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Apache. Ed Macy (2008)

by Ed Macy(Favorite Author)

4.29 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0007288166 (ISBN13: 9780007288168)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

review 1: The book I read to research this post was Apache by Ed Macy which is an excellent book which I bought from a carboot sale. Whether you agree with the war in Afghanistan or not this book which is mostly about the rescue of a marine who was captured by the Taliban and had to be rescued from a huge compound is fantastic. I personally think the war there is too much like another Vietnam War. The mission in this book used 2 Apache AH64 Mk1 helicopters which were British attack helicopters. The British took the Apache AH64-D & asked Westland what they could do with it. One problem with the American version was it was only lightly armoured to save on weight. The English version which was the second most expensive machine in the RAF to the Eurofighter Typhoon, was given a 30% more... more powerful engine that enabled it to be more armoured. Its engine was twice as powerful as a formula 1 engine. It was given folding rotor blades to allow it to be stored on aircraft carriers. It was given even more weaponry. It was given an automatic de icer that allowed it to be used in the arctic. Before that the RAF had lynx helicopters but they were just general use helicopters. It's the most advanced helicopter in the world & probably the most deadly. Before undertaking the mission in the book the task seemed so impossible, the pilot told his family he was unlikely to come back alive. It's a great book.
review 2: The first half of this book gives a good overview of the history of the Apache within the British Army from the view of one of its first pilots. You gain an insight into not only how difficult it is to fly the multi-million pound piece of hardware, but also the extra demands that are put upon the pilots with the exhausting daily routines that the pilots have to undertake while in Afghanistan within 2006. You gain a valuable insight into the mindset of the British Army aviator - the dedication, the drive to excel, and how much a good sense of humour is really needed to keep going. The author relates this in a matter of fact way without any political grandstanding - he is there doing his job, believing that he is doing something to help the average Afghan, trying to make sure that he and his colleagues get the best chance possible of getting home safely.The second half of the book is the real explosive section which details the first two missions in a major offensive against the Taliban in Helmland province. During the second mission a Marine goes missing in action and what follows is the most daring rescue undertaken by the British armed forces since the siege of the Iranian Embassy in the 1980s. The account is fantastically written and you can feel every ounce of frustration and shot of adrenalin that the pilot feels. After reading this you will have gained a real insight into the bonds between members of the armed forces and that the phrase 'no when gets left behind' really means just that. less

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