Audiobook edition of ARISEN : Fickisms, performed by RC Bray, out today - and absolutely free. You can either listen to it right on this page, or download it to your device Audfans.com. If you're new to audiobooks, or the soul-capturing cultist magic that is the work of R.C. Bray, this is a great chance to see what all the mania is about.... (read more)
So I'm super-excited to announce that, not only have I made this wacky thing (originally suggested by readers) actually happen, but I've been able to do an unprecedented simultaneous e-book and paperback launch.... (read more)
Last week I was privileged to do an online video/audio reader Q&A with the fabulous Book Club with Booze. If you'd like to get a deep dive into the background and themes of the ARISEN series, my personal pick of weapons for the ZA, the special operations community, literary theory, the writing life, and deep storycraft - all enhanced by HEAVY DRINKING - with a bunch of great and super-smart people (many of them active-duty military), you can now do it right here! Any time! Yee-hah.... (read more)
If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. ... (read more)
The first two women in history completed the Army's storied and notoriously crushing Ranger School - and are now entitled to wear the Ranger tab, which tells you a great deal about anyone you see it on.... (read more)
Get some.... (read more)
And, incidentally, how I learned to write (SOF) military fiction.... (read more)
The Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides full college scholarships to every child who has lost a parent serving in the Special Operations Command. Our special operators train like professional athletes, perform like minor Gods, and lay it all on the line every day in defense of freedom and decency. The Spartan Race is for civilians whose lives are too damned cushy and sedentary, and allows maniacs to go out there for a day and crawl through mud and jump over fire and throw spears and get pummelled with pugil sticks. I'm running the Spartan Race South London Super in support of the SOWF.... (read more)
Here's probably as long a list as you need of reputable and effective charities helping people in the Philippines. As usual these days, the U.S. military continues its transition into the world's best and most effective disaster relief service.... (read more)
Some photos from the dedication of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, and from Remembrance Day itself; plus a video of the two-minute silence.... (read more)
U.S. Army Captain William Swenson has been awarded the nation's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Battle of Ganjgal in Afghanistan. Amazingly, a bit of Swenson's heroism was captured by the helmet cams of a medevac pilot and crew chief, as he helped his terribly wounded top sergeant into the helicopter - and said goodbye.... (read more)
Well, that - the horrific stabbing murder of a British soldier wearing a Help for Heroes t-shirt in broad daylight by Islamist asshats in SE London - at least settles the question of what I run in today, and every day for the rest of the month.... (read more)
Remembrance Day, and the run-up to it, is my favourite thing on a long list of reasons I love the UK. That an entire nation pauses to visibly, and palpably, give thanks to the millions who sacrificed, fought, and died to gift us with our lives, freedom, security, and prosperity, and does so every year without fail, is incredibly beautiful to watch - and to have the privilege of being part of.... (read more)
Today is Remembrance Sunday in the UK. The Queen, along with every living former Prime Minister, turn out in Whitehall to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph - the UK's memorial to all of its war dead.... (read more)
Thank you, Grandpa, for taking four years out to save civilization in the 20th century.... (read more)
Just a belated cheer for the end of the Don't Ask Don't Tell and the ban on gays serving in the U.S. military. Plus congratulations to all our serving and deployed gay soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coastguardsmen.... (read more)
As I put this up, it shows only a thousand of the 6,026 American servicemen and women who have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. (I'm going to keep adding to it.) There have been no terrorist attacks on the American homeland since 9/11. Fifty million Muslims and others, previously living in two of the most oppressive and brutal regimes on Earth, are now free.... (read more)
As you will have read, on Saturday America's community of special operations forces (SOF) suffered its worst single-day loss ever. These people are, in a word, the very best of our best, and their loss is a grievous one.... (read more)
This one goes out to the boys in DEVGRU.... (read more)
My little bin Laden's Dead Boogie.... (read more)
The IDF is on the very front-lines of the struggle against terrorism, extremism, and indiscriminate violence. They are also the valiant defenders of history's most comprehensively kicked-around, assailed, and dispossessed folks: the Jewish people. Aside from warming your heart, I hope this 3-minute video will increase your appreciation for what these wonderful young people of Israel struggle with everyday and what they contribute to the world.... (read more)
• Female medic awarded Military Cross for bravery • Hitch on the Iraq Effect in the Arab Spring • Inside David Foster Wallace's Private Self-Help Library... (read more)
