Product Description

Lofty Large has known the exhilaration of victory and the terrible despondency of defeat, the satisfaction of seeing his enemies go down and the horrific stinging crash of bullets smashing into his own body. In Soldier Against the Odds he discusses the paradox of army life, from the great parades with hundreds of marching troops, to the weeks and months of silent movement, every nerve at full stretch, with only the muzzle of your rifle or machine-gun between you and the opposition. The author has served all over the world: in the mind-numbing cold, in the blazing desert heat and in sweat-drenched jungle warfare. He has faced minefields, traps and ambushes, as well as bombs, bullets, rockets and napalm. And he has also been a prisoner-of-war. Wounded in action and captured by the enemy at the battle of the Imjin River in Korea, he was released two years later but his injuries meant that he was declared 'unfit for further military service'. He would not give up on his army career and defied the odds, passing the SAS selection course and going on to enjoy a long career in the Special Air Service. Military experience in this soldier's case was always against the odds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #180359 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

A true soldier in every sense of the word.
There are a great many SAS books out there but most if not all are written by men of similar ages - the fortysomethings. Large comes from a different era, from a different breed. Already a legend in the SAS and respected by current SAS authors, he shows in this book why. Typical of all professional soldiers he displays unnerving calm and extraordinary patience required of his craft. He undergoes adversity, challenge and hardship to take on Selection after being declared medically unfit for further action from a severe gun shot wound suffered in the Korean war. And passes Selection. Twice. Yet, there is no bravado apparent here. In a life of battle and bullets he is able to remain the gentleman in every sense of the word, a true professional in every sense of its meaning devoid of hate after the wars but enriched with its knowledge to be able to give us well thought and intelligent answers on some of the issues governing the politics of the day. He sees first hand the importance of Camaraderie and how without it POW's would simply break and die, for no reason. And countless stories of Humour. In there he tries to tell us that these two traits, more than any dose of morphine shots any soldier can take, make the best medicine for survival when against the odds. One cannot be helped but be inspired by the author, his bravery, his perseverance and for his heart.

not guite a gripping book but does have something
it is nice to see a true book once in a while amongst all the sas novels about the shelves now. This is just one such book true through and through, which perhaps is what has made not as gripping as mcnab or ryan. It chronichles lofties progression from joining the army being prisoner of war in korea with some funny stories about their chinese captors and upto him joing the sas. It is not a fast racing book by any means but offers the soldier view and not thr ruperts glory of what actually happens in the army

Soldier against the odds
If you want to read a first hand account of operations in Korea, Oman, Borneo, Aden to name a few then read this book. An extremley well written book by a man who has been in the thick of some of the harshest operations in modern history with a no bull account from the eyes of an infantry man who survived years in captivity with 2 bullets lodged in his shoulder and chest with no medical attention who went on to pass SAS selection and become one of the most respected troopers in the Regiment. A must have addition to the bookcase.