War Dogs: A modern breed of heroes

by Shane Bryant, Tony Park

One man and his four-legged friends go to war in Afghanistan; a ten-year battle against enemies seen and unseen In Afghanistan, sometimes all that stands between coalition troops and death or serious injury is a dog. Highly trained dogs and their handlers search for improvised explosive devices or hidden weapons out on patrol with combat troops. It's a perilous job, often putting them right in the firing line, and making them high priority targets for the Taliban insurgents they're fighting. Shane Bryant, a former Australian Army dog handler, spent 10 years in Afghanistan, working with elite American special forces alongside his four-legged buddies, Ricky and Benny, and managing teams of dogs and handlers. War Dogs is Shane's story - a riveting tale of handlers and their dogs in combat, and a brutally honest account of how a decade as a contract warrior took its toll on Shane's personal life and his mental health, and how he found hope again.

Genres: Biography, War, Dogs, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Regan Flannery]

it was very interesting. sometimes sad, sometimes intense. but, overall very good

[Karen Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dogs of War

This riveting read is a memoir of how Australian author Shane Bryant ended up as a private military contractor working in war-torn Afghanistan.
It is co-authored by international best-selling Tony Park who divides his time between Sydney, Australia, and a house on the border of the Kruger National Park.
The story begins with Bryant’s early years and how these influenced his later decisions. He joined the Australian Army and qualified as an explosive detection dog handler before working with the Australian police force.
Meanwhile, he got married and became a father to three children. A second marriage reaped a further two children. After a brief, unsuccessful stint as an investigator and then as an estate agent, he found himself heavily in debt. This led to him leaving Australia for a lucrative career as a contractor working alongside elite American Special Forces in Afghanistan.
The common thread throughout his working career is an enduring passion for dogs, especially working dogs.
The bond between man and dogs is intense, as is Bryant’s respect and affection for his canine partners. His descriptions of the dog breeds, personalities and training methods are fascinating and informative. The story touches on the handlers’ challenges including the need to switch dogs after returning from leave and dealing with the dogs’ personalities; Ricky is aggressive towards local people and motorbikes while in his words, Benny the Bouncer is hard-arsed, with a no-nonsense attitude. This all adds a layer of complication to their handlers’ work.
Don’t be put off by the title that suggests a story primarily about the dogs because it is more one of Bryant’s experiences and reflections of his life and career.
His honest portrayal of the moral obscurities of his work and his personal sacrifices make this a worthy read, especially for those interested in the bond between handlers and their dogs or the life of a military contractor.
For me it clarified the War on Terror and why this global counter terrorist military campaign came about following the September 11 attacks of 2001.

[MrsB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

I had never heard of GDV before, so that was new. I liked the inclusion of Bryant’s childhood for context and the way that the army had changed. He led an interesting professional career path, and I enjoyed learning about the dogs he worked with (breeds and personalities), the different ways they are trained up, and the switch in dogs that can happen after a returning home on leave. In my opinion this book definitely focuses more on Bryant and his experience as a private military contractor (serving the equivalent of 20 tours) than the dogs though…but still interesting, just not sure the title does the content justice

[Tomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A former Australian Army dog handler. Has spent the past four years in Afghanistan working with elite American special forces alongside his faithful dog. War Dogs is his story a riveting account. The hidden war in the mountains and cities of the world's most dangerous conflict. And the comradeship between man and dog that has saved a lot lives.

I think this book is really good. If you like dogs and war this book is great for you. This book made me want to start and train dogs. Also this book will make you tear up if you don't like people dying. So over all this book is great and I think that a lot of people will like this book.

[Ethen Huebner · Rating 2 out of 5]

its kind of boring

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read and good theme but was just a typical recollection of events.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story not only of the war in Afghanistan, but of the ongoing affects on participants.

One man and his four-legged friends go to war in Afghanistan; a ten-year battle against enemies seen and unseen In Afghanistan, sometimes all that stands between coalition troops and death or serious injury is a dog. Highly trained dogs and their handlers search for improvised explosive devices or hidden weapons out on patrol with combat troops. It's a perilous job, often putting them right in the firing line, and making them high priority targets for the Taliban insurgents they're fighting. Shane Bryant, a former Australian Army dog handler, spent 10 years in Afghanistan, working with elite American special forces alongside his four-legged buddies, Ricky and Benny, and managing teams of dogs and handlers. War Dogs is Shane's story - a riveting tale of handlers and their dogs in combat, and a brutally honest account of how a decade as a contract warrior took its toll on Shane's personal life and his mental health, and how he found hope again.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

War books are not something I read without reason. My friend is dating the author so I took the opportunity to get to know this guy on paper before meeting him. I was absorbed in Bryant's stories and experiences on the front-line; the decision he made to be separated from his children and the consequences of doing so. The relationship Bryant forms with each of his dogs is heartwarming and through the narrative he brings out the different characters of these hard working K9's. "Humans have pants to crap in during a TIC - dogs don't."

Bryant wrote the book with Tony Park. I have since researched Tony: he is an accomplished writer and I look forward to reading some of his books.

If I were a dog, I would want to be a war dog!

[Nigel Copeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Men train dogs to save lives

A true account of those guys who are not military but go out there and train dogs to help save lives in war zones. Worth a read to understand that they also suffer the same as the armed forces.

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting read and I liked the natural way in which the story was told.

[Dog Tired · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, well written.

[Kayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, and good listen, shows you the other side of war for Australians, being contractors, and how much they go though to help save people in need.
And a great look at working dogs