Apache Dawn
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As good as any thriller I have ever read (Freddie Forsyth )
Reveals a true story of British courage and daring (The Sunday Times )
Riveting (Richard & Judy Show )
The most dramatic story of a secret wartime mission ever (News of the World )
Reveals a true story of British courage and daring (The Sunday Times )
Riveting (Richard & Judy Show )
The most dramatic story of a secret wartime mission ever (News of the World )
Book Description
The definitive story of the British army's most potent weapons system - the Apache attack helicopter - and of the men who fly her.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
At any other time, I would have given this 5 stars. It's a geat book, read it in a weekend and it clearly conveys the reality of the action. Unluckily for Lewis, Ed Macy's staggeringly good account raises the bar and in comparison, Apache Dawn can't compete.
It comes second for two reasons.
First, it is largely a combat diary of events and the writer is retelling events as they were told to him. Just as Dan Mills beats Patrick Bishop (Sniper One vs 3 Para), Ed Macy is able to convey his own experiences first hand. This makes the story that much more compelling.
Second, the awe inspiring machine that is the Apache and the skill required to get the most out of it seems to be lacking in Lewis's book. The Apache is like no other weapon out there and I was left disappointed that relatively little time was spent on it. For example, Macy includes full cutaway diagrams and talks about how the pilots train to use their eyes independently. Both are wholly excluded by Lewis.
So whilst it is most definitely worth the read, just make sure you do so before Apache.
It comes second for two reasons.
First, it is largely a combat diary of events and the writer is retelling events as they were told to him. Just as Dan Mills beats Patrick Bishop (Sniper One vs 3 Para), Ed Macy is able to convey his own experiences first hand. This makes the story that much more compelling.
Second, the awe inspiring machine that is the Apache and the skill required to get the most out of it seems to be lacking in Lewis's book. The Apache is like no other weapon out there and I was left disappointed that relatively little time was spent on it. For example, Macy includes full cutaway diagrams and talks about how the pilots train to use their eyes independently. Both are wholly excluded by Lewis.
So whilst it is most definitely worth the read, just make sure you do so before Apache.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Apache Dawn is an account of "Flight Ugly's" tour of duty in the infamous Helmand Province of Afghanistan in the summer of 2007. The pilots tell of their first tentative shots fired in anger and the subsequent vital and decisive role played by the Army Air Corps Apaches - from search and destroy killing machine to casevac (casualty evacuation) escort for the Chinooks. We are told some of the technical details of the Apache, but not as many as I would have liked. The weapons description is good, from the "eyeline" 30mm cannons to the aptly named Hellfire missile and lethal flechettes (tungsten darts). By the end of the book I had learnt a lot about these and was sometimes questioning his use of a particular weapon in certain cases. Now why didn't he use the Hellfire on that pick-up? There is a useful, but unfortunately not exhaustive glossary at the back.
Lewis (a war reporter) describes the events well, from routine escorts to full-on battles, notably Rahim Kalay and finally the epic Operation Chakush where their skills were put to the test against a tenacious enemy and their own battle fatigue. The Apache is one hell of a well-equipped and technically advanced machine and was certainly put to good use in the deserts and mountains of Helmand. The Taliban soon learnt to fear and curse the infernal "mosquitoes" but could not down them, helped in no small part by the aircrafts' own automatic defense systems. RPGs just had to be avoided! Enemy and friend tactics are contrasted, especially the "rules of engagement" which the USAF apparently don't adhere to quite as strictly as the British.
Having finished and enjoyed this book however, I cannot escape the feeling that it was slightly over-hyped. It is not a fluent read, and repeats itself from time to time, the text sometimes going a bit flowery. The author describes the Apache's role and deployment in Afghanistan well but apart from Rahim Kalay and Chakush where the ground troops are in severe danger, the delivery can be quite dry and detached in parts, possibly as it was not written first-hand. I get the impression that Lewis may have had his "wings clipped" by the MOD and would have liked to say more but was unable to do so. In the same way, he was maybe "nudged" in the direction of only positive statements in a slightly propaganda-ist way. The only anti-establishment comments in the entire book were directed at the H&S who would not let the pilots have bacon rolls for fear of food poisoning. Quite happy to let them fly their aircraft above Taliban RPG's though.
