From Publishers Weekly Macy, retired after 23 years in the British army, does for the Apache helicopter's gunships what Dan Mills did for the infantry in Sniper One: he puts readers in the cockpit of an aircraft that requires great skill and attention to keep in the air. Macy takes readers to Afghanistan's Helmand Province: remote and mountainous, a center of the world opium traffic and chosen battleground of the Taliban. His squadron's eight Apaches faced both modern missiles and 19th-century rifles while supporting ground troops too few for a mission never clearly defined by the government. The book's climax comes when a British marine is listed as missing in action. In an unauthorized mission that reads like pulp fiction but whose details have been independently verified, Macy and another pilot fly into a Taliban fort to bring him out—dead. When the four crewmen are awarded the Military Cross, Prince Philip asks, Are you all mad? But since the days of Alexander the Great, Afghanistan has taught invaders two cruel lessons: never leave a man behind, and never count the cost. 16 pages of photos; maps. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more Review “Puts you right in the cockpit with your finger on the trigger. A truly awesome read; and a climax that Hollywood couldn’t invent.” —Andy McNab, author of Immediate Action “Macy is the real deal. Nobody could write that powerfully about combat, or emotionally about the men fighting with him, unless he has been at the gunship’s controls. A fantastic, totally exhilarating roller-coaster read.” —Sergeant Major Dan Mills, author of Sniper One“A truly amazing portrayal of the technical, the emotional, and the courageous. Macy puts the reader in the cockpit of our most lethal attack platform.” —Dick Couch, author of The Sheriff of Ramadi and Chosen Soldier“Apache is a fantastic read that puts you right in the middle of the combat zone.” —Jack Coughlin, author of Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper“Apache is at its heart a ground-busting infantry tale told from an entirely new perspective. By the time these gutsy Uglies land in an occupied Taliban fort to join the ground fight, there is no doubt that attack helicopter pilots are flying grunts. What happens next is extraordinary.” —Owen West, author of Sharkman Six Read more
M**N
Hot action - but with brains behind the tactics
The war in Afghanistan is a very fast changing and versatile conflict. The main strategies and the actual tactics used by both sides change back and forth as time passes and experiences are learned. Different commanders bring different responses by ISAF to the conflict. How to deal with civilians and communities - how to use influence rather than 1000 lb bombs, and so on.Apache is a well written account somewhere in the middle years of the conflict. ISAF were responding with massive ordinance and air strikes against single Taliban targets. The kit was avaliable and was used. Ed Macy brings this considered balanced response out well in the text. Yes there is plenty of action and hot gun barrels and he clearly enjoyed flying the Apache helicopter. However there is also the use of brains and how best to defeat their enemy within measure.I enjoyed the book much more than I had expected from the introduction and the blurb. The book climaxes with a daring attack and rescue raid - with people on the ground in the middle of the action making their own decisions - and making an impact. If they made a film of it, you wouldn't believe that it could happen. Enjoy and learn. Thank you Ed.
A**R
Incredibly challenging for pilots
Before reading this, I did not realize that the Apache required crewmen to split their visual attention between multiple inputs- a guaranteed headache! Macy does review all the gee-whiz technology in the Apache, aside from the weaponry. Pound for pound (pun intended), a chopper is a better delivery system than any airplane, and with the British mods, less prone to SAMs. His initial walkaround reviews those improvements before going into training flights. Only the top 3% of army helicopter pilots qualify, and you will see why.Even then, the British contribution to the International forces in Iraq is tiny, so the chance to use his hard won skills in combat is limited. Macy explains the disposition of forces in his assigned area, and reasons why it is so important to enemy units. It is a tribute to the choppers and men that they were able to function in the desert environment so effectively.
A**T
10 STARS.
I haven't read something this good in years! It was very well written and the story kept me glued to my sofa until I ran out of words. I will keep an eye out for any more of Ed Macy's books. Thank you for your service, sir.🇬🇧
A**R
Hard to break reading when you start
Excelent read! Just couldn't put it down in some moments and kept reading through the night. It is one of the very few books of the kind that gripped me that hard. The topic which is interesting for me is one thing, but what even more important it is very, very well written. And that English sense of humor that made me burst laughing more than once!The same author published the second book, that one describing his experiences during his the first tour in Afghanistan. Hope it is as good as this one. But decided to go for the book 'Dressed to Kill' written by Ed Macy's mate flying one of the second pair of Apaches - Charlotte. Will be interesting to compare male and female point of view of the same cirstumstances, actions, ways of military life etc.What is also important for me that this book shows how different is British attitude to war, soldiering and world in general comparing to American one.I'm giving it 5 stars both for contents and interesting topic as well as quality of writing, in every aspect.
F**R
An entertaining account of Apache operation in Afghanistan
The author has been successful in presenting an entertaining account of Apache helicopter operations in Afghanistan. While you feel mostly as flying along as a copilot, somehow the reader never feels truly as a part of the team. This is maybe due to the censorship of some still classified information, or maybe because the author did not want to give more insight into the feelings and motivations behind the men at war. Be it as it may be, overall this is an engaging read, and while it may not earn Mr. Macy any literary prices, it is well worth the money - recommended.
J**Y
A ringside seat to deeds of heroism by many different people.
I finished reading this incredible book yesterday and I've been mulling over how to formulate a review for a book which is sure to touch people on so many different levels. I've finally decided that this book is one of those rare instances where a book can appeal to anyone, regardless of your particular ideas or feelings about the war in Afghanistan.I enjoyed the way the book was designed. It began with a mission from Macy's previous assignment at Camp Bastion where he was assigned the recovery of two SBS team members who were either missing or killed in an encounter with the Taliban. It then fast forwards to later in that same year when Macy has been assigned to that same Camp once again. After a brief time away from this particular hot spot designated for defense by the British, Macy was once again on that same ground as a pilot of the Apache helicopter. I've seen one of these birds sitting on a runway. They are truly impressive in their "ugliness". What a wonderful idea to use "Ugly" as the designation call sign for these warrior machines.This is a book written very much in "military speak" but every effort has been made to help those of us unfamiliar with some of the terminology and the military's love of abbreviations to be able to follow the action without too much trouble. A glossary is provided along with an index and the glossary especially comes in extremely handy for non-military personnel such as myself. After reading for a short while I realized that I was learning what most of the alphabet soup meant just by the context of the story. This entire book is showing the abilities and the capabilities of the helicopter, the pilots, and the entire force of troops required to keep the helicopters flying. But the book isn't completely given over to one mission after another. There is a lot of background information given concerning Macy himself and his relationships with those he is serving with. All of which go a long, long way to personalize the people and the situations and to explain why they found themselves in the situation of a collective imperative resolve to rescue Lance Corporal Mathew Ford. What a wonderfully humanizing touch it was to have that young man referred to as Mathew while the rescue was taking place and after his recovery. It brought the entire situation down to a very personal level.I appreciate all of the different elements which were included in the book; the maps of Helmand, the diagrams of the Koshtay attack, the drawings of Jugroom Fort and especially the one showing the Apaches on the ground at Jugroom Fort. They helped me visualize the rescue so much better. I also enjoyed the many color pictures included in the book. And I must not leave out Rocco, but everybody needs to find out about him themselves.This is a very good book and I highly recommend it for reading by both men and women alike. It doesn't matter how you feel about war in general, we all need to be aware of deeds of heroism which take place on a daily basis on our behalf. If we can't all go there, at least we can show our support and respect for those who do.Added June 9, 2009---I've just learned that Macy's next book is due out in early September of 2009. I'm looking forward to reading that one.
Trustpilot
4 days ago
3 weeks ago
