Fifteen Days

[James]

I saw this book a few weeks ago and was intrigued by it. While at the mall yesterday, I saw it again and decided to pick it up. I'll probably start reading it tomorrow. I wanted to come on here first and see what some of you guys thought of it. Good to hear that you guys recommend it. If I enjoy it, I'll probably let my father borrow it (he works at GDLS).

 

[Redeye]

I quite enjoyed it and have circulated my copy amongst friends and colleagues - though with the caveats from here that it might not all be true - but not deliberately false - just based on Christie Blatchford's encounters.  That said, the book was a great read, well put together and I think it was a great piece overall to let the public a bit more in to the humanity of the men and women who they see in the news.  I've had the honour of having Capt Schamuhn as a section commander at Charm School the Infantry School and it was amazing to read the stories of his tour - told almost exactly as he shared them with us.  When I first joined I also met CWO Girouard (then RSM of the School) and found him rather - well - terrifying - but the model of what an RSM should be.  To learn so much more of the rest of his life and what a great man he really was also something this book was.  To have an accessible tribute to those sorts of people is good.

Wow, that sounds like a paid shill, grousing, or both.  To sum up, definitely worth the read, when my copy finishes circulating I might see about donating it to a local high school library as it would be a good read for students who aren't getting enough information on what Canada does in the world.

 

[Flip]

To sum up, definitely worth the read, when my copy finishes circulating I might see about donating it to a local high school library as it would be a good read for students who aren't getting enough information on what Canada does in the world.

I'm keeping my copy!

Maybe we should all just buy second copy for schools and libraries....

 

[OkotoksRookie]

Best read I've had in years!
At the end she mentions that she had numerous other stories that she couldn't fit in the book. One can hope she decides to publish those as well.

 

[Gunner98]

I read this book with high expectations and it did not meet all of them.  I would be interested to know if those who were quoted extensively, after its publication, felt that she became too personally involved in their lives through her comments and restating of the thoughts of the family members and friends. I am sure there were clearances prior to publication, but how do they feel months later?

I would be upset to think that a reporter would publish the events surrounding my final moments and then trace the reactions all of the way to the wake/party commentary.  IMHO she pushed beyond the envelope by publishing the content of personal letters, family conversations, and the commanders’ conversations.  Yes it sheds like on the events but...I found that the flow of each day's story were confusing at times. It made me wonder how often she had the tape recorder running in her pocket without the knowledge of those around her.  I know, once imbedded, nothing is off the record.

Do I think people should read it – yes.

I think a lot of valuable info was left in the Editor's recycle bin/waste basket.  Are 358 pages really enough to tell the story of 15 important days?  I did not feel there was enough of a balance between factual, anecdotal and personal.

 

[Springroll]

After reading the reviews on here, I ventured out last night and bought it.
Started reading it today, and so far am very pleased with the purchase.

My son has already laid dibs on reading it when I am done!

 

[vonGarvin]

  When I first joined I also met CWO Girouard (then RSM of the School) and found him rather - well - terrifying - but the model of what an RSM should be. 

CWO Girouard was never RSM of the School.  You must be thinking of someone else.  Charlebois, maybe?

 

[Redeye]

Was he a CSM of C Coy then in 2001?  He was there - I will never forget it!

 

[Springroll]

Almost done the book....only a couple chapters to go.

I must say that this has been one of the best ones I have read in a long time.
Times where I laughed.
Times where I cried, and times where I sat there thinking WTF???

Not only is my son gonna start reading it, but my brother's girlfriend really wants to dig into it too, after I told her mom about it, and her mom read it and fell in love with it. She said it was about time something like this was published from this perspective(her husband is a padre).

Thanks again to all of you for this thread.
Without it, I never would have found this book.

 

[ReconWO]

Was he a CSM of C Coy then in 2001?  He was there - I will never forget it!

He was our CSM for the Adv Small Arms course in 2000, name of the Coy I could not tell you.

 

[vonGarvin]

He was our CSM for the Adv Small Arms course in 2000, name of the Coy I could not tell you.

That must have been C Coy, which also does CAP (aka "Phase 2" for us old buggers)

 

[Redeye]

That would be it - this was 2001 and I was on Phase II so that's where he fits into the picture.  He definitely left an impression on me that ultimately was very positive.

 

[timma]

Just finished the book today and loved it. I couldn't put it down. It's good  for those who want to get a look at the lives of soldiers and their families and  I liked reading about the battles that took place. The only downside was that it wasn't in chronological order and made it confusing at times. Overall ,a good read and I'm going to recommend it to my friends and family.   

 

[Fraser]

I only got like 50 pages to go, should be done this week. I loved this book, the next book i am going to be reading is Outside the Wire.

In 15 Days they mention On Combat and On Killing, I have bought these book and I have read a few pages from each and they seem like they should read by anyone to Afghanistan, or anyone coming back from Afghanistan.

 

[jeffb]

I only got like 50 pages to go, should be done this week. I loved this book, the next book i am going to be reading is Outside the Wire.

In 15 Days they mention On Combat and On Killing, I have bought these book and I have read a few pages from each and they seem like they should read by anyone to Afghanistan, or anyone coming back from Afghanistan.

I have read all 4 recently, getting ready for BMOQ, and I found On Combat and On Killing especially interesting.

 

[infamous_p]

For those of you who have read Outside the Wire, what did you think?

 

[Mike Bobbitt]

There's a thread on that book too, here:

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/69212.0.html

Cheers
Mike

 

[siege]

Another good read is house to house, its a book about the US military in Falujiah (excuse my spelling).  Written by a soldier who was there and his memories about time in Iraq, i bought it in an ariport in dallas on my way to brazil, and i didnt put it down all the way there, im almost done and it has kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.  It is very graphi and real.  A must read from my perspective.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Congrats to Christie on this one...

....Non-fiction

Christie Blatchford, Toronto, Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army.
(Doubleday Canada)
Christie Blatchford's Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army is a dramatic and vivid chronicle that proves reportage and the language of common speech can rise to the challenge of literature. Blatchford's writing allows the soldiers and their families to speak to us in their own voices, without adornment ....

 

[adahmani]

Another 100 pages and i am done reading this amazing book.

This book is the reason why i am going to join the Canadian Forces!

To you men and women in the Canadians Forces thank you