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Mosul: Australia's secret war inside the ISIS caliphate
From the best-selling author of The Commando and Born to Fight comes a fascinating investigation of modern warfare that combines methodical research and the fast-paced action of battle with the personal stories of the combatants on both sides of the line.
Taking us from the suburbs of western Sydney and Australia's military army bases, to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, this is a remarkable book that reveals the as-yet untold story of the battle for Mosul and the secret involvement of Australians on both sides of the war - both our Commandos and Australian ISIS fighters.
Mosul details the rise of ISIS influence in Australia, the Iran and Australia allegiance to fight Daesh and shows what led up to the battle and the ramifications that are still being felt at home - by our soldiers and the victims of that war.
Ben Mckelvey has extraordinary access to SOOCOMD/2COMMANDO units - the most decorated modern Australian fighting unit; ISOF - Iraq's premier fighters; Yazidis women who had been slaves of ISIS; returned Commandos and their devastated families, and explains how petty criminals in Western Sydney became some of our worst jihadists who took their families to Iraq to fight for ISIS. Focusing on the stories of key figures like 2 Commando's Ian Turner and one of Australia's most infamous Jihadist, Khaled Sharrouf, Mckelvey takes us the heart of this brutal battle and brings history to life in an honest, thoughtful and compelling examination of modern warfare.
A must-read for anyone interested in modern military history.
Taking us from the suburbs of western Sydney and Australia's military army bases, to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, this is a remarkable book that reveals the as-yet untold story of the battle for Mosul and the secret involvement of Australians on both sides of the war - both our Commandos and Australian ISIS fighters.
Mosul details the rise of ISIS influence in Australia, the Iran and Australia allegiance to fight Daesh and shows what led up to the battle and the ramifications that are still being felt at home - by our soldiers and the victims of that war.
Ben Mckelvey has extraordinary access to SOOCOMD/2COMMANDO units - the most decorated modern Australian fighting unit; ISOF - Iraq's premier fighters; Yazidis women who had been slaves of ISIS; returned Commandos and their devastated families, and explains how petty criminals in Western Sydney became some of our worst jihadists who took their families to Iraq to fight for ISIS. Focusing on the stories of key figures like 2 Commando's Ian Turner and one of Australia's most infamous Jihadist, Khaled Sharrouf, Mckelvey takes us the heart of this brutal battle and brings history to life in an honest, thoughtful and compelling examination of modern warfare.
A must-read for anyone interested in modern military history.
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 29, 2020
22 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Ben Mckelvey
14 books19 followersA Sydney-based writer and producer, Ben Mckelvey has written two bestsellers, and has been shortlisted for various major literary awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards, and the Victorian and Queensland Premier's Literary Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 29, 2022
3.25 Stars — This was almost an accidental read, cleaning out a litany of books in my unpacked boxes I grabbed it and before I knew it, I was halfway through the darn thing.
Whilst the writing is on the more basic side, the content is nonetheless visceral, insightful & at times, downright batshit-crazy when one considers its context!
Telling the role AUS military played in the battle with ISIS, Mosul doesn’t hold back and is a solid insight into a difficult narrative, told with sweaty-prose that is filled with a sort of nervous, poised tension that aches away at your pre-conceived ideas only to then obliterate them. The Syrian setting is well-brushed and the author does well to enunciate the psyche such soldiers take into such dire and dirty circumstances.
It might not be the best book you’ll read this year, but it could be one of the most genuine. This book knows what it is and what it isn’t. Worth reading!
Whilst the writing is on the more basic side, the content is nonetheless visceral, insightful & at times, downright batshit-crazy when one considers its context!
Telling the role AUS military played in the battle with ISIS, Mosul doesn’t hold back and is a solid insight into a difficult narrative, told with sweaty-prose that is filled with a sort of nervous, poised tension that aches away at your pre-conceived ideas only to then obliterate them. The Syrian setting is well-brushed and the author does well to enunciate the psyche such soldiers take into such dire and dirty circumstances.
It might not be the best book you’ll read this year, but it could be one of the most genuine. This book knows what it is and what it isn’t. Worth reading!
