Product Description

A devastating first-hand account of the current war in
Afghanistan.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4009 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-19
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Synopsis
Desert of Death - or Dasht-e-Margo - is the locals' name for the barren terrain of south-west Afghanistan. Before Captain Leo Docherty was deployed there in the spring of 2006, he used the name as a joke. After all, he went to the region with more hope than fear. Back from Iraq, where he had taken part in missions with the Marines and SAS, he looked forward to a new campaign. Here was a war which could not only be won, but which could improve the lives of the Afghan people. Brimming with confidence, and knowledge of Pashtu, Urdu and Arabic, he was ready to make a difference ...DESERT OF DEATH is a brilliantly vivid on-the-ground report of the events which led to the fiercest fighting faced by UK troops since the Korean War. It is a story of bravery and making-do, of farce and misadventure, and above all it is an unforgettable story of war in the twenty-first century.

About the Author
Leo Docherty was born in Scotland and grew up in
Gloucestershire. After studying Swahili and Hindi at university he attended
the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Scots
Guards in 2001. First posted to London, he performed ceremonial duties and
trained as a paratrooper. After a short spell in Germany he completed an
Arabic course and served operationally in Iraq.

Having passed a further language course in Pashtu, he deployed to southern
Afghanistan as the aide-de-camp to the commander of the first British
forces to enter the volatile Helmand Province in April 2006. His language
skills quickly led him to move from the British Headquarters to serve
alongside the Afghan National Army.

A passionate traveller and linguist, he used his leave periods while
serving in the Army to travel extensively in Asia and the Middle East on
horseback, bicycle and by public transport. He left the army in December
2006.