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A review by spencesational
GURKHA: Better to Die than Live a Coward: My Life in the Gurkhas by Kailash Limbu, Alexander Norman
3.0
I'm sorry but this book bored me to tears, as do all books regarding Afghanistan. This is because the book market is saturated with them. And they all read the same.
When you pick up a book in a shop entitled 'Gurkha', you expect it to be about Gurkhas. This skimmed over the life of a Gurkha; deciding to concentrate on the Afghanistan war instead. I wanted to read about the life of a Gurkha; their history, how and why they are one of the most feared regiments in the world, what makes them different, do they train differently, for example? I didn't want to read about Gurkhas fighting in Aghanistan. OK, Limbu mentions how he became a Gurkha but it was no different to how any other member of any regiment would get into the army: join young, get shouted at, get up early, run, get fitter, pass out, go to war. Same old, same old!
There was a sad ending but this lasted for the last three pages of the book and was predictable; I knew from early in the book what was going to happen to who. Overall, I don't see why this book has so many 5 star ratings. I was quite glad when I'd finished it.
When you pick up a book in a shop entitled 'Gurkha', you expect it to be about Gurkhas. This skimmed over the life of a Gurkha; deciding to concentrate on the Afghanistan war instead. I wanted to read about the life of a Gurkha; their history, how and why they are one of the most feared regiments in the world, what makes them different, do they train differently, for example? I didn't want to read about Gurkhas fighting in Aghanistan. OK, Limbu mentions how he became a Gurkha but it was no different to how any other member of any regiment would get into the army: join young, get shouted at, get up early, run, get fitter, pass out, go to war. Same old, same old!
There was a sad ending but this lasted for the last three pages of the book and was predictable; I knew from early in the book what was going to happen to who. Overall, I don't see why this book has so many 5 star ratings. I was quite glad when I'd finished it.