| Product: |
Barefoot Soldier - Johnson Beharry |
| Date: |
03/07/07 (94 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: gives an insight in to Iraq
Disadvantages: none
This book is one which the women on the rearparty forums recommended as one to read, particularly for those those partners have been to Iraq as a way to give them an idea of what those men (and women) had to deal with.
The book opens telling us about one of the incidents for which he was awarded the VC, then flicks back in time to his childhood in Grenada, though at first you dont know this.
The imaginings of a chidl who loves cars and pretends to be driving down a familiar road. The general descriptions of his childhood and family situation gives you an overall feel that this boy had a hard childhood, yet he didnt seem to realise this at the time, constantly looking on the brightside and giving himself something to aim for. He didnt like school and rather than just skiving off and doing nothing he taught himself skills which would allow him to claim a trade.
During his childhood period you find that his reasons for not liking school include that he was teased for not having any shoes (hence the title of the book). But to trry to remedy this he skives off school and makes a deal with a local plantation owner to do 6 weeks work and to be paid with a pair of flipflops. But after his Aunt finds them and assumes he has stolen then they get given to his cousin. Yet more evidence of his hard childhood yet he doesnt let it beat him.
Sadly parts of the book including the period after he moved to the UK and before he joined the Army seems somewhat glossed over, there are detail there but there are things which to my mind could have been included but havent.
Also his period in training is almost totally ignored, whether this is due to the Army not allowing the details to be published or if it was felt not to add to the book but I would have preferred to know about it.
Also almost totally glossed over is his marriage, his wife is mentioned but you never know much about her, if she was supportive or resentful of the army lifestyle, something that as a girlfriend to a soldier I would have liked to know (simply because you never know how much impact you have on your partner and hearing how someone else feels can show that what you do really does make a difference or not), but then again there is inference that the marriage broke down towards the end of the book so maybe this lack of mention is an indication that the relationship had problems already or that it was a painful thing to relive emotionally.
Overall the book is very honest, Beharry doesnt try to make out that Army life is easy nor does he tell you that its always a nightmare, you see how his Warrior team became a team and that the trials and incidents they experience draw them tighter together. Of course since many are still serving there is little discussion of their backgrounds or families but since this is focussed on the period of Op Telic 5 this isnt a bad thing.
I really would recommend that everyone should at least think about reading this, put to one side your personal feelings about the rights or wrongs of the war in Iraq and simply try to understand how it is for the men and women who are there, people who simply want to do their jobs and cant change the situations they are in. The book is 432 pages long and has two sections of colour photos which help you to picture the people with him and what a Warrior must really be like (though there are no pictures of the interior). I paid £3.73 for it at Tesco, and it is for sale online pretty much everywhere though the Tesco price is the cheapest Ive seen for a new copy.
Summary: Johnson Beharry the most recent VC recipient tells his story
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