The Patrol - by Ryan Flavelle (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The national bestseller and instant classic about Canada's war in Afghanistan

Longlisted for the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction

In 2008, Ryan Flavelle, a reservist in the Canadian Army and a student at the University of Calgary, volunteered to serve in Afghanistan. For seven months, twenty-four-year-old Flavelle, a signaller attached to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, endured the extreme heat, the long hours and the occasional absurdity of life as a Canadian soldier in this new war so far from home. Flavelle spent much of his time at a Canadian Forward Operating Base (FOB), living among his fellow soldiers and occasionally going outside the wire. For one seven-day period, Flavelle went into Taliban country, always walking in the footsteps of the man ahead of him, meeting Afghans and watching behind every mud wall for a sign of an enemy combatant. The Patrol is a gritty, boots-on-the-ground memoir of a soldier's experience in the Canadian Forces in the 21st century. It is about why we fight, why men and women choose such a dangerous and demanding job, and what their lives are like when they find themselves back in our ordinary world.

Review Quotes

"If this is the most illuminating book yet written on the fight in Afghanistan--and I think that it is--its virtue stems from its absorbing point of view . . . The Patrol is simply the story of a young man ordered to do an impossible job." - Robert Hough, The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan

"This is an intelligent, fiercely perceptive, funny and wise book, written by a young Canadian soldier who is all that himself . . . it's a great read that honours both the profession of arms and the craft of writing." - Christie Blatchford, author of Fifteen Days

"Read this book! Politicians and generals may talk and write about war, but if you are at all interested in what soldiers and those who support them do, read this book." - General Rick Hillier, author of A Soldier First

"As good a look at the swirl of memory and emotions in a soldier's head as any I know." - Farley Mowat

"The Patrol is exceptional. . . . Deeply personal, vulnerable, and refreshingly candid. It is highly recommended to anyone interested in Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan, or those that ponder the nature and traditions of soldiering." - Canadian Military Journal

"Frank and thoughtful." - Winnipeg Free Press