{"product_id":"9780993428746","title":"SPIN ZHIRA: Old Man in Helmand: A true story of love, service and incompetence.","description":"First class.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDoug Beattie MC\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAn Ordinary Soldier\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Brims with authenticity and dark humour.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePatrick Hennessey\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Junior Officers' Reading Club\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A must read.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRichard Dorney\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Killing Zone\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'The best book by a soldier concerning the Afghan War that I have read.' \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrank Ledwidge\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLosing Small Wars\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A very good read.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWilliam Reeve\u003c\/b\u003e Former BBC World Service and Afghanistan Correspondent \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Five stars'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSOLDIER\u003c\/b\u003e The official magazine of the British Army. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSpin Zhira: Old Man in Helmand is a rare insight into the male mid-life crisis. What every woman needs to know and why every man should be careful what he wishes for. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChris Green had it all: A beautiful wife and family; a highly paid and glamorous job as an international marketing and communications expert; a trophy house in a prestigious postcode; a powerful SUV; designer sunglasses; Dolce and Gabbana suits and twice yearly holidays to exotic destinations. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut when Chris became disillusioned with this seemingly perfect existence he didn't buy a sports car, run off with the au pair or snort cocaine from the breasts of prostitutes. Instead he went to fight the increasingly unpopular war on terror in Afghanistan. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the process of discovering himself he unwittingly discovers that the courage and heroism of the soldiers he fights alongside are confounded by self-deception, incompetence, corruption and \"an industrial strength counterterrorism killing machine\". \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's a world where the dipsomaniac governor is in the pay of the illicit opium trade, the Chief of Police is a pederast and all round bad guy and the locals still haven't forgiven the British for the occupation of 1842, or for the Russian Invasion of 1979. All infidels look the same so you can't really tell them apart. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMissing his two young sons, unable to influence policy and just a phone-call away from a brawl he can only lose with the elite SAS, Chris dreams of epic powder days in the High Alps a world away from Afghanistan. But before he can return home to a hero's welcome - and his wife's divorce lawyers - he must first complete one last mission to Zumbalay, the Taliban Heart of Darkness and an unlikely reunion with an old man in Helmand. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuaranteed to make you laugh and cry - or your money back (but check the small print first).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"OMiH Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47034952483056,"sku":"9780993428746","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780993428746_p0.jpg?v=1763899518","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780993428746","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}