Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn

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Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn

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Buy Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Category: Autobiography
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Reviewed by Sue Magee
Summary: We know it's bad for the soldiers out in Afghanistan but how do you live with the worry of having not one, but two sons there? Recommended
Buy? Maybe Borrow? Yes
Pages: 184 Date: October 2010
Publisher: Clairview Books
ISBN: 978-1905570249

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It's almost a nightly occurrence – that news item which contains the words … has been killed in Afghanistan and we think of a young life, or young lives cut tragically short. They're fresh-faced young men or women at what should have been the beginning of their adult life and now they are no more. You feel for them and their families, but what about the families who have people they love out in Afghanistan, who live each day with the worry that the knock will be coming to their door? Stephen Wynn has two sons who have done tours of duty in Afghanistan and who are likely to do so again. Two Sons in a War Zone is his story of how he copes with the unrelenting pressure.

Well, one of the ways in which he copes is that he cries. He surprised himself by how easily he cried and before you ask Stephen is no softy. He's a hardened copper who's done his time in an elite Force Support Unit which dealt with firearms incident. He's used to seeing some of the bad things which life can throw at us and he's in a job where being calm under pressure is important. But – your own sons are different. You don't expect to wonder if you'll be attending their funerals. You certainly don't expect to be thinking about it on a daily basis.

Stephen tells us his story with brutal honesty. He's not one for bottling things up either in living his life or telling us about it. Luke and Ross are two engaging young men with different personalities, but both honest, bright and intelligent young men with the mental and physical stamina to make it into good regiments – the Paras and the Royal Marines. Stephen Wynn not only tells his own story but also his sons' – their reactions to Afghanistan untainted by political concerns but very much grounded in the reality of working in an area where you're likely to see your friends killed and the one with your name on it.

The story isn't entirely chronological and occasionally I was confused between Luke and Ross, but I'm not certain that matters. It's their uncensored opinion and their father's brutally honest story of how he felt that's important.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For more about he war in Afghanistan we can recommend War Stories by Jeremy Bowen. You might also enjoy Kidnapped And Other Dispatches by Alan Johnston.

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Buy Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
Buy Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy Two Sons in a War Zone: Afghanistan: The True Story of a Father's Conflict by Stephen Wynn at Amazon.com.

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