Desert of Death: A Soldier's Journey from Iraq to Afghanistan

Desert of Death: A Soldier's Journey from Iraq to Afghanistan

by Leo Docherty (Author)

Synopsis

Desert of Death - or Dasht-e-Margo - is the locals' name for the barren terrain of south-west Afghanistan. Before Captain Leo Docherty was deployed there in the spring of 2006, he used the name as a joke. After all, he went to the region with more hope than fear. Back from Iraq, where he had taken part in missions with the Marines and SAS, he looked forward to a new campaign. Here was a war which could not only be won, but which could improve the lives of the Afghan people. Brimming with confidence, and knowledge of Pashtu, Urdu and Arabic, he was ready to make a difference ...DESERT OF DEATH is a brilliantly vivid on-the-ground report of the events which led to the fiercest fighting faced by UK troops since the Korean War. It is a story of bravery and making-do, of farce and misadventure, and above all it is an unforgettable story of war in the twenty-first century.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Edition: Main
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 19 Apr 2007

ISBN 10: 057123688X
ISBN 13: 9780571236886

Author Bio
Leo Docherty was born in Scotland and grew up in Gloucestershire. After studying Swahili and Hindi at university he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Scots Guards in 2001. First posted to London, he performed ceremonial duties and trained as a paratrooper. After a short spell in Germany he completed an Arabic course and served operationally in Iraq. Having passed a further language course in Pashtu, he deployed to southern Afghanistan as the ADC to the Commander of the first British forces to enter the volatile Helmand Province in April 2006. His language skills quickly led him to move from the British Headquarters to serve alongside the Afghan National Army. A passionate traveller and linguist, he used his leave periods while serving in the Army to travel extensively in Asia and the Middle East on horseback, bicycle and by public transport. He left the Army in December 2006.