Military memoirs are usually written by high ranking officers from the comfort of their quaint cottages in the Cotswolds.
“Contact” was the first of this genre of book written by a front-line squaddie. AFN Clarke, the author was, of course, not a squaddie for long and went on to be commissioned as an Officer and Platoon Commander with Britain’s elite Parachute Regiment. It is a tale of courage and resilience. It is a painful tale that at times is deeply personal. It is angry and raw and yet despite all this it reveals a warm human being full of compassion for his soldiers. We are not surprised to learn that he is now a passionate member of the peace movement for Northern Ireland
He paints a painful brutal scenario of exhausted soldiers who were often despised by both sides and even to this day are vilified for what was indeed a thankless task of keeping Catholics and Protestants apart. He describes living amongst the people but not of the people. Living rough, not washing, and carrying everything he needed to sustain living in a Burgen that he had to carry on his back. Being the leader of the patrol is a lonely job balancing the task of being respected by his platoon, friendly but not too friendly, not overstepping that balance.
His experience made him what he is today. Physically damaged, mentally saddened, but strong and more human that when he embarked on his first tour of duty. It is not just a story of a platoon in Northern Island in the 70’s it is a tale of a man’s growth through the experience. A fascinating man, a soldier an adventurer, a sailor, a horseman, a racing driver and a qualified pilot. In addition, he has all the human qualities I would like my grandchildren to have.
All of this in “Contact” the book. It is written with a passion for getting the story down. No wonder the army didn’t like it. It is a major contribution to our understanding of war and how people act. It should be read by every mother who is bewildered when her son returns from the battle front exhausted and damaged, by politicians who send these young men into battle. It belongs rightly on the reading list of every soldier about to face “Contact” and on the shelves of every University library under the heading “Peace Studies”.