Synopsis
The French Foreign Legion: a true adventure of determination and grit in the hostile North African desert.
In 1960, at only nineteen years old, 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 mysterious, romantic, and deadly French Foreign Legion. Along the way, he kept a diary.
Legionnaire is Murray's compelling, firsthand account of his experience with this legendary band of soldiers. Subjected to brutal sergeants, merciless training methods and barbaric punishments – all under the scorching desert sun – Murray and his fellow men were pushed beyond breaking point.
Filled with drama, excitement and vivid characters, Murray's memoir is 'one of the greatest adventure stories in years' (Chris Patten) and 'a good guts-and-glory thriller' (Dr. Henry Kissinger). Sixty years on, it remains a remarkable tale of true adventure and one man's determination never to surrender.
Details
11 November 2011
9780330470063Reviews
A pleasure to read and nearly impossible to put down
One of the greatest adventure stories in recent years
A fascinating account of life in the toughest soldiering outfit in the world
Embodies an experience that many have enjoyed in fantasy, few in reality