Through the USO's At Home In Our Hearts holiday campaign, supporters like you have the chance to give our troops something really special: the opportunity to make a phone call home.... (read more)
Reviewed: The Singularity Is Near, by Ray Kurzweil; Wired For War, by Peter Singer; CyberWar, by Richard A. Clarke; The War After Armageddon, by Ralph Peters; and How to Survive in a Science Fictional Universe, by Charles Yu... (read more)
Pandora's Sisters Kindle edition, Rockn' music from Damone, running like a maniac out in the snow, and fun-making military videos - all in today's entertainment-packed dispatch. (Warning!: music auto-start.)... (read more)
Today marks the 70th anniversary of Churchill's Battle of Britain speech. When all of Europe was engulfed by a horrendous evil, Churchill stood at the head of the British people and swore eternal resistance.... (read more)
So when we last left our heroes, they were hiding out from the marauding solar death ray beneath the canopy of the 20-mile checkpoint, lapping up Lucozade and choking on trail mix, reaching down deep for the necessary sack to tackle the final 6.2 miles.... (read more)
Right, so at the 17-mile checkpoint, major themes were shade, and foot maintenance. We both topped up with water - going dry out here could be a serious problem... (read more)
Finally, Tim and I pick ourselves up, gear up, and head out. Me: Well . . . it's not going to suck itself. Tim: I've been waiting for that. Me: I've been letting the tension build.... (read more)
So having topped up water and touched in with the team at the first checkpoint, I've once again taken off at speed to try and catch up the leaders.... (read more)
It's 6AM and I'm woken by my phone alarm - direct from a vivid dream where I'm manning a WWI machine gun emplacement. I don't think that can be a good omen for the day.... (read more)
I'm sitting in the back of a parked Discover Adventures mini-bus. My head is lolling. My back hurts whichever way I array it; but I haven't the energy to keep wriggling around. I'm covered in salt. Plus dust.... (read more)
So after my various long-distance walks around the UK, undertaken for no better purpose than to amuse myself, I'm now doing my first sponsored walk for charity: the Help for Heroes Hero Walk - Avebury to Stonehenge.... (read more)
Regular readers will recall from the review of Ed Macy's book Apache in this space that Captain Madison, then known to us only as Charlotte, set a probably unbeatable record for most ordnance fired (nearly half a million pounds worth) in the least amount of time (about six minutes).... (read more)
"I happen to like Iraqis. They're different from us, but in their own way they're very special. They're worth everything we can do for them."... (read more)
So I was walking to work across Westminster Bridge this morning, when I slowly overtook three blokes in camouflage shorts and carrying little donation kitties and one of whom had a backpack with a Union flag on a little pole flying out the back.... (read more)
Master Sgt. Julia Watson said the effort has had one major unexpected consequence. "Men have really opened up after they see us helping their wives and sisters," she said.... (read more)
Regular readers won't soon have forgotten my fawning tribute to military memoirs - and, not at all incidentally, to the service members whose stunning stories inspired the stories.... (read more)
In a certain way, it's a lovely (albeit tragic and bittersweet) thing to be able to sit on your couch, and read about millions of people in serious trouble a half a world away, and without even getting up be able to contribute to their aid.... (read more)
Michael Yon is an independent journalist, and former Green Beret, who has spent more time embedded with American and British units in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other human being. His latest dispatch contains some remarkable photography - and a remarkable tribute.... (read more)
"You will never know how complete you have made me. You saved me from loneliness and taught me how to think beyond myself. You taught me how to live and to love. You opened my eyes to a world I never dreamed existed." - Army Pfc. Jesse A. Givens, in his last letter home... (read more)
"I'm not about to pretend that I'm the leading expert in this field, so I tell him a fable that I remember my dad passing on to me, about the Cherokee Indian teaching his grandchildren.... (read more)
"This is really interesting, Brad. You know, Iraqis don't really seem good at fighting, but then they never really completely surrender either." ... (read more)
A few days from now, Fourth of July celebrations will be held in small towns and big cities all across America. At the same time, halfway around the world, 170,000 brave young men and women will demonstrate their patriotism in another way: by putting their lives at risk to defend everything America stands for.... (read more)
I've read kind of an enormous volume of military memoirs. Ditto military history and nonfiction and tech. Many of these books are nothing short of stunning.... (read more)
"At the core, the American citizen soldiers knew the difference between right and wrong, and they didn't want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So they fought, and won, and we all of us, living and yet to be born, must be forever profoundly grateful."... (read more)
