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Callsign Hades Paperback – 26 May 2011

by Patrick Bury (Author)

166 ratings

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In summer 2006 Helmand Province erupted into violence as NATO forces struggled to crush Taliban strongholds. For six weeks the Royal Irish Regiment and the Paras defended Sangin in the face of ever-mounting attacks. At this point young officer Patrick Bury was learning the trade of the infantry in the Brecon Beacons. Paddy had always wanted to be a soldier - a desire fraught with the contradictions of a complex history overridden by a 'warrior calling'. When he arrived in Afghanistan with 1st Royal Irish, he was surrounded by men oozing bloody combat experience. This was not Sandhurst. It was extreme violence and killing. Hades Four One was his callsign and the infantry mantra rang in his ears: 'To close and kill the enemy, in all weather conditions, in all terrain, by day or night.' For six months Paddy and his company dealt with 110 IEDs, of which 60 exploded on them, killing his comrades in the most vicious of ways and fuelling a sense of ever-growing dissatisfaction in the young captain. This powerful and thoughful first-hand account about the 'eternal truths of military life' places the reader in Paddy's boots, sharing every thought, ache, smell and taste of life on the frontline in Afghanistan. He describes modern warfare in a way that creates an understanding of the myriad complexities soldiers are faced with, the conditions in which they operate and the moral and emotional challenges they endure.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster UK
Publication date

26 May 2011
Dimensions

12.8 x 2.7 x 19.8 cm
ISBN-10

1849830606
ISBN-13

978-1849830607
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James Fergusson
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Stuart Tootal
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Patrick Bury
3
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Product description

Review

Patrick Bury's Callsign Hades joins that elite band of great war books. It is a quite enthralling account of Irish soldiers at war, by a gallant Irish officer and a superb writer - Irish Independent

This is an intensely sad and moving book . . . Callsign Hades is a vivid but ultimately despair-inducing account of war in the 21st century - Irish Times

A scintillating masterpiece... The first great book of the Afghan War Kevin Myers

I was particularly impressed by Bury's understanding of junior command and leadership... I sincerely hope that this book becomes embedded in every account of leadership across all three services...There have been many books written by serving personnel of life at the "sharp end" in Helmand since 2006. This is, in my view, the very best - British Army Review

Utterly riveting. - Belfast Telegraph

Excellent...Bury is a gifted writer... (Callsign Hades) is thoroughly deserving of the accolades it has received - Army Rumour Service

A classic. Rarely has the nature of war in Afghanistan been captured as well as in Paddy Bury's book -Richard Doherty, author of Mission Helmand

Enlightening... brilliant - Daily Mirror

Subtly different...a more personal account of action - Financial Times

Describes the hell of combat with visceral intensity - Irish News

One of the most thoughtful books on Afghanistan I've come across - Professor Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology, Oxford University

A gripping account of the bloody war being fought in Afghanistan by Northern Irish and British soldiers - Belfast Telegraph Sunday Life Magazine

Whilst there's no shortage of blood and guts, this book also contains thoughtful analysis of the moral and emotional difficulties young soldiers endure - Irish Examiner

[Bury] is honest about a soldier's experiences and frank about the toll - physical and mental - inflicted on himself and his men - Sunday Business Post

Bury writes this soldier's view expressively and honestly, and with a humorous undertone that never detracts from the seriousness of operational life... It is clear that he has a profound love for his regiment and the men that served in it - --Soldier Magazine

About the Author

Patrick Bury is 27 years old and served in 1st Royal Irish Regiment until October 2009.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK (26 May 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1849830606
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1849830607
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.8 x 2.7 x 19.8 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 440,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 281 in History of Afghanistan
- 348 in Afghan War History
- 954 in Military History of Military Intelligence & Espionage

Customer reviews:
166 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		79%
4 star		9%
3 star		9%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

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Mr Thomas McDonnell

Camaraderie of young men. at war

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2021

Verified Purchase

Moving , honest account of an officer from the Rupublic of Ireland Joining a British Army regiment made up with mainly young soldiers from Northern Ireland, and some from the south what I liked about this was that it didn’t matter what their background or tradition was , they fought for one another and their loyalty was to their platoon, their mates ,as the author says ‘they were credit to the Island of Ireland “ the camaraderie in the platoon well presented.
Poignant and moving at times , especially the loss of Ranger Cupples.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A concise informative read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2020

Verified Purchase

Patrick clearly sets the scene and vividly describes his experiences and that of 7 Platoon and Ranger Co when he was deployed to Sangin Afghanistan.
Well done Patrick and thank you for your service.

One person found this helpful

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Panda

Patrick Bury's War

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2020

Verified Purchase

Item arrived early and undamaged, this history focuses on Patrick Bury's tour of Afghanistan and his eventual return home, a must have if you're interested in the War in Afghanistan!

One person found this helpful

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domwho

Couldn't put this down....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 July 2015

Verified Purchase

An absolute riveting read, I could not put this book down.

Whilst there have been many accounts emanating from the Afghan conflict, this is the first that I have read that explores the emotional side of war.

In places it reads like a novel and not a 1st hand account. It is evident within the first couple of chapters were the narrative is going, however even as the book reaches its tragic denouement, there is no let up in the journey towards this ending. Of particular significance is an exchange between the author and a veteran at Wooton Bassett.

Highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

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EnglishTeacher

Met the guy, then bought the book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2012

Verified Purchase

Patrick Bury visited my University to talk about his experiences, the book and war literature. The evening itself was shocking, disturbing and extremely interesting.

Coming out of it, I went straight onto Amazon and ordered a copy of the book.

I sat and read it in one sitting. Unlike an action novel or film, this stuff is real. This is why the book is extremely disturbing, scary and horrifying. That doesn't mean it's a bad book however, far from it. It is one of the best non-fiction books that I have read this year (2012) as it has forced me to think about the reality of warfare, and its effects.

This is ideal for anyone looking for a soldier's true experiecnce of warfare, rather than a glamorised war-film or action novel. I can see this being used in around 50-100 years as a historical source for researchers looking at opinions of the Afghanistan war.

Brutal but brilliant.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Superb

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2019

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed this book immensely. Seems to me to be a very honest account of this guy's experience of war in Afghanistan and well worth the read. The author is not afraid to have a laugh at himself from time to time which brings out the human element in the account. Book's title is a superb tribute. Well done. Hope to see more from Patrick Bury.

One person found this helpful

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At seaside camping

Moving account of Patrick Bury war experience

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2012

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed reading this on my kindle, real life stories of people doing amazing things.

Patrick story was well detailed, set the scene to what was happening.

I feel sad that we send the guys out to bad places to fight.

Enjoyed reading, not just a blokes book!!

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Anymore books in the future??

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Craig Edward Martinez

Knowledge

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2019

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History

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Callsign Hades Paperback – 26 May 2011

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