A book, referred by a family member, and from well outside my usual reading areas. I found it very surprisingly good.
An autobiography of a young man from a difficult background, and going spectacularly off the rails as a teenager/young adult, who joins the army to try to get into the SAS. Against the odds, he does so, and becomes a highly regarded member of this elite group, and goes on to be the first Australian Victoria Cross winner since the Vietnam war.
The book makes no reference to a ghost writer, although one of the first personal credits at the end is to a journalist/non-fiction writer, so he may have had some assistance. The writing is tight, and the voice is authentic. Donaldson has views about senior officers, strategy and policy that make it clear that it is not a volume authorised by the Defence Dept as a promo following the VC.
In the end, it is a very human story, and compelling. Donaldson manages to tell you enough about him and his life to make you feel that you know him, without crossing that vague line where he would be telling you more than you want to know.
I am glad that there are people like Donaldson, willing to risk their lives in their roles in the armed forces, but still cannot understand how anyone can repeatedly put their life at such fundamental risk.
Read Sept 2017 ( )