The Circuit

Last few days have been a bit of a rush work wise with meetings in London and Paris, so much of a rush that I forgot to pack a book to read on the Eurostar to Paris and plane back to Bristol! :-( I quickly browsed the small selection of books in WHSmiths' at St Pancras International and picked up Bob Shepherd's The Circuit.

The Circuit recounts (ex-SAS Warrant Officer) Bob Shepherd's work in the Private Security Companies since 1994 in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. I have become increasing interested in PSC's and PMC's (Private Military Contractors) of late as I want to include them in the Iron Cow background as an option for gamers other than the national power blocs.

A fascinating read, the author is quite honest in how his 'black and white' opinions of who the good guys and the bad guys are changed after his experiences following his military service and certainly pulls no punches in respect of what he sees as strategic and tactical errors by the US Military (especially Lt Col Sassaman in Iraq), the ineptitude of some other contractors (including his own employer) and some of the people he was tasked with protecting. There is some really interesting detail and colour in this book and anyone with an interest in the current War on Terror, the world's trouble spots in general or even how battlefield reporters go about their job will be well rewarded by picking this book up.