September 29, 2020
Read this book perhaps fifty times and even wrote it once.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2020
Several months after the end of ADF combat operations in Afghanistan in late 2013, a new and more violent terrorist threat emerged from the turmoil of the Syrian Civil War to find fertile ground in the ongoing tension and violence of neighboring Iraq. Known as al-Dawlah al-Islamiya (ISIS in English), the group was known for its unflinching brutality and strict adherence to Sharia law while vowing to create a caliphate during its campaign into Iraq from Syria in January 2014. Months later, amid egregious human rights abuses and the public execution of those who refused to support them, ISIS seized Falluja, Mosul and Tikrit in Iraq’s north. Their ranks swelled with Salafi jihadists from all over the world, including Australia, and sympathisers inspired by their success began committing heinous murders and terrorist attacks in their name.
This poignant and engaging work by Ben Mckelvey highlights one aspect of the Australian military contribution to the international effort to combat ISIS. Following on from his evocative biography of Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG of the 2nd Commando Regiment (The Commando, Hachette 2017), Mckelvey’s Mosul delves into the largely-unknown story of Australian commandos of the Special Operations Task Group who trained and mentored the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) in their fight to reclaim the towns and cities of northern Iraq under ISIS control. It is not a complete story of Operation Okra, as the Australian contribution to the international fight against ISIS is known within the Australian Defence Force. The views and experiences of thousands of Australians involved in the Air Task Group (including detachments of F/A-18 Hornets involved in air-strike operations) and Task Group Taji (who trained up to 45,000 Iraqi Army personnel for the fighting against ISIS) await another book.
The real strength of Mosul is its compelling narrative and McKelvey’s ability to tell a complex story of violence and turmoil through the eyes of Australians involved in the combat on both sides. From the 2nd Commando Regiment, we hear the story of “Nathan Knox”, an Australian commando who formed part of a forward strike cell amid the rubble of Mosul and was calling in coalition airstrikes in support of the Iraqi CTS, and Corporal Ian Turner, a skilled and professional ‘shooter’ with extensive operational experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, who returned to Iraq on two separate occasions to train and advise the CTS while battling PTS and substance abuse brought on by the pressures of previous deployments. From the suburbs of Western Sydney and Melbourne are the stories of Australia’s-own jihadists, among them 15-year old Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad, radicalised by a Sydney Islamist extremist group and perpetrator of the 2015 murder of Curtis Cheng outside the NSW Police Headquarters in Parramatta, and both Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar, who fought with ISIS in Iraq and Syria and were both killed in coalition airstrikes sometime between 2015 and 2017.
Mosul is a raw and honest account of Australia’s most recent conflict, compellingly told through Mckelvey's masterful writing. Highly recommend.
This poignant and engaging work by Ben Mckelvey highlights one aspect of the Australian military contribution to the international effort to combat ISIS. Following on from his evocative biography of Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG of the 2nd Commando Regiment (The Commando, Hachette 2017), Mckelvey’s Mosul delves into the largely-unknown story of Australian commandos of the Special Operations Task Group who trained and mentored the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) in their fight to reclaim the towns and cities of northern Iraq under ISIS control. It is not a complete story of Operation Okra, as the Australian contribution to the international fight against ISIS is known within the Australian Defence Force. The views and experiences of thousands of Australians involved in the Air Task Group (including detachments of F/A-18 Hornets involved in air-strike operations) and Task Group Taji (who trained up to 45,000 Iraqi Army personnel for the fighting against ISIS) await another book.
The real strength of Mosul is its compelling narrative and McKelvey’s ability to tell a complex story of violence and turmoil through the eyes of Australians involved in the combat on both sides. From the 2nd Commando Regiment, we hear the story of “Nathan Knox”, an Australian commando who formed part of a forward strike cell amid the rubble of Mosul and was calling in coalition airstrikes in support of the Iraqi CTS, and Corporal Ian Turner, a skilled and professional ‘shooter’ with extensive operational experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, who returned to Iraq on two separate occasions to train and advise the CTS while battling PTS and substance abuse brought on by the pressures of previous deployments. From the suburbs of Western Sydney and Melbourne are the stories of Australia’s-own jihadists, among them 15-year old Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad, radicalised by a Sydney Islamist extremist group and perpetrator of the 2015 murder of Curtis Cheng outside the NSW Police Headquarters in Parramatta, and both Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar, who fought with ISIS in Iraq and Syria and were both killed in coalition airstrikes sometime between 2015 and 2017.
