Apache

Description

An astonishing first book, 'Apache' is a story of courage, comradeship, technology and tragedy, during the ongoing war in Afghanistan. 'Apache' is the first book to come from the cockpit of the most sophisticated fighting helicopter the world has ever known. Designed in the mid 1980s to take on the Soviets, these machines have proven themselves as the perfect tool for combat in Afghanistan - the Apache is the helicopter Prince Harry pilots as a captain of the Army Air Corps. Ed Macy's account of the incredibly hard Apache selection process, tougher than that of the SAS, combined with his description of the sheer difficulty of flying one of these helicopters, provides a fascinating insight into the relationship between man and machine fighting in the toughest conditions imaginable. The climactic build-up to the rescue mission at Jugroom Fort is both dramatic and deeply moving. The rescue of Lance Corporal Mathew Ford has been hailed as one of the most remarkable and daring rescues of modern wartime and Ed's bravery on the ground at Jugroom Fort led to him being awarded the Military Cross - one of the first in the Army Air Corps' history. Taking the reader right to the heart of the war in Afghanistan, 'Apache' offers an unprecedented degree of proximity to the action and horror that troops in the region are faced with on a daily basis. Gripping from the first page to the last, it is utterly compelling and impossible to put down.

Ed Macy left the British Army in January 2008, after twenty-three years' service. He had amassed a total of 3,930 helicopter flying hours, 645 of them inside an Apache. Ed was awarded the Military Cross for his courage during the Jugroom Fort rescue in Helmand Province, Afghanistan - one of the first ever in Army Air Corps' history. 'Apache' is his first book. He hopes it won't be his last.

'Puts you right in the cockpit with your finger on the trigger. A truly awesome read; and a climax that Hollywood couldn't invent.' Andy McNab 'Books like this remind you that soldiers truly are a breed apart.' Guardian 'An honest account of exceptional bravery.' Ross Kemp 'Macy is the real deal. Nobody could write that powerfully about combat, or emotionally about the men fighting with him, unless he has been at the gunship's controls. A fantastic, totally exhilarating rollercoaster read.' Sergeant Major Dan Mills, author of bestseller 'Sniper One' '"Apache" is at its heart a ground-busting infantry tale told from an entirely new perspective. By the time these gutsy Uglies land in an occupied Taliban fort to join the ground fight, there is no doubt that attack helicopter pilots are flying grunts. What happens next is extraordinary.' Owen West, author of 'Sharkman Six'