Description
Book SynopsisThe Gurkhas are an elite fighting force from Nepal who have served the British Crown since 1815. They occupy a unique place in the public's imagination, and are renowned for their loyalty, professionalism and resolve. Through stunning photography, Arc of the Gurkha explores the span of the Gurkha career from recruitment through to training and deployment up to post-military employment and retirement. Alex Schlacher has accompanied the Gurkhas on operations in Afghanistan, on exercises in the Brunei jungle and Australia, and has visited all the units in the Brigade as well as retired and medically discharged Gurkhas. She has taken intimate portraits of hundreds of soldiers and heard their stories, many of which are recounted in this book. There have been other books on the Gurkhas, but none has portrayed the individual soldiers and focused about their backgrounds, lives and thoughts. This unique and insightful publication is the first to explore what it really means for a Gurkha to be a Gurkha.
Trade Review"Everything about this project is extraordinary... The book Arc of the Gurkha - From Nepal to the British Army is the ultimate portrait of this cast of warriors." --Special Operations Forces Report "a vivid book of images." --The Washington Post
Table of ContentsIntroduction by Brigadier Ian Rigden 8 A short history of the Brigade of Gurkhas 10 chapter 1: RECRUITMENT 17 chapter 2: BASIC TRAINING 67 chapter 3: SERVICE 107 Training and Development 110 Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas 128 Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support Company 134 Training Support Companies 140 Queen's Gurkha Engineers 148 Queen's Gurkha Signals 162 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment 176 Royal Gurkha Rifles 188 Exercises and Operations 204 chapter 4: RETIREMENT 255 Acknowledgements 282 Index 284
