- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd; New title edition (1 July 2007)
- ISBN-10: 0732282462
- ISBN-13: 978-0732282462
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,909,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Jock Wallace was pumped. It was the start of Operation Anaconda, the US-led military offensive to flush out Al Qaeda and Taliban from their last stronghold in the Sahi Kot Valley in Afghanistan. If intelligence reports were correct, there were between 100 and 250 enemy fighters holed up in the extensive cave systems, etc.
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First Sentence
Jock Wallace was freezing his arse off. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Jock Wallace was freezing his arse off. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Please don't take my 2 star review as a comment on the extreme bravery shown in this true tale.
This relates to Operation Anaconda a mainly US led attack on an Al-Qaeda stronghold in Afganistan. The operation inserted a US force supported by local friendlies and some Aussie SAS into a valley known as Hells Halfpipe and then things started to go wrong. Poor weather, friendly fire and underestimating the enemy forces who should have been flattened by air strikes that did not happen. So you might think this was a typical US led balls up, but actually although there were errors, the guys on the ground (mainly in-experienced) got stuck in and there were many examples of extreme bravery and outstanding personal efforts. Jock Wallace as one of the attached SAS is the main character in this and he represents both his country and his regiment with great honour and deserves all the praise he got. For all the mistakes of Operation Anaconda, this represents the fighting men very well as going beyond their duty to get the job done.
What sadly lets this book down is the writing. Written by an Australian journalist it is written 'in Australian' with use of slang and a strange light style. I could have lived with that but the story also jumps around and often repeats itself. One minute you are with Jock Wallace in a fox hole and the next you are dragged back to a chapter about the operational planning and it does distract.
Sorry, but the brave exploits of the US soldiers and the Aussie SAS needed better telling then this.
This relates to Operation Anaconda a mainly US led attack on an Al-Qaeda stronghold in Afganistan. The operation inserted a US force supported by local friendlies and some Aussie SAS into a valley known as Hells Halfpipe and then things started to go wrong. Poor weather, friendly fire and underestimating the enemy forces who should have been flattened by air strikes that did not happen. So you might think this was a typical US led balls up, but actually although there were errors, the guys on the ground (mainly in-experienced) got stuck in and there were many examples of extreme bravery and outstanding personal efforts. Jock Wallace as one of the attached SAS is the main character in this and he represents both his country and his regiment with great honour and deserves all the praise he got. For all the mistakes of Operation Anaconda, this represents the fighting men very well as going beyond their duty to get the job done.
What sadly lets this book down is the writing. Written by an Australian journalist it is written 'in Australian' with use of slang and a strange light style. I could have lived with that but the story also jumps around and often repeats itself. One minute you are with Jock Wallace in a fox hole and the next you are dragged back to a chapter about the operational planning and it does distract.
Sorry, but the brave exploits of the US soldiers and the Aussie SAS needed better telling then this.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Sandra's well written story of Jock Wallace's experience in Hells Half Pipe is awesome and about as accurate of an account of that battle as you could get. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in a day. I witnessed Jock's bravery several times that day; I have nothing but admiration for him and all the men of the Australian SAS. America has awesome friends and these guys are the tip of the spear. The leaders in 1-87 Infantry were the best I have ever served with and the soldiers were as good as they get. All you have to do as a leader is be willing to take the first step toward the sound of gun fire; Jock did that! Mistakes were made and corrected the next time out; 12 hours after we were extracted from the Pipe the men of the 120mm Mortar Platoon went back out to the valley in full strength this time was pay back; no repeat of 2 March.
Peterson
Master Sergeant (Retired)
1-87 Infantry Mortarz
Peterson
Master Sergeant (Retired)
1-87 Infantry Mortarz
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The operation this soldier was on and his contribution to it is without rebuke. I truly admire his and the soldiers he served with; their courage. However, reading this book, I did feel a bit of vanity being demonstrated by the story-teller, which you do not get in other SAS-type books, particularly ones written by British SAS personnel.
Simply-put, he is trying a bit too hard to be a "soldier's soldier" and in my opinion does not do a very good job. If he had just kept it factual and to the point regarding the heroic operation he was involved in, this book would have been a much better read.
Simply-put, he is trying a bit too hard to be a "soldier's soldier" and in my opinion does not do a very good job. If he had just kept it factual and to the point regarding the heroic operation he was involved in, this book would have been a much better read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A great story poorly written
having read aminstream american account's from the american perpective i was lookingforward to this book.
However I was truly dissapointed. Read more
However I was truly dissapointed. Read more
Published on 11 May 2008 by S. J. Parry
Disappointing
The subject matter had such promise and I had hoped that this was going to be an interesting read. As my fellow reviewers have (mostly) already said, the writing style really lets... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2008 by MattS
18 Hours
If only the female author of this book had just written the factual account of the battle and not tried to write this to appeal to Hollywood. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2007 by Ticonderoga
Poor
This is the first review I have submitted, felt compelled to as the writing style is atrocious and gives no flavour of the heroism.
Published on 20 Oct 2007 by mac
A good story wasted
This is a badly written account of what was quite obviously a dramatic event in the "war on terror". Sandra Lee seems to be writing for a 15 year old, or is actually 15 years old. Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2007 by James A. Noble
18 Hours
This has to be one of the best contemporary books I have read regarding the current war on terror. The author does a sterling job of describing what it is like in the middle of an... Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2007 by Mr. J. W. Howarth
18 Hours
Jock Wallace is every bit the hero that this book says. He along with so many other unknown soldiers risk their lives every day. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2007 by Tanya Woewodin
I absolutely loved it! Every line of it!
When I saw it was a book written by a jurnalist and a woman I told myself - "it cannot be any good - nothing compares to memoirs of those who really were there". Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2006 by Rafal Gruszczynski
Riveting tale of courage against al-Qaeda
The hero of the book, SAS soldier Jock Wallace, is a hero straight from central casting - handsome, smart and cool under fire. Read more
Published on 16 July 2006 by Mandy Cutter
18 Hours: The True Story of SAS War Hero Jock Wallace
Awesome read, well written
and great story
and great story
Published on 6 July 2006 by Ben Doyle-cox
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