Author guest post from Mark Lewis.

A part from a few really bad days in training I think I laughed out loud just about every day of my 11 years in The Royal Marines. At first it was at the other older Marines jokes and japes but I quickly caught on and before long I too was joining in with the humour which had the power to turn almost any adversity into a unique bonding of comrades. They call this ‘Commando Spirit’. It gets you through every hardship and makes you and your Royal Marines you are surrounded by stronger.

But how do you capture these feelings and experiences 40 plus years later and engage people with your stories. Well perhaps take a few sailing on a small yacht and pass the time just talking to each other about life’s experiences. Enhance the funny bits and perhaps miss out the really dodgy bits and you discover the ancient art of story telling and sharing knowledge.

“You should write a book about these stories Mark, I would buy it”. I replied that I had but was just getting around to finish it off and craft it into a polished version. The outcome is ‘42 Commando Royal Marines in The Falklands War’.

This is perhaps what you searched for but this is not a researched piece of British Military history. That story has been told by journalists who were with the Task Force first and secondly by the Senior Officers in Command at the time. This time it’s by the ones digging the holes, carrying the stores whilst wondering what those journalists are doing at the frontline wearing military arctic clothing with all the buttons and zips undone and the hats on backwards and also wondering what the Senior Officers are going to ask us to do next!

‘42 Commando Royal Marines in The Falklands War’ is the coming of age of a young Royal Marine Commando in the 1980’s thrust into a world of action and adventure, Commando course, skiing, Arctic warfare, becoming an expert of all infantry weapons and tactics but becoming lethal with a typewriter and wood chisel from about 2 feet away. The unique humour and comradeship that comes through and puts the elite Royal Marine head and shoulders above just about every other military organisation in the world.

The roller coaster highlights of the best of human endeavour and friendship in war and the terrifying moments of near vapourisation by enemy action. The close scrapes of a ‘Run Ashore’ with Dodgy Oppos in various bars and clubs wherever shore leave was given by Officers and Senior NCO’s who in hindsight must have crossed their fingers or just looked on in envy. The reflection of reunions and missing 21 year old friends who should now be 60 something.

Order your copy here.