One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand [Paperback]

I read One Dog At A Time in two sittings and was gripped not just by the drama of Pen's dog rescues but his honest, boots on the ground description of everyday warfare. Days and nights sitting in the heat and dust, waiting for the mortars to rain down again. The Afghan curried goat scene had me in stitches. In the end, of course, it's the dogs that dominate the story. You grow to love Nowzad, Tali, RPG and the rest of them and are rooting for them to make it out of the hellhole they have been born into. The ending had me in buckets of tears. I couldn't get the images out of my head all day. This country doesn't know how lucky it is to have men like this defending us. Great book. Great story. Great man. One question Sergeant Farthing: what happened next?

Hard to put down...The book comes to life from the the start,i could almost taste the dust in my throat but also feel the adrenaline and fear
during the challenges within.
This is a testament to the author,and his Troops amazing courage and of one mans determination to ensure the wellbeing of mans best friend.
The thrilling way in which Pen recounts not only his tour of duty but a peek through the curtains at his childhood and family life lets you right into the heart of a truly amazing person and book.
This is a wonderfully rich,involving and beautifully written book.

So I settled down to read, book in one hand, cup of coffee in the other and box of chocolates at my side. The coffee went cold, the chocolates remained untouched, engrossed doesn't seem an adequate word.. I couldn't put this book down!
You don't need much imagination when reading this book, from the very start you feel you are on a journey with Pen.
The book begins in the weeks before his deployment to Afghanistan. His thoughts, fears emotions and expectations. By the time you have got to the part where he leaves his wife Lisa and their dogs Fizz and Beamer to begin his tour of duty you are sharing every raw emotion and every fear with him... no really.. by the time Pen arrives at the outpost in Nowzad you can literally feel the searing heat, the dust that clings to everything and you will be swatting away imaginary flies!
His first encounter with Nowzad at a dog fight, his fury at the senseless cruelty of it, his frustration as a dog lover will take you on a rollercoaster of emotion.
Nowzads arrival in camp some days later seems almost like fate, battered, wrapped in wire, his ears and tail cruelly cut off (to make him a better fighting dog) this dog had absolutely no reason to trust humankind, no reason to believe that anyone of the two legged variety would show him anything but abuse and cruelty. Temporarily placated with a sausage he was warily released from the wire, possibly the first act of kindness he had ever been afforded. Here in the book is where you may want to pause and arm yourself with a stock supply of kleenex, you are about to embark on an incredible journey, The subsequent bond which forms between these two unlikely friends is a journey I wouldn't want to miss and nor should you. It's ups and downs, the arrival of several more impromptu "rescue" dogs each of which this burly Royal Marine just couldn't turn his back on is captivating. The struggle to get the dogs to safety, the red tape and lack of communication with the outside world will leave you hanging off your seat, the failed attempts, the ticking clock as time runs out will have you chewing your fingernails down to nothing!
I have laughed, I have cried, I have felt frustration, disbelief and have held my breath till I needed to be reminded to breathe!
If I thought I knew the Nowzad story I was wrong, If I thought I was about to read a book where I knew the beginning and end I was wrong. The story is so much more than that of a dog loving marine who couldn't walk away. This is a story of love, fear, compassion, grief, determination and courage.
I won't spoil the book for anyone wishing to read it by giving away any more of the content, but I will sum it up by saying that the book is A MUST READ!
It is brilliantly written, the honesty and emotion is breathtaking and when you come to the end of the last page you will wish there was more.

Whether you are a dog lover, have loved ones serving in Afghanistan or just love a good story then this book is FOR YOU!