Edition:
Hardback
ISBN:
9780571272426
Published:
05.04.2012
No of pages:
304
Other Editions: Paperback
Point Man
Mark Townsend
Between 2007 and 2008, twenty-year-old Kenny Meighan was the longest-serving point man in Helmand province. An exceptionally skilful and brave private, he guided his unit through enemy territory, scanning the land for danger, responsible for the safety of the entire patrol. He was lucky to make it home alive.
But in his home town in Essex, prospects are bleak. Jobs are scarce and the civilian community is hostile. His father, still haunted by his own war experiences, is suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, while the government does little to help. As Kenny begins to exhibit some of the symptoms himself, it becomes clear that his struggle is far from over.
Mark Townsend, Home Affairs editor of the Observer, tells Kenny's story, based on his own reportage from the war and extensive interviews with Kenny and his family. Shocking and hard-hitting, Point Man vividly conveys the terror and intensity of the life of an ordinary soldier and the heart-wrenching struggle to adjust to civilian life, while exposing the wider political implications of the war.
Tags
Categorised as:
Non-fiction
Sub-categories:
Biography & Memoir
Places:
Afghanistan
Genres & Themes:
Post-war;
War;
Depression;
Military;
Al Qaeda;
Isolation
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