Mosul is a raw and honest account of Australia’s most recent conflict, compellingly told through Mckelvey's masterful writing. Highly recommend.
October 4, 2020
Saw this book published and went to the shops straight away.
Couldn’t put it down! Cheers Ben, it was eye opening and fantastic!
Couldn’t put it down! Cheers Ben, it was eye opening and fantastic!
July 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A gritty, emotional insight into Australia’s hidden war
After reading The Commando, I was eager to get my hands on Mosul: Australia’s Secret War Inside the ISIS Caliphate, and Ben McKelvey did not disappoint. This book is a powerful, fast-paced and thoroughly researched account of Australia’s secretive role in the fight against ISIS—told from both sides of the conflict.
McKelvey blends traditional war reporting with deeply personal narratives. We hear from Yazidi women who survived ISIS slavery, families devastated by radicalisation, and elite Australian soldiers returning from deployment forever changed. The juxtaposition of these perspectives—ISIS recruits from Western Sydney, Iraqi refugees, and Australian commandos—was one of the book’s greatest strengths.
Standout voices include “Nathan Knox”, an Australian commando embedded in the ruins of Mosul, calling in airstrikes and offering a clear-eyed, grounded account of modern urban warfare. Equally compelling was Corporal Ian Turner’s story—a skilled soldier and mentor battling PTSD and substance abuse, whose tragic death by suicide adds a sobering layer of urgency and sadness. McKelvey’s interviews with Turner’s estranged wife and partners were heartbreaking and necessary, offering insight into the emotional cost of war at home.
Despite the emotional weight and quality journalism, parts of the book felt a little rushed—something McKelvey himself acknowledges due to COVID-19 limitations. While this meant less focus on the ISIS side of the story than originally intended, the book still provides a compelling dual perspective.
Mosul is sweaty-palmed and emotionally charged. It’s a sobering, unflinching look at modern conflict and its aftermath. McKelvey delivers not just a military history, but a human one.
A must-read for anyone interested in Australia’s military operations, extremism, or the real cost of war.
After reading The Commando, I was eager to get my hands on Mosul: Australia’s Secret War Inside the ISIS Caliphate, and Ben McKelvey did not disappoint. This book is a powerful, fast-paced and thoroughly researched account of Australia’s secretive role in the fight against ISIS—told from both sides of the conflict.
McKelvey blends traditional war reporting with deeply personal narratives. We hear from Yazidi women who survived ISIS slavery, families devastated by radicalisation, and elite Australian soldiers returning from deployment forever changed. The juxtaposition of these perspectives—ISIS recruits from Western Sydney, Iraqi refugees, and Australian commandos—was one of the book’s greatest strengths.
Standout voices include “Nathan Knox”, an Australian commando embedded in the ruins of Mosul, calling in airstrikes and offering a clear-eyed, grounded account of modern urban warfare. Equally compelling was Corporal Ian Turner’s story—a skilled soldier and mentor battling PTSD and substance abuse, whose tragic death by suicide adds a sobering layer of urgency and sadness. McKelvey’s interviews with Turner’s estranged wife and partners were heartbreaking and necessary, offering insight into the emotional cost of war at home.
Despite the emotional weight and quality journalism, parts of the book felt a little rushed—something McKelvey himself acknowledges due to COVID-19 limitations. While this meant less focus on the ISIS side of the story than originally intended, the book still provides a compelling dual perspective.
Mosul is sweaty-palmed and emotionally charged. It’s a sobering, unflinching look at modern conflict and its aftermath. McKelvey delivers not just a military history, but a human one.
A must-read for anyone interested in Australia’s military operations, extremism, or the real cost of war.
January 25, 2021
This book is a great read. Without having read anything about it apart from the blurbs on the cover, I was a bit skeptical about this book by Ben McKelvey. I confess that I thought that it might have been of the "disadvantaged kid joins army, passes special forces selection and makes a name for himself in battle" genre. I have read and enjoyed a few of those, but this book is much more than that. This is a well researched, sensitively written, quality piece of journalism by Ben McKelvey. The events described happened about half a decade ago, and are already starting to fade from memory, however, McKelvey's description not only brings them back into the consciousness, but adds depth to the story of the fight against jihadism and the Australian efforts to battle it. The characters are well developed from a range of sources, even those whose identity he protects. While none of the events described are linked to the current war crimes accusations against Australian soldiers, McKelvey acknowledges the links between the people, places and experiences of Australian special forces to the current news (January 2021). Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed. 5 stars.