It's occurred to me maybe I should be doing more mini-book reviews. So this is the first instalment of Book Clubbing: either as in my clubbing you over the head with books (ones I've read recently and find really worthy), or as in boogying all night to the swinging sounds of really good books. Take your pick.... (read more)
And so you're probably back at work now and probably really have some time to kill. And if you're like me you've probably got a bit of the New Years post-holiday blues and could use a cheer-me-up. And so here are some videos to watch.... (read more)
It's Christmas Day in the desert. You're on patrol. It seems Santa's been kidnapped by the Air Force.... (read more)
Back home it's morning... your wife and kids must be opening their presents without you. As you return to base you're in a bad mood. Surprise, the USO is handing out pre-paid phone cards so you can call home and for FREE!... (read more)
Today is the release date for the paperback of Pandora's Sisters in the UK - available in your high street bookshop (touch wood) or from Amazon.co.uk. Today is also the day I've finished writing my new novel, D-Boys.... (read more)
Today I was pleased to receive my copy of the UVa Alumni Magazine in the post - and to discover that the current cover story is about UVa alumni (graduates from 1976 - 2005) who have served, or are currently serving, in Iraq.... (read more)
In his most recent disptach, Michael Yon speculates that the war in Iraq may be winding down:... (read more)
Today, May 14th, is Israeli Independence Day. On this day, 60 years ago, the founders of Israel proclaimed a national homeland for Jews, a sanctuary from the slaughter in Europe, and an end to two millennia of wandering. So happy birthday, Israel - and here's to you... (read more)
Michael Yon has spent more time embedded in Iraq than pretty much anyone. He's got a new book coming out detailing what he saw: Moment of Truth in Iraq.... (read more)
I know I've been a little hot and heavy with the political, and also the pro-military, stuff. I've had one or two unsubscriptions from dispatch lately, presumably as a result. I confess these give me pause (and, okay, sting a little, too) - though of course A) I have no expectation that people will always read my stuff, and B) if I weren't annoying anyone, I probably wouldn't be saying anything very interesting... (read more)
Forty-two year old Pat Dollard is hurtling through the air in the exploding Iraqi night. An IED has just blown up at the back bumper of a Humvee he's riding in - killing the Marine sitting next to him, and sending him shooting 30 feet out of the vehicle, with a broken leg and shrapnel wounds.... (read more)
As winter yields to spring and the Earth renews itself and you and I walk peacefully through the lengthening days, others remain toiling in the mountains and deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq. They are American and British (and Australian and Polish) men and women, and they are working and sweating and fighting and dying on my behalf, and on yours - and on behalf of millions of people they'd never before met, but who now have a chance of freedom and self-determination and prosperity and peace, after decades of knowing only tyranny and war.... (read more)
In part because I've been posting relentlessly gloomy political dispatches - pre-emptive capituation to sharia in Britain, heroic human-rights activist under death sentence, messianic dictator plans to kill all the Jews again - but mainly because it's important, and the mainstream media aren't doing it, here's a brief and digestible rundown of how great things are (finally) going in Iraq recently.... (read more)
Since the periodicity of my long-running quotations series has been getting asymptotic with infinity, here are the quotes that have been piling up since the last edition... (read more)
You know, we all feel a little down sometimes. Some days are better than others. But, lately, whenever I'm feeling blue, I like to think about a little something I have to look forward to: Dancing on that cocksucker bin Laden's grave.... (read more)
On Memorial Day/Remembrance Day 2007 (okay, slightly after), I'd like to take the liberty of introducing you to a couple of guys I think you should probably know at least a little about.... (read more)
This is an essay that I've been writing in my head - and reciting bits of out loud at various intervals, in variously heated discussions - for five years. I write and publish it now for the following reasons:... (read more)
So if you haven't been following along, Prince Harry - third in line to the throne - joined the Army.... (read more)
"Israel will be annihilated." - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad... (read more)
Today is Veterans Day in the U.S. - and Remembrance Day in the UK. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the entire country stops, sits in two minutes of total silence, and remembers the men and women who died on their behalf.... (read more)
Maybe he was thinking Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country... All we know is that 25-year-old Pat Tillman, a rising pro football player came back from his honeymoon seven weeks ago and told his coaches he would turn down a three-year, $3.6 million contract and instead join the U.S. Army.... (read more)
So, Sir Bob Geldof, presumably running short of things to do, decided that London at the end of the year was a slightly too drab place for his taste and he got the idea of colourfully gift-wrapping a number of London's greatest buildings. And how could that be wrong?... (read more)
