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Watching Men Burn - Tony McNally
By Anthony | February 25, 2009
Watching Men Burn by Tony McNally is a very good read. This is not the usual kind of special forces book I go for but because Tony McNally was a Rapier missile operator and the book focuses on the Falklands war I thought I would give it a read. I guess I class Rapier missile operators as a special force.
This is a very emotional book. It tells the story of Tony McNally. It takes you through his upbringing, his training, the various operations he was involved in and mainly focuses on his role in the Falklands war.
The book really focuses on explaining the character and personality of Tony McNally which I suspect is motivated by the guilt the he went through after the falklands war, possibly still seeking forgiveness for an incident during the falklands war that simply wasnt his fault.
The Sir Galahad was attacked by five Argentine air Force A-4 Skyhawks on 8th June during the falklands campaign and resulted in the loss of 50 soldiers and wounding many more… Whilst assigned to protect the Sir Galahad and surrounding ships, the Rapier missile launcher he was operating failed, meaning there was nothing he could do to protect the soldiers on board from the argentinian airforce.
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a state of mind that only those who have suffered from it or been witness to it can explain. Tony McNally really gives you an idea of what it must be like to suffer from PTSD in an often heart wrenching manner which is something you dont normally find in a book written my an ex soldier.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Its well set out, its very well written and kind of kicks you in the teeth with a huge hammer of emotion towards the end. Its a true soldiers story and brings home the fact that soldiers never leave their emotions on the battlefield when they come home.
Related News Stories
1982: Fifty die in Argentine air attack - BBC News
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