The gripping real-life story of a soldier serving on the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an unforgettable, unflinching account of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder
Jake Wood lives parallel lives: encased in the glass tower of an international investment bank by day, he is also a dedicated UK Territorial Army soldier who serves on the front line during the invasion of Iraq, later returning to the war zone to conduct surveillance on insurgents. Disillusioned with the dullness and amorality of the banking world, he escapes back to the army for a third tour of duty. But in Afghanistan he discovers the savage, dehumanizing effects that war has on both the body and the mind. Diagnosed with chronic PTSD on his return, he must now fight the last enemy--himself--in order to exorcise the ghosts of his past. Brutally honest and beautifully written, this memoir brings home the harsh reality of frontline combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the courage of the troops who risk their lives for their country, as well as revealing the devastating aftereffects of service.