Man Down - Hardcover

Mark Ormond

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593063554 ISBN 13: 9780593063552

Publisher: Bantam Press, 2009

Synopsis

By his own admission, Mark Ormrod was a 'gravel belly', a 'bootneck' marine who loved nothing more than being in the heart of the action when things kicked off. It's what he was trained to do, all he'd ever wanted, and he relished the prospect of a tour of duty in Afghanistan. And then the unthinkable happened. In one heartstopping moment Mark's life was brutally shattered when a land mine tore off both his legs and his right arm. The catastrophic injuries he sustained, the race to airlift him out of danger and the shocking truth behind the doctors' battle to save him are all described in graphic detail in this remarkable memoir. This is also the story of how, on the brink of despair, Mark began the greatest battle of his life - to walk again and, using state-of-the-art 'bionic' legs, to stand shoulder to shoulder with his comrades to receive his campaign medal. It was a battle he had to win if he was to rebuild his life as a serving marine. Told with brutal honesty, "Man Down" is a searing, action-packed account of courage and comradeship, of life on the front line in the Afghan desert and the terrible legacy of war. It is a story of true grit you will never forget.

About this title

About the Author

Marine Mark Ormrod, known to his mates as 'Rammers', was born and brought up in Plymouth, Devon and joined the Royal Marines at the age of seventeen. He was one of only sixteen men from a troop of sixty recruits to pass the gruelling thirty-week Commando Training Course at the first attempt, earning him the right to wear the coveted Green Beret. After taking part in the invasion of Iraq, working with a team of medics in 2003, he transferred to a 'warfighting'infantry role for the ultimate test, a frontline tour of Afghanistan in October 2007. He is now based at 42 Commando in Plymouth.

From the Back Cover

In one heartstopping moment he began the greatest battle of his life

From the Inside Flap

By his own admission, Mark Ormrod was a 'gravel belly', a 'bootneck' marine who loved nothing more than being in the heart of the action when things kicked off. It's what he was trained to do, all he'd ever wanted, and he relished the prospect of a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

And then the unthinkable happened.

In one heartstopping moment Mark's life was brutally shattered when a landmine tore off both his legs and his right arm. The catastrophic injuries he sustained, the race to airlift him out of danger and the shocking truth behind the doctors' battle to save him are all described in graphic detail in this remarkable memoir.

This is also the story of how, on the brink of despair, Mark began the greatest battle of his life - to walk again and, using state-of-the-art 'bionic' legs, to stand shoulder to shoulder with his comrades to receive his campaign medal. It was a battle he had to win if he was to rebuild his life as a serving marine.

Told with brutal honesty, Man Down is a searing, action-packed account of courage and comradeship, of life on the frontline in the Afghan desert and the terrible legacy of war. It is a story of true grit you will never forget.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593063554
• ISBN 13: 9780593063552
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320