December 23, 2025
Mosul: Australia’s Secret War Inside the ISIS Caliphate (Mosul: A Guerra Secreta da Austrália Dentro do Califado do ISIS) examina caminhos paralelos nos conflitos inspirados pela Al-Qaeda (AQ) e pelo ISIS na década de 2000. Por um lado, analisa aqueles que foram atraídos pela propaganda da AQ e do ISIS para a concepção de planos na Austrália (vários foram capturados na Operação Pendennis), enquanto outro matou um funcionário civil em outubro de 2015 e vários outros deixaram a Austrália para lutar no Iraque e na Síria durante o período de ascensão do ISIS. Ao mesmo tempo, McKelvey relata as histórias coincidentes de vários membros das forças especiais australianas que foram enviados ao Afeganistão em 2001 e, após 2003 (incluindo meados da década de 2010), ao Iraque. Seus feitos são detalhados, a justificativa para seu envio e operações é apresentada e as consequências para esses indivíduos são esclarecidas. É muito comum que aqueles que dedicam sua lealdade e compromisso ao seu país descubram que raramente são retribuídos na mesma medida. Os deslizes ocasionais e insignificantes de militares altamente disciplinados que ofendem a sensibilidade de seus superiores eram punidos severamente, e o enorme custo pessoal e psicológico que inevitavelmente recai sobre os indivíduos destacados para zonas de guerra não foi adequadamente abordado pela Austrália. Militares que sobrevivem a zonas de guerra para cometer suicídio ao retornarem para casa não é um resultado aceitável dessas missões.
Claramente, o pano de fundo deste livro são as sérias acusações feitas contra as forças especiais australianas por assassinatos ilegais de civis – independentemente de terem ocorrido ou não, McKelvey argumenta em favor da maioria daqueles cujas ações foram autorizadas e consideradas legais, realizadas contra uma organização que não observava regras. “Os combatentes do Estado Islâmico”, diz McKelvey, “não tinham respeito pelas leis internacionais da guerra, nem esperavam viver para serem julgados por violá-las...”. É um ambiente tenso onde um lado enfrenta graves consequências quando se desvia das “regras”, e o outro não tem regras a seguir.
Para os leitores da Nova Zelândia, este livro é importante. Desde a tragédia de 15 de março de 2019 em Christchurch, tornou-se notório que os neozelandeses parecem não se preocupar tanto com o terrorismo em outros lugares. Eles se contentam em pensar que a ameaça do Estado Islâmico na década de 2010 foi de alguma forma exagerada e que, após o surgimento repentino de Brenton Tarrant, o foco da investigação se perdeu. McKelvey nos lembra que esses riscos eram reais e palpáveis... e ainda são.
PS: Uma leitura extremamente informativa.
Incrível. Muito informativo e cativante ao mesmo tempo. Meu livro de ficção científica australiano favorito.
O autor claramente fez uma pesquisa e entrevistas enormes para obter o conhecimento necessário para escrever este livro.
Mckelvey tem o dom de encontrar uma joia escondida em nossa história militar que não é amplamente conhecida e simplesmente impressiona. Esta história instigante sobre os dois lados da insurgência do ISIS é repleta de sangue, violência e um grande impacto na vida de milhares de pessoas em ambos os lados do conflito. Temas fortes ressoam ao longo da narrativa e você sofre como aqueles que estiveram lá sofrem com a violência, a injustiça e a estupidez da guerra. Meus pensamentos estão com todos os afetados por este conflito. A história de vida dos indivíduos traz um forte aspecto humanitário à narrativa. Mosul personifica tudo o que é significativo na irmandade dos guerreiros e tudo o que também é selvagem e maligno em um combatente quando os valores humanos se degeneram e se tornam sem valor.
