Melody > Recent Status Updates

A thorough but digestibly written book—two chapters in. The pacing isn't bogged down by annotations, everything is contained in the body of the work. With the works cited numerically listed at chapters' end. It has shown the perspective from all sides involved in fighting on the western front, all of whom met the Germans at Ypres in 1914. The first battle was different from the succeeding two, bloodier engagements.

I think the story of the Squadrons' exploits in North Africa was not mentioned for brevity. A story of an early SAS mission in Libya? did not come up, though a similar one did come up. It's a very light book, made for a mass audience and easy reading. But it's well written, even if it isn't the comprehensive story. Or the story from Lindy is embellished..

Rereading after reading and loving Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero, having so many comparisons and parallels drawn between their ill-fated mission and the fledgling days of the SAS. So I was inspired to pick up this book that I read years prior once again. Stirling's L Detachment very a similar, ill fate on their first mission. But they didn't give in if they were still standing, the mens' resolve is inspiring.

To answer my question, how did the French mutinies affect the British forces? They didn't. The high command did a tremendous job of keeping the mutiny under wraps from the British as well as the Germans. Precisely why catastrophe on the Western Front was avoided. And the British bore the offensive burden while the French were out of it, and the rate of desertion never wavered. Remarkable

Still captivating in it's writing style. Such a ray of sunshine when the army took a more measured approach to the prevalence of shell shock at the end of 1916. But it was truly despicable to undo that goodwill with the executions for cowardice in Spring 1917. I'm curious of the effects the French Mutinies on the British army in the following chapter.

The power of keeping your mind healthy and intact, even in the worst situations is the takeaway from Chapter 9. The importance of knowing when you're beat and it's time to brace yourself for rolling with the punches. Andy managed to convince them that he was a know-nothing imbecile just like that sailor in Vietnam. It is an incredible story.

The agony of the beating these mens' bodies took at the hands of their Iraqi captors; the very long Chapter 8 provides a unique insight into Saddam's army, the inner workings of a rigidly authoritarian state's army under pressure, at war on the home front. The sorry state Andy found himself in after getting separated from the team and being captured, ceaselessly being beaten for hours. The worst of humanity at war..

How quickly things change in theater—the lighthearted atmosphere at the base gave way to the realities of combat. The stress and sheer, meticulous planning and managing that goes into successfully executing a covert mission. But even the best laid plans go to hell once the team is compromised; and it's been intense. From vicious firefights, evasion, survival in blizzard—hypothermia is scary..

The base they live in in Saudi Arabia sounds like it was a ripe playground for the klepto-inclined where anything could just simply be pilfered. Just like the stories my Gulf War vet teacher would tell the class in high school— the little detailed stories are just heartwarming; boys being boys when there is not much else to do. A funny, romantic view of the soldier at war.

It's fast paced and packed with usefully info; despite not having even having an approved operation plan yet the story is engaging. The characters are quirky and lovable, their dialogue is amusing and the slang the Brits use never fails to bring a smirk to me. And I might yet read more of it today! :)

Still enjoying, as always. The collection is full of entertaining little stories, so full of wisdom.

The fables are not only thought provoking but entertaining also. I feel like I could become a smarter person reading this, but it's one thing to read about wisdom and another thing to live wisely. I'm not living wisely, so I read it for joy—and joy it does bring. I always find myself prancing over to sit and indulge myself in a few more fables. This was my best purchase in a long while!

Very intriguing, still on the prewar preamble about capital punishment and discipline in the army in the centuries leading up to 1914. Still enjoying the history a lot.