Squad Average

by Mark Inman

Squad Average is the true story following the incredible life of a young soldier, from his early teenage years until today. From the man who had everything, to the man who was faced with homelessness - Mark Inman's life story follows a whirlwind of opportunity, but also regret and heartbreak. He began his career on the wrong foot, finding himself caught up in an incident that left him incarcerated in Hong Kong for a crime that he did not commit. Back in the UK, he then picked up his military career and excelled to become an established soldier in his unit. He rapidly progressed through the ranks and after a serious incident Mark was left with a broken back which threatened to end his career. Through pure determination and stubbornness he picked himself up again and fought to achieve part of his dream to become an instructor of recruits. He attempted his ultimate goal of SAS Selection and found himself making a decision that he regrets to this day. Mark decided on a career change and became a qualified bodyguard - subsequently picking up a close protection contract in Afghanistan (Kabul). Mark's career change soon changed his whole life. During his adventures in Kabul he encountered endless fights and close shaves including two suicide bombings, a kidnap attempt and a plane crash. He became addicted to the adrenaline which then became his demon and downfall - leading him to take unnecessary risks on his life. His journey came to an end after being shot in a drive by shooting which he shouldn't have survived. Flashbacks and nightmares soon controlled Mark and it impacted on his life so severely that his marriage and family broke down. Suicide became an option and he lost everything except his dog, his best friend. Mark discovered that he was suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and realising this allowed him to regain control of his life.

200 pages, Paperback

Published October 28, 2018

Reviews

[Steve G****]

From the outset, the author makes it clear that he wanted his own “rocking horse” stories, tales he can one day tell his grandkids, and this book certainly achieves that and fair play to him. That said, it is not really a book in the conventional sense, and in that respect I came away a little disappointed.

What you have is a bloke who, by any measure, seems to have been a pretty decent infantry soldier, recounting a collection of ‘dits’ that I have heard a thousand times across hundreds of NAAFIs and bars in dozens of countries. His experiences are not particularly remarkable. In fact, they are fairly typical, and that is perfectly fine because it is his story to tell.

What I found frustrating, almost to the point of distraction, was the level of self aggrandisement and the relentlessly self centred style of the book. Phrases such as “I sound arrogant but…”, “I’m a bit tasty”, “My legend status had just gone up”, and “They were the best because of me” “due to my diligence…” etc appear throughout. Humility and modesty are not in this fellas vocabulary and his arrogance practically screams at you from the page.

Aside from himself, very few people are mentioned by name. Whether that is because he felt they were not worthy of inclusion, would detract from his story or simply beneath him is impossible to say. Those who do appear are little more than one dimensional supporting characters, described so briefly that it almost feels as though giving them any real depth would somehow detract from his own narrative.

While the subject matter and his journey fairly engaging I couldn’t wait to get to the last page.

[Jo Sparkes]

An utterly inspiring life story of perseverance and hope. What an incredible journey by an incredible man. Thank you for sharing