McKelvey observa que a Austrália não pareceu tão preocupada com a ausência de armas de destruição em massa (apesar de a guerra no Iraque em 2003 ter sido justificada justamente por sua suposta existência) e que as consequências políticas subsequentes em Canberra foram atenuadas em comparação com Londres e Washington. Nos Estados Unidos, surgiu uma polêmica bastante conhecida sobre o assassinato do cidadão americano Anwar Al Awkaki em 2011, vítima de um ataque de drone americano. No entanto, nenhum debate semelhante ocorreu na Austrália alguns anos depois, quando o australiano Mohammad Baryalei morreu em circunstâncias parecidas, aparentemente com o conhecimento prévio do primeiro-ministro australiano. Essas são diferenças importantes na abordagem australiana a um confronto distante, em comparação com as abordagens dos EUA e do Reino Unido, e certamente com a da Nova Zelândia.
Após a leitura deste livro, algumas questões permanecem: a contribuição australiana no Afeganistão e no Iraque teria inspirado o aumento da ameaça terrorista que o país enfrentou em seu próprio território nas duas primeiras décadas do século XXI? Como o esforço australiano com tropas em solo, que claramente contribuiu para o enfraquecimento do Estado Islâmico na década de 2010, se compara ao suposto treinamento militar neozelandês em território inimigo? Será que a Nova Zelândia evita um nível semelhante de terrorismo em solo nacional porque não agiu como a Austrália, ou será que obteve benefícios "gratuitos" das ações australianas devido à capacidade reduzida do ISIS de incitar tais ataques? Essas duas últimas questões não estão dentro do escopo de McKelvey, mas sua narrativa as semeia, afinal, a contribuição da Nova Zelândia é discutida brevemente no contexto de uma das transgressões mencionadas acima – ocorrida em um voo da Força Aérea Real da Nova Zelândia (RNZAF) que transportava australianos. Talvez haja mais por trás disso, e afinal, disciplina é disciplina e as regras são as regras – mas o leitor se pergunta: infrações tão pequenas realmente precisavam ser relatadas à cadeia de comando?
Claramente, o pano de fundo deste livro são as sérias acusações feitas contra as forças especiais australianas por assassinatos ilegais de civis – independentemente de terem ocorrido ou não, McKelvey argumenta em favor da maioria daqueles cujas ações foram autorizadas e consideradas legais, realizadas contra uma organização que não observava regras. “Os combatentes do Estado Islâmico”, diz McKelvey, “não tinham respeito pelas leis internacionais da guerra, nem esperavam viver para serem julgados por violá-las...”. É um ambiente tenso onde um lado enfrenta graves consequências quando se desvia das “regras”, e o outro não tem regras a seguir.
Para os leitores da Nova Zelândia, este livro é importante. Desde a tragédia de 15 de março de 2019 em Christchurch, tornou-se notório que os neozelandeses parecem não se preocupar tanto com o terrorismo em outros lugares. Eles se contentam em pensar que a ameaça do Estado Islâmico na década de 2010 foi de alguma forma exagerada e que, após o surgimento repentino de Brenton Tarrant, o foco da investigação se perdeu. McKelvey nos lembra que esses riscos eram reais e palpáveis... e ainda são.
PS: Uma leitura extremamente informativa.
Incrível. Muito informativo e cativante ao mesmo tempo. Meu livro de ficção científica australiano favorito.
O autor claramente fez uma pesquisa e entrevistas enormes para obter o conhecimento necessário para escrever este livro.
Mckelvey tem o dom de encontrar uma joia escondida em nossa história militar que não é amplamente conhecida e simplesmente impressiona. Esta história instigante sobre os dois lados da insurgência do ISIS é repleta de sangue, violência e um grande impacto na vida de milhares de pessoas em ambos os lados do conflito. Temas fortes ressoam ao longo da narrativa e você sofre como aqueles que estiveram lá sofrem com a violência, a injustiça e a estupidez da guerra. Meus pensamentos estão com todos os afetados por este conflito. A história de vida dos indivíduos traz um forte aspecto humanitário à narrativa. Mosul personifica tudo o que é significativo na irmandade dos guerreiros e tudo o que também é selvagem e maligno em um combatente quando os valores humanos se degeneram e se tornam sem valor.
