Bomb Hunters: In Afghanistan with Britain's Elite Bomb Disposal Unit - Softcover

Rayment, Sean

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007427964 ISBN 13: 9780007427963

Publisher: Collins, 2011

Synopsis

'Afghanistan is just like Iraq – hot, dusty and full of people who want to kill you', SSgt Simon Fuller, Royal Engineer Search Advisor

Bomb Hunters tells the story of the British army's elite bomb disposal experts, men who face death every day in the most dangerous region of the most lethal country on earth – Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Bomb Hunters are up against the Improvised Explosive Device – the IED – the deadly homemade bombs planted by the Taliban. Hard to detect and easy to trigger, an estimated 10 bombs for every one of the 10,000 British troops have been planted in the region. IEDs are now the main killer of British troops in Afghanistan and the ultimate psychological weapon.

Bomb Hunters work in 50-degree heat as they take the 'long walk' into the kill zone, defusing as many as 15 bombs a day. In the past year the casualty rate has soared as the troops have become locked into a deadly game of cat and mouse – to locate and deactivate the deadly bombs before they maim and kill soldiers, police and civilians. Skill, cold courage and inevitably pure luck play a huge part in the survival of these men and as the British public have already seen – a single lapse of concentration can result in instant death.

Ex-paratrooper, now defence journalist, Sean Rayment, takes the reader on a journey into the heat and dust of Helmand Province as he meets these courageous soldiers while they put their lives at risk to prevent other British troops falling victim to the IED. He interviews the Bomb Hunters as they perform their duties on the frontline and paints a breathtaking picture of what life is like for the men who play poker with their own lives every day, who live knowing the enemy watches their every move, waiting for a weakness to show itself, a pattern in technique to be exploited, or an error to be made that triggers the device itself.

This is as vivid and dramatic as war reporting gets, mixing 'close to the bone' narrative and dead-pan black humour from the Bomb Hunters themselves, some of whom were subsequently killed in action. No punches will be pulled on what these men feel about the war, their place in it, the politicians and generals who send them there, and how they deal with the relentless pressure of the job itself in the heart of the world's most hostile combat environment.

About this title

Review:

‘A vivid and absorbing portrayal of a unique and dedicated group of soldiers.’ – General Sir Mike Jackson, formerly Chief of the General Staff.

‘[a] scintillating book’ – Short List

This is a powerful piece of reportage – The Financial Times

‘The great merit of Bomb Hunters, Sean Rayment’s study of the British bomb disposal units in Afghanistan, is that it lets us hear the true voice of the soldier.’ - The Financial Times

‘Bomb Hunters is highly recommended’. – The Daily Star

“(the book)...amply demonstrate(s) why we should be just as interested in Afghanistan as ever... it is no longer enough merely to depict action for action’s sake – now the action must be there for a reason.” - The Telegraph

“The authentic voice of the British soldier is irresistible: unforgettably funny, realistic and brave. One in 10 soldiers are killed or injured in Afghanistan.” - London Evening Standard

“In Bomb Hunters, ex-paratrooper-turned-war-correspondent Sean Rayment joins some of the Army’s top Ammunition Technical Officers (ATOs) on tour to find out what their daily life is like, and how they deal with the stresses of undertaking such dangerous work.” - Legion magazine

About the Author:

Sean Rayment served as a Captain in the Parachute Regiment in the late 1980's. As a journalist, he has specialised in war reporting for the past ten years, undertaking assignments in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, the Gulf and Africa. He has been embedded with the British Army on more than a ten occasions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Collins
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0007427964
• ISBN 13: 9780007427963
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304