Official Review: On Afghanistan's Plains by Barry Alexander

[LivreAmour217]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "On Afghanistan's Plains" by Barry Alexander.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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On Afghanistan's Plains tells the gripping story of author Barry Alexander's 2007 deployment with the British military. Fast paced and remarkably detailed, the author conveys his story with startling clarity. The title is borrowed from a poem written by Rudyard Kipling, and is a fitting reference to Great Britain's past and present involvements in Afghanistan.

I have to begin by stating that I enjoyed this book immensely. This is a well-crafted story that transported me from my comfortable Midwest setting to the dusty, inhospitable Afghan plains. The author did a superb job of balancing the descriptions of his physical surroundings with his personal impressions without becoming overly introspective. Within each moment, the sensations, perceptions, and emotions of the author (and sometimes, those with whom he served) were portrayed with an enormous amount of realism that had me captivated.

The writing within this book is top-notch, with only a few minor typographical errors. The author recounted his experiences with precise detail, but also kept the narrative at a good pace so that it never became dull or tedious. Additionally, he did an excellent job of explaining military acronyms and terminology in an easy-to-understand manner, which is always helpful to the readers.

The author himself is also someone who is worthy of respect. Throughout the book, his competence, professionalism, and dedication to his fellow soldiers remained constant. At the time of the events, the author was a nurse in the military, and was well within his rights to use both his rank and specialized training to stay in the rear (a term I use very loosely) rather than go out on missions. Instead, he willingly went into harm's way on multiple occasions to be alongside those who depended upon his medical expertise.

I also appreciated the fact that the story did not end with the author's deployment. Instead, he shared his post-deployment experiences with re-acclimatization to "civilian" life, along with the effects of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) upon himself and other members of the military. As many people already know, PTSD is a serious psychological by-product of combat and other traumatic experiences, with symptoms that range from irritability to suicidal ideation. Although PTSD has garnered much attention is the last decade or so, there is still a strong stigma attached to it (as with any mental illness), and I admire the author for sharing his personal battle with PTSD and for highlighting the long-term negative effects of combat upon service members.

I learned a great deal from reading On Afghanistan's Plains, and I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend that all adults read this book, regardless of personal opinions about the recent conflicts in the Middle East. This book is relevant to current world events, and will give readers a greater understanding and appreciation of what service members were (and still are) facing during deployments.

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On Afghanistan's Plains
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[Shelle]

Great review! This book sounds fascinating and the author seems like a genuine good guy who you'd want to be friends with.

[LivreAmour217]

Great review! This book sounds fascinating and the author seems like a genuine good guy who you'd want to be friends with.

Thank you, Shelle! I agree with you--the author does seem like a very good man!

[Heidi M Simone]

Wonderful review, LivreAmour217! This sounds like a fascinating read! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Congratulations to the author for writing such an enticing book and thank you to him for sharing his experiences.

[LivreAmour217]

Wonderful review, LivreAmour217! This sounds like a fascinating read! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Congratulations to the author for writing such an enticing book and thank you to him for sharing his experiences.

Thank you for the kind words, Hsimone!

[That Writer Guy]

Quite a literate review. I like how the reviewer brought in ideas from outside the book in order to highlight the virtues of this work of nonfiction.

[LivreAmour217]

Quite a literate review. I like how the reviewer brought in ideas from outside the book in order to highlight the virtues of this work of nonfiction.

Thanks, Writer Guy!

[bookowlie]

I really enjoyed reading your well-written, thorough review. The book sounds really interesting because it includes the man's adjustment to civilian life and the effects of PTSD. I am going to add this one to my reading list.

[e-tasana-williams]

Thank you for your thorough review, LivreAmour217! This book sounds intriguing. I will be adding this to my shelves for sure. As a nurse myself I can only imagine the seemingly insurmountable task of trying to do my job well while "doing good" on the battlefield. Within the safety of a clinic or hospital it is required that we remain within our scope of practice to maintain good standing with our Board of Nursing. I would be interested to read about how the author must have gone way beyond his scope of practice, according to what war-time situations require. How could PTSD *not* be a result of such harrowing experience? Congratulations to Mr. Alexander on such a positive review, and for still having the courage to share his story with the world.

[LivreAmour217]

I really enjoyed reading your well-written, thorough review. The book sounds really interesting because it includes the man's adjustment to civilian life and the effects of PTSD. I am going to add this one to my reading list.

Thank you, Bookowlie! I hope that you enjoy this book!

-- 28 Jun 2016, 16:41 --

Thank you for your thorough review, LivreAmour217! This book sounds intriguing. I will be adding this to my shelves for sure. As a nurse myself I can only imagine the seemingly insurmountable task of trying to do my job well while "doing good" on the battlefield. Within the safety of a clinic or hospital it is required that we remain within our scope of practice to maintain good standing with our Board of Nursing. I would be interested to read about how the author must have gone way beyond his scope of practice, according to what war-time situations require. How could PTSD *not* be a result of such harrowing experience? Congratulations to Mr. Alexander on such a positive review, and for still having the courage to share his story with the world.

Thank you, Eatsleaves! I'm sure that your experience as a nurse will help you appreciate Mr. Alexander's story in ways that I could not. If you do read the book, I would be very interested to hear your opinion of it!

[Barry_Alexander]

Thanks to LivreAmour217 for such a well written and kind review.

[LivreAmour217]

Thanks to LivreAmour217 for such a well written and kind review.

You are most welcome, and thank you for sharing your story with us!

[MrsCatInTheHat]

Do you think people who have PTSD, from time served in war zones, would benefit from this book? Or would it hit too close to home?

[LivreAmour217]

Do you think people who have PTSD, from time served in war zones, would benefit from this book? Or would it hit too close to home?

It's hard to say. It would depend upon the individual. To be safe, I wouldn't recommend anyone suffering from war-related PTSD to expose themselves to any form of media that could be triggering. It's something that is best discussed with one's therapist.

[MrsCatInTheHat]

Do you think people who have PTSD, from time served in war zones, would benefit from this book? Or would it hit too close to home?

It's hard to say. It would depend upon the individual. To be safe, I wouldn't recommend anyone suffering from war-related PTSD to expose themselves to any form of media that could be triggering. It's something that is best discussed with one's therapist.

Thanks, I wasn't sure. It looks like something my brother in law would enjoy but he has mild PTSD, so I wasn't sure.