a similar story about a Sgt Keating and his daughter in every regiment I served. Its probably the biggest urban myth in the army.

[George Tuffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic military memoir

I read this book in short time, as I tend to do with books I am enjoying.
Part one was a roller coaster of emotions with part two being an insightful look at the British Army selection process, which makes our Millitary the best.

[peter Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a brilliant book what he went through brilliant

[Terry Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ex junior soldier myself I found I could relate to a lot in this book, the hard work it takes to join the army and stay there is real
The violence Sean endured was not true in my corps as much but the total dedication to your fellow brats is
This stands you in good stead for your army service and beyond I think and yes there are people both in the army and in civics street that are not worthy of your respect there are many that are
Sgt Morris was my troop sergeant and a better man I could only say I wish I was as good as him
Long live the British army and us triggers will always be
Army army army

[steven smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

Anyone whose been in the army will relate to some of the things in this book although he seemed to have it a lot tougher than I remember a strange twist near the end

[Mr Glenn R Davies · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a load of rubbish

I was in the same intake and nothing happen in the Troop I was in. The Sgts try encourage lads not to leave not beat them up. I was so disappointed with this book. I wish he had finish off he training year so see what other bollocks he could write about. I just glad I don't know the guy because I would tell him. I know you got yo make an interested read but this is so far from the truth. Not even worth 1 star.