There is an epilogue which also remembers those that were not fortunate enough to make the homeward journey alive. I don't read many military books but probably enjoyed Sniper One slightly more than this one, possibly because it was very candid and all told in Sgt Dan Mills' own words. I will possibly read Apache for another perspective and more technical info some day as well. These are awesome machines and I'd like to know more.
Overall a good and informative read but I feel it could have been better had it been written by one of the pilots themselves. Steve...Baz...how about it ??
Lewis (a war reporter) describes the events well, from routine escorts to full-on battles, notably Rahim Kalay and finally the epic Operation Chakush where their skills were put to the test against a tenacious enemy and their own battle fatigue. The Apache is one hell of a well-equipped and technically advanced machine and was certainly put to good use in the deserts and mountains of Helmand. The Taliban soon learnt to fear and curse the infernal "mosquitoes" but could not down them, helped in no small part by the aircrafts' own automatic defense systems. RPGs just had to be avoided! Enemy and friend tactics are contrasted, especially the "rules of engagement" which the USAF apparently don't adhere to quite as strictly as the British.
Having finished and enjoyed this book however, I cannot escape the feeling that it was slightly over-hyped. It is not a fluent read, and repeats itself from time to time, the text sometimes going a bit flowery. The author describes the Apache's role and deployment in Afghanistan well but apart from Rahim Kalay and Chakush where the ground troops are in severe danger, the delivery can be quite dry and detached in parts, possibly as it was not written first-hand. I get the impression that Lewis may have had his "wings clipped" by the MOD and would have liked to say more but was unable to do so. In the same way, he was maybe "nudged" in the direction of only positive statements in a slightly propaganda-ist way. The only anti-establishment comments in the entire book were directed at the H&S who would not let the pilots have bacon rolls for fear of food poisoning. Quite happy to let them fly their aircraft above Taliban RPG's though.
There is an epilogue which also remembers those that were not fortunate enough to make the homeward journey alive. I don't read many military books but probably enjoyed Sniper One slightly more than this one, possibly because it was very candid and all told in Sgt Dan Mills' own words. I will possibly read Apache for another perspective and more technical info some day as well. These are awesome machines and I'd like to know more.
Overall a good and informative read but I feel it could have been better had it been written by one of the pilots themselves. Steve...Baz...how about it ??
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was lucky enough to meet one of the pilots featured I this book his colleague mentioned he had worked on this with Damian Lewis. Got the book and read it front to back in one go. A very candid account of their role in the war no histrionics neede in this great read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
so boring
This book is so terrible; it shouldn't have been published in the first place. While they were "scrambled" often there is very little actual fighting as the Taliban usually... Read more
Published 7 months ago by pat
Enthralling
I found this to be an excellent read......I completed in two days as I couldn't put it down. It was of interest to read of the pressures, both mental and physical put upon these... Read more
Published 10 months ago by RogerC
the best read!
This is such an exciting, eye opening true story read - it left me, an adrenalin junkie forty something Nan of three wanting to become an apache pilot!! Read more
Published 10 months ago by mk me!
Apache Dawn
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, once i started it i didn't want to put it down. Written in a factual style it showed the Afghanistan conflict in reality, the trials and... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ageing Longboarder
Average
This isn't a bad book and does give an interesting inside story on what has happened and continues to happen in Afghanistan. Read more
Published 18 months ago by J. Livsey
Apache Dawn Review
The author covers the highlights of a 90 day deployment to Afghanistan of 4 British Army Apache pilots. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2009 by sb
I wish there was a Sequel!
This book is gripping, when I bought it, I did so tongue in cheek, thinking it may be boring, after all what is there to being a Helicopter Pilot in the army? How wrong could I be. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2009 by Philip Sale
High Tech Air War in Afghanistan
This is another very enjoyable book by Damien Lewis, after the narration of the true stories of operation Barras as told in Operation Certain Death and Bloody Heroes about... Read more
Published on 6 July 2009 by Agustin Guerrero
more please!
I loved this book. More importantly however it brought home to me just how incredibly detatched we public are from this major war that is being fought by our forces. Read more
Published on 4 July 2009 by Fiddler
True And Deep
Really good haven't read in ages and this got me hooked. Makes you feel like your on the front line with your book next to them. Recommend!!!
Published on 2 July 2009 by Mr. Tal Hughes
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