The Junior Officers' Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars

Patrick Hennessey

Sep 2010 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Hailed as a classic of war writing in the U.K., The Junior Officers' Reading Club is a revelatory first-hand account of a young enlistee's profound coming of age. Attempting to stave off the tedium and pressures of army life in the Iraqi desert by losing themselves in the dusty paperbacks on the transit-camp bookshelves, Hennessey and a handful of his pals from military academy form the Junior Officers' Reading Club. By the time he reaches Afghanistan and the rest of the club are scattered across the Middle East, they are no longer cheerfully overconfident young recruits, hungering for action and glory. Hennessey captures how boys grow into men amid the frenetic, sometimes exhilarating violence, frequent boredom, and almost overwhelming responsibilities that frame a soldier's experience and the way we fight today.

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Ratings and reviews

A bit slow to start and at times I was confused by the military terms but overall an amazing insight into the day to day reality of life on the front line. I have friends who claim to have been doing "desk work" in Afghanistan, I now have an understanding of what that could actually have meant. Also reminded me of the Hurt Locked when I just couldn't understand why people would put themselves in that position but Hennessey is very good at explaining, as much as is possible, the motivation to do the work.

Revealed lots about the entire process and helped me understand what is needed for an officer

About the author

Patrick Hennessey is a barrister and author who served in the British army from 2005 to 2009. Additionally, Hennessey worked as a special foreign correspondent for The Times (London) as well as the host of the BBC Two documentary Kipling’s Indian Adventures. His published works include The Junior Officers’ Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars and Kandak: Fighting with Afghans.