Description
Book Synopsis'One of the greatest adventure stories in years.' – Chris Patten
'The drama, excitement and colour of a good guts-and-glory thriller.' – Dr. Henry Kissinger
The French Foreign Legion – mysterious, romantic, deadly – is filled with men of dubious character, and hardly the place for a proper Englishman just nineteen years of age. Yet in 1960, Simon Murray traveled alone to Paris, Marseilles, and on to Algeria to fulfill the toughest contract of his life: a five-year stint in the Legion. Along the way, he kept a diary.
Legionnaire is a compelling, firsthand account of Murray's experience with this legendary band of soldiers. Subjected to brutal sergeants, merciless training methods and barbaric punishments – all in the hostile, sun-baked North African desert – Murray and his fellow men were pushed to breaking point, and beyond.
Sixty years on, it remains a remarkable account of one of the most notorious military groups, a tale of true adventure and one man's determination never to surrender.
Trade ReviewA pleasure to read and nearly impossible to put down * Army Times *
One of the greatest adventure stories in recent years -- Chris Patten
A fascinating account of life in the toughest soldiering outfit in the world * Sunday Mail *
Embodies an experience that many have enjoyed in fantasy, few in reality * The Washington Post *
The drama, excitement, and color of a good guts-and-glory thriller -- Dr Henry Kissinger
His book is . . . perhaps the best book I remember reading - not just about the legion but about life -- George Thaw,
Daily Mirror