McKelvey observa que a Austrália não pareceu tão preocupada com a ausência de armas de destruição em massa (apesar de a guerra no Iraque em 2003 ter sido justificada justamente por sua suposta existência) e que as consequências políticas subsequentes em Canberra foram atenuadas em comparação com Londres e Washington. Nos Estados Unidos, surgiu uma polêmica bastante conhecida sobre o assassinato do cidadão americano Anwar Al Awkaki em 2011, vítima de um ataque de drone americano. No entanto, nenhum debate semelhante ocorreu na Austrália alguns anos depois, quando o australiano Mohammad Baryalei morreu em circunstâncias parecidas, aparentemente com o conhecimento prévio do primeiro-ministro australiano. Essas são diferenças importantes na abordagem australiana a um confronto distante, em comparação com as abordagens dos EUA e do Reino Unido, e certamente com a da Nova Zelândia.
Após a leitura deste livro, algumas questões permanecem: a contribuição australiana no Afeganistão e no Iraque teria inspirado o aumento da ameaça terrorista que o país enfrentou em seu próprio território nas duas primeiras décadas do século XXI? Como o esforço australiano com tropas em solo, que claramente contribuiu para o enfraquecimento do Estado Islâmico na década de 2010, se compara ao suposto treinamento militar neozelandês em território inimigo? Será que a Nova Zelândia evita um nível semelhante de terrorismo em solo nacional porque não agiu como a Austrália, ou será que obteve benefícios "gratuitos" das ações australianas devido à capacidade reduzida do ISIS de incitar tais ataques? Essas duas últimas questões não estão dentro do escopo de McKelvey, mas sua narrativa as semeia, afinal, a contribuição da Nova Zelândia é discutida brevemente no contexto de uma das transgressões mencionadas acima – ocorrida em um voo da Força Aérea Real da Nova Zelândia (RNZAF) que transportava australianos. Talvez haja mais por trás disso, e afinal, disciplina é disciplina e as regras são as regras – mas o leitor se pergunta: infrações tão pequenas realmente precisavam ser relatadas à cadeia de comando?
June 21, 2022
Awesome book about the 2nd Commando Regiment in Iraq Syria and Afghanistan and the Aussie terrorist they killed in battle. I highly recommend this book.
December 1, 2020
To read Mosul is to take a journey into another world. In fact, it is several worlds that are connected by terrorism and war. At once secret, brutal, tragic, and chaotic, the worlds are populated by heroes and villains – most of whom are troubled individuals with axes to grind and stories to tell.
Mosul is a simply written book about a complex topic. Ben has woven a series of human stories from one of the most important conflicts of our time. The result is a book full of information and explanation that manages to provide drama on every page. There is something for everyone here and anyone who has followed the news in the last two decades will recognise many of the characters and almost certainly, learn a great deal in the process.
See the full review at Queensland Reviewers Collective: http://www.queenslandreviewerscollect...
Mosul is a simply written book about a complex topic. Ben has woven a series of human stories from one of the most important conflicts of our time. The result is a book full of information and explanation that manages to provide drama on every page. There is something for everyone here and anyone who has followed the news in the last two decades will recognise many of the characters and almost certainly, learn a great deal in the process.
See the full review at Queensland Reviewers Collective: http://www.queenslandreviewerscollect...
October 7, 2024
I found this book pretty interesting, although it felt rushed. In fact he admitted it was and the whole idea behind it had to be changed because of Coronovirus restricting his ability to embed himself with the enemy to tell their side... Either way, he tells the story of both the Australian extremists and the Special ops aussies, so a good insight from both sides of the fence.
January 2, 2021
Sobering account of the SOCOMD’s activity in recent times.
In Typical Mckelvey fashion, the book pays a clear tribute to those involved (both alive and deceased) with a pragmatic view of events from both sides.
In Typical Mckelvey fashion, the book pays a clear tribute to those involved (both alive and deceased) with a pragmatic view of events from both sides.
January 31, 2021
What a great book, I listened to this is my spare time and it went by really quick.
A good cover on The Australian Defence force and its special forces. Helping people understand what they really do and the effects it can have on them and their families.
A good cover on The Australian Defence force and its special forces. Helping people understand what they really do and the effects it can have on them and their families.
December 13, 2020
Really interesting. Lots of detail - a real eye opener.
August 10, 2023
Felt the book has been written with a biased mindset
August 8, 2024
Well written book. From both sides of the spectrum.
April 2, 2025
An unfiltered insight into war, I really enjoyed the political and factual side that meshed into the narrative story telling of individuals.
October 3, 2025
An excellent and harrowing tale of Australian commando action in Afghanistan and Iraq and its aftermath for those involved. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews