# Fifteen Days



## GAP

*Fifteen Days*
CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD Globe and Mail Update October 26, 2007 at 12:32 PM EDT
Article Link

On July 22, 2006, Task Force Orion, the Canadian battle group that served in southern Afghanistan from February to August that year, was returning from almost a month in the field, far beyond the safety of the large coalition base at Kandahar Air Field.

After weeks of hard fighting in remote parts of the south, the exhausted troops met in a “leaguer,” a traditional circle-the-wagons defensive position, for a pep talk from their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Hope, before heading back to KAF.

Lt.-Col. John Conrad, who was in charge of the National Support Element, the unit responsible for keeping the fighting troops supplied with everything from bullets to fuel, drove out that day with a resupply convoy going to meet the soldiers.

As the NSE commanding officer, there was absolutely no need for Lieutenant-Colonel John Conrad to go out on convoys, but he made a point of doing so at least once a week. “It wasn't about the technical things that I brought to it,” he says. “To me it was about the moral plane: These guys need to see that I am here with them, I trust them, and that my life [has] exactly the same value as yours, we're in this together.”

Like his friend Ian Hope, Conrad knows that, as the boss, “you can't show you're afraid – and I was, every time I went out on a convoy, I was damned afraid.”

The resupply convoy, Conrad aboard, left KAF [Kandahar Air Field] at about 3 a.m. on July 22. They were bringing diesel, rations, water, a low-bed truck for vehicle recovery (it was already full by the time they got to the leaguer; an armoured vehicle called a Coyote had broken down) and a wrecker for towing. “It's just a package of capability,” Conrad says, “like dragging a Canadian Tire store somewhere to where you're working.”

He and Hope had a cigar together. “It was a very long day,” Conrad says. “It's a helluva long drive from KAF to where we needed to be in Helmand, but a great day. Ian's guys were coming back, they'd done battle, everyone was triumphant.”

As the troops were running, buoyant, to get into their trucks, Conrad pulled Hope aside, told him he had a Coyote down, and asked for a light armoured vehicle (LAV), “just so I could have two big cannons. And he said, ‘Yep, no problem. Just stay with us. Just stay with us at the back of the convoy.' ” But it didn't work out as they planned, because one of Conrad's cargo trucks broke down. They had to stop and put it on the wrecker, and suddenly, they were behind the tail end of Hope's convoy.

“Then we cross the Arghendab River,” Conrad says, “and generally when we crossed that river, I usually think, ‘Okay, I'm out of the bad place.' ” But they had to stop again: The brakes on the broken-down truck were grabbing, and the mechanics needed another 10 minutes to back them off. “And that just widened the gap between Ian and me.”

Conrad had gone out in a G-Wagon utility vehicle, but for the trip back had switched places with the crew of a 10-tonne diesel truck because its air conditioner was on the fritz and he wanted to give the poor guys a break. Directly in front of him was a Bison armoured vehicle.

“So we're coming into that urban sprawl that kind of gives way to Kandahar,” Conrad says, “and there's a terraced village over there, like high ground, and on this side there's off in the distance three mountains, but it's kind of like an open field. And we're just moving along, a little bit slower because we've got a couple of vehicle casualties,” he says, when he noticed a small cab-over truck. A Toyota Hiace, he thinks, approaching.
More on link


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## ammo618

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071103.BKBLAT03/TPStory/National

WAR

With the boys in Afghanistan
LEWIS MACKENZIE 

November 3, 2007

FIFTEEN DAYS

Stories of Bravery, Friendship


By Christie Blatchford

Doubleday Canada,

358 pages, $34.95

In the interests of full disclosure, let me declare that I'm a past commanding officer of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1PPCLI), a unit frequently mentioned in Christie Blatchford's Fifteen Days, that I like and admire the author, and that in 1993, when she worked for the Toronto Sun, I was pleased to be selected as her number-one Valentine. 

From April to June, 1992, the violent civil war in Bosnia centred on Sarajevo and was the lead story on virtually every international newscast. Living with those of us serving with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) headquarters in the city were representatives from every major media outlet in the world - except Canada. 

When the Canadian Vandoo Battle Group arrived from Croatia on July 2, to start a 30-day task defending the Sarajevo airport, that glaring oversight was well and truly rectified by the appearance of one Christie Blatchford. Wearing the de rigueur split-knee jeans and T-shirt of the period, Blatchford was easy to spot - particularly by a few bored Bosnian Serb soldiers at her first checkpoint; they decided to detain her for an extended period during her first day in the city. Going where many others feared to tread was to become her passion.

Fifteen Days is the culmination to date of a career that has seen Blatchford infiltrate a number of professions in a successful search that reveals to the public what makes them tick, warts and all. The police and the courts have benefited from her analysis and her uncanny ability to put a human face on the stereotypes, destroying gross misconceptions along the way. More recently, she has focused on Canadian soldiers, and the result is this compelling and emotional tribute to their current achievements in the heat and dust of Afghanistan.

A few prerelease reviews of the book complimented Blatchford's descriptions of individual soldier's stories, but lamented the lack of context and analysis of a complicated and controversial mission. Thank goodness for that "omission"! There has been and continues to be too much commentary, much of it partisan, ill-informed and downright misleading, regarding the mission. This is not a book about geopolitics, it's about soldiers and soldiering in the cauldron of combat, and equally, if not more, about the impact of those experiences on the families and friends left behind.

U.S. Army Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Grossman, author of On Combat, is quoted a number of times, including a chapter that opens: "We will never know those countless young men and women who went willingly into the heart of darkness, into the toxic, corrosive, destructive realm of combat ... the least we owe them is to understand the nature of combat and to truly understand what we are asking them to do."

If one wishes to follow the advice of Col. Grossman, and "truly understand what we are asking them to do," reading Fifteen Days would be an excellent start. In fact, it would probably be enough in and of itself. Blatchford has the rare ability to make her descriptions of combat, particularly those involving loss of life or serious injury, almost embarrassing to the reader. You feel that you are eavesdropping on very private matters. Her extensive research and her own recollections as she was caught up in the thick of some of the heaviest fighting are compelling, gut-wrenching and, unfortunately, real. Her admission that on one occasion during a firefight her bowels turned to water and got the best of her is ample proof that that she walked the walk. Her description, witnessed up close and under fire, of the evacuation of fatally wounded Corporal Anthony Joseph Boneca, shot in the throat and bleeding on the dirt under her feet, exposes the reader to the gut-wrenching reality of close combat. 

During three extensive stays with the Canadians in Afghanistan, Blatchford was able to penetrate the macho façade presented by soldiers in combat, and to see the cohesion and affection born of an obligation to those vets who have gone before them, and of an intense dedication to their fellow soldiers. Contrary to popular myth, soldiers don't risk their lives - and in some cases die - for God, Queen, country or even the regiment. They do so for their fellow soldiers, their buddies, frequently only a few meters away due to the tunnel vision generated by the rush of adrenalin when someone is trying to kill you.

Setting Fifteen Days apart from many books on soldiers in combat over the ages is the linkage between encounters with the enemy in southern Afghanistan and the soldier's families, spread across the second-largest country in the world. Blatchford's hundreds of hours of interviews in Canada have produced a rare, intimate look at how individual families coped with an early-morning knock on the door, and the presence of a unit officer and a padre with devastating news, or having a vehicle chase down a father out for a jog with a request that he get in and return home because "the Army is at your house."

As someone who has been to Afghanistan visiting our troops a couple of times, I learned more about the performance of our soldiers from reading Blatchford's book then I did from being on the ground for short stays. After devouring the first few chapters, I was a bit irritated, because the descriptions of events was not in sequence. Once the penny dropped, I realized that each chapter stood on its own as a self-contained tribute to a particular group of soldiers and their families. I've never felt prouder of being Canadian than when I've had the pleasure of commanding, or, in the case of Afghanistan, observing Canadian soldiers performing their duties abroad. Fifteen Days reinforced that pride even more.

Bravo Zulu, Christie Blatchford.

Major-General Lewis MacKenzie (ret'd) was the first commander of UNPROFOR's Sector Sarajevo at the start of the Bosnian civil war.


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## geo

Oh well.... guess I'll be plunking a bit of change this weekend

Time to break out some Scotch and curl up for a good read... will be back later with my comments - though I have no doubt Christine Blatchford has hit the nail on the head - Again!


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## Infanteer

I'm about halfway through it and I recommend it to everyone.  You won't gain any coherent idea of how the campaign was conducted or how ROTO's 1 and 2 progressed, as that is not the author's goal and the disjointed way the book is put together makes it impossible.

You will, however, get to look right into the lives of Canada's newest generation of veterans.  As General Lew says, it is a very personal look at the war.  Having heard many of the stories in the book firsthand, I can say that:

1.  She presents the events very truthfully, with warts and blemishes and without bias.

2.  She captures the essence of military life very well - things like our vibrant use of profanity, our unique lingo, and our complicated heirarchical structure of ranks and appointments are all encapsulated and explained well so that the laymen can get a further understanding into the environment the book takes him through.


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## vonGarvin

I just may have to put this book on my Christmas wish list: for my daughter to read.  (Of course, Daddy would borrow it) ;D


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## Mike Bobbitt

I'm going to give it a read and post a review as soon as I can. (I've gotten out of the habit of posting book reviews!) Sounds like it comes highly recommended, I'm looking forward to digging in. In the mean time, if anyone wants to get their copies signed, Ms. Blatchford will be on a bit of a tour:

http://www.randomhouse.ca/author/results.pperl?authorid=42456&view=event


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## geo

Darn, she isn't coming to Montreal.....
Guess I might as well go out & buy it now...


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## George Wallace

geo said:
			
		

> Darn, she isn't coming to Montreal.....
> Guess I might as well go out & buy it now...



It is only a short drive to NDHQ for 'business' next week (Tues the 13th) and you can get her book at the Book Fair/Ottawa International Writers Festival across down the street at the Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St.    ;D


There'll probably be a long lineup of pers in CF dress there.


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## geo

Oh well, have book in hand and will wait & see when she comes to visit.


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## Infanteer

Just finished the book today.

I will give it 4 out of 5 stars.  4 stars for the reasons I mentioned above; she admirably achieves her goal of telling the story about the soldiers.

I wished, however, that she would have included some more coverage on some of our successes there - more details on guys who stood tall and shined one the two way range, more descriptions of how Canada did right in Afghanistan.  More anecdotes of firefights where Canadian training and guts carried the day.  So much of the coverage focused on the guys we lost there - don't get me wrong; she is right to highlight them and they deserve to be remembered in such a fitting way - but I finished the book feeling that the average Canadian reader would come away with the idea that everytime something happened in Afghanistan in 2006 it ended up in tragedy.  Almost every chapter deals with loss - we had some very good days there and I wished she would have applied her talent to describing some of the successes we saw last year.  Some of the embeds with American units seem to have done a better job in balancing this with their "war journalism" books - Bing West with the Marines in Fallujah comes to mind.

My 2 cents,
Infanteer


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## Kiwi99

I just finished the book 'Fifteen Days', by Christie Blatchford.  Without making it sound like free advertising, I would prompt all to have a read of it.  It covers TF ORION and the Sept 3rd fight at the white school.  Very blunt in its presentation, it offers a good insight for family members of soldiers to see how and what we do.  And she has the enviable position of being a civilian writing, as she can call a spade a spade, and some people of some ranks get hit with that spade pretty damn hard.  Again, check it out, especially pers from 1-06.

Kiwi out!!!


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## Edward Campbell

This review by MGen (Ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act, was published in the weeken “Books” section of the _Globe and Mail_:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071103.BKBLAT03/TPStory/?query=lewis+mackenzie+fifteen+days


> With the boys in Afghanistan
> 
> LEWIS MACKENZIE
> 
> November 3, 2007
> 
> *FIFTEEN DAYS*
> Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army
> 
> By Christie Blatchford
> 
> Doubleday Canada,
> 358 pages, $34.95
> 
> In the interests of full disclosure, let me declare that I'm a past commanding officer of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1PPCLI), a unit frequently mentioned in Christie Blatchford's _Fifteen Days_, that I like and admire the author, and that in 1993, when she worked for the Toronto Sun, I was pleased to be selected as her number-one Valentine.
> 
> From April to June, 1992, the violent civil war in Bosnia centred on Sarajevo and was the lead story on virtually every international newscast. Living with those of us serving with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) headquarters in the city were representatives from every major media outlet in the world - except Canada.
> 
> When the Canadian Vandoo Battle Group arrived from Croatia on July 2, to start a 30-day task defending the Sarajevo airport, that glaring oversight was well and truly rectified by the appearance of one Christie Blatchford. Wearing the de rigueur split-knee jeans and T-shirt of the period, Blatchford was easy to spot - particularly by a few bored Bosnian Serb soldiers at her first checkpoint; they decided to detain her for an extended period during her first day in the city. Going where many others feared to tread was to become her passion.
> 
> _Fifteen Days_ is the culmination to date of a career that has seen Blatchford infiltrate a number of professions in a successful search that reveals to the public what makes them tick, warts and all. The police and the courts have benefited from her analysis and her uncanny ability to put a human face on the stereotypes, destroying gross misconceptions along the way. More recently, she has focused on Canadian soldiers, and the result is this compelling and emotional tribute to their current achievements in the heat and dust of Afghanistan.
> 
> A few prerelease reviews of the book complimented Blatchford's descriptions of individual soldier's stories, but lamented the lack of context and analysis of a complicated and controversial mission. Thank goodness for that "omission"! There has been and continues to be too much commentary, much of it partisan, ill-informed and downright misleading, regarding the mission. This is not a book about geopolitics, it's about soldiers and soldiering in the cauldron of combat, and equally, if not more, about the impact of those experiences on the families and friends left behind.
> 
> U.S. Army Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Grossman, author of _On Combat_, is quoted a number of times, including a chapter that opens: "We will never know those countless young men and women who went willingly into the heart of darkness, into the toxic, corrosive, destructive realm of combat ... the least we owe them is to understand the nature of combat and to truly understand what we are asking them to do."
> 
> If one wishes to follow the advice of Col. Grossman, and "truly understand what we are asking them to do," reading _Fifteen Days_ would be an excellent start. In fact, it would probably be enough in and of itself. Blatchford has the rare ability to make her descriptions of combat, particularly those involving loss of life or serious injury, almost embarrassing to the reader. You feel that you are eavesdropping on very private matters. Her extensive research and her own recollections as she was caught up in the thick of some of the heaviest fighting are compelling, gut-wrenching and, unfortunately, real. Her admission that on one occasion during a firefight her bowels turned to water and got the best of her is ample proof that that she walked the walk. Her description, witnessed up close and under fire, of the evacuation of fatally wounded Corporal Anthony Joseph Boneca, shot in the throat and bleeding on the dirt under her feet, exposes the reader to the gut-wrenching reality of close combat.
> 
> During three extensive stays with the Canadians in Afghanistan, Blatchford was able to penetrate the macho façade presented by soldiers in combat, and to see the cohesion and affection born of an obligation to those vets who have gone before them, and of an intense dedication to their fellow soldiers. Contrary to popular myth, soldiers don't risk their lives - and in some cases die - for God, Queen, country or even the regiment. They do so for their fellow soldiers, their buddies, frequently only a few meters away due to the tunnel vision generated by the rush of adrenalin when someone is trying to kill you.
> 
> Setting _Fifteen Days_ apart from many books on soldiers in combat over the ages is the linkage between encounters with the enemy in southern Afghanistan and the soldier's families, spread across the second-largest country in the world. Blatchford's hundreds of hours of interviews in Canada have produced a rare, intimate look at how individual families coped with an early-morning knock on the door, and the presence of a unit officer and a padre with devastating news, or having a vehicle chase down a father out for a jog with a request that he get in and return home because "the Army is at your house."
> 
> As someone who has been to Afghanistan visiting our troops a couple of times, I learned more about the performance of our soldiers from reading Blatchford's book then I did from being on the ground for short stays. After devouring the first few chapters, I was a bit irritated, because the descriptions of events was not in sequence. Once the penny dropped, I realized that each chapter stood on its own as a self-contained tribute to a particular group of soldiers and their families. I've never felt prouder of being Canadian than when I've had the pleasure of commanding, or, in the case of Afghanistan, observing Canadian soldiers performing their duties abroad. Fifteen Days reinforced that pride even more.
> 
> Bravo Zulu, Christie Blatchford.
> 
> _Major-General Lewis MacKenzie (ret'd) was the first commander of UNPROFOR's Sector Sarajevo at the start of the Bosnian civil war._



Given the tone of her news reports from Afghanistan I don’t think anyone thought Blatchford would be anything but fond and proud of the soldiers she covered. It appears to be a good Christmas gift choice.


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## observor 69

Reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act.

http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/273563


 Book delves into heart of mission

TheStar.com 

November 05, 2007 
Rosie DiManno

In the foreword of her new book, Christie Blatchford admits how hard it was to get started, just bringing the tale of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan under control and finding a narrative voice. 

I know she produced it in a spasm of writing over a period of just eight weeks. But it was a long time gestating in her head.

She didn't want it to be about her; she didn't want to get in the way of the narrative. 

Christie's there, though, on every page as reporter and observer and – testament to the immense trust the troops placed in her – as confidante.

Christie is the most honest journalist I know. And Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death From Inside the New Canadian Army resonates with truth.

You have to be there, on the ground, on the missions, under fire, in the claustrophobic Light Armoured Vehicles, to understand, even peripherally, how hard this all is: the thump of warfare, the dread of roadside bombs, the sweet, yet coppery smell of spilled blood, the banging of your own heart in your chest.

Soldiers rarely know from the big picture. That's not their job. Theirs is a keyhole view of combat; battles lost and won, this valley, that hill. They are marvelously apolitical.

I don't think Christie set out to justify Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan. She's not an academic or historian.

But whether inadvertently, or simply because that's where the incremental buildup of knowledge took her – the first-hand chronicling of events, the clear-eyed and unsentimental oral depositions from the troops, in vivid and cussing language – the pro-mission argument can be found here, with far more clarity and persuasion than either the government or the military establishment has managed.

There are some doubts expressed, by soldiers, not in themselves or in the military objective, but in the often dimly seen endgame, which is beyond their perspective. 

Several of the men and women readers will meet in these pages I had encountered in Afghanistan, earlier in their rotation. They were greener then, not yet battle-hardened, and probably leery of revealing too much of their private thoughts.

But Christie went back. Not just to Kandahar, where she spent three long tours last year – mostly with the Princess Patricias in Task Force Orion – but also to their bases and regiments and hometowns, met families, buddies, kin of the dead.

The framework of this book might be "Fifteen Days" – focusing on events key and representative – yet the exposition is more sweeping, infused with context, texture and candour.

Christie adores her men in uniform, that's always been apparent. But what's not to love about these guys? Stereotypes are quickly demolished. They're not dumb jarheads, if anybody still thinks that. They're bright and professional. They're thoughtful, kind and funny.

They also cherish one another, in a way likely incomprehensible to civilians.

Intense camaraderie within a platoon – keeping the faith each to each – is what gets them through episodic chaos and fear. How fortunate all of us would be, to have friends like this, and commanders – bosses – as wise, as worthy of respect, as those most extensively depicted in these pages: Lt.-Col. Ian Hope, Major Bill Fletcher, Major Nick Grimshaw, Capt. Nichola Goddard, and others.

Canadians should be proud – I believe they are – of all these fine soldiers, who want to be recognized not for what's been lost in Afghanistan, the fallen, but for what's been disinterred: a fighting army with traditions and values and valour.

Me, I'm proud of Christie, too, my great friend and daughter of the late, former Flight Lieut. Ross Blatchford. Somewhere, his buttons are bursting.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.


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## pbi

I've just started reading Fifteen Days. For some reason I out off buying it for a while, but now that I'm into it I'm already thinking about non-military family and acquaintances I could give to with the advice: "Here-read and see what we do."

Christie is one of the journalists (like Rosie DiManno and a few others) who proves that all the apples in the media world are not rotten: she is willing to appreciate us for what and who we are. The pity of it is that some people in her world probably regard her as having "gone native". If she gets our story out to the people of this country, past the barricades of defeatism and negative innuendo erected by some other members of her profession, by opposition politicians and by special interest groups, then IMHO we owe her.

Cheers


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## Babbling Brooks

I've put my own review up at The Torch:

http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/10/fifteen-days.html

I'm a big fan of Blatchford's (grinned for days like a puppy given a pat on the head when she told me she liked my writing), and so I wasn't surprised by how much I enjoyed the book.  It's like fifteen of her articles, only longer and more in-depth.

As others here have said, it's not a campaign history, it's a collection of personal stories.  If you go into it looking for X's and O's, you'll be disappointed.  Open the book looking to get to know some soldiers and their families a bit better, though, and you'll come away happy.

For me, the key element she brings to Canadian military journalism is that she makes ordinary citizens feel like they know the soldiers.  She makes them real to the reader.  That's an invaluable service.

Highly recommended.


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## MarkOttawa

Here's audio of Steve Madely's (CFRA, Ottawa) interview with Ms Blatchford about her book on the morning of Nov.13.  About twenty minutes, worth a listen.
http://www.cfra.com/chum_audio/Christie_Blatchford_Nov13.mp3

Mark
Ottawa


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## Freight_Train

Just got my copy today and am looking forward to the read.


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## Blakey

> This chilling video should not be missed! Christie Blatchford made several trips to Afghanistan as an embedded reporter for The Globe and Mail. Her book, Fifteen Days, is a remarkably respectful and intimate portrait of the men and women of the Canadian Forces serving there.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ByCpw8hcQ


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## MarkOttawa

Video here of Ms Blatchford on CBC Newsworld's "The Hour":
http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1787

Mark
Ottawa


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## MarkOttawa

Christie Blatchford on the Rock--audio from CBC Radio and Television in Newfoundland.  "Babylon with cellphones."
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/media/video/blatchford.ram

Moving.

Mark
Ottawa


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## Roy Harding

I am a Christie Blatchford fan, and frequent correspondent with her (hell - she has a standing offer of marriage from me, should I ever become a widower - an offer she's accepted, by the way - she's betting on my wife's longevity), so naturally I immediately bought this book when it came out.

I've read it.  And I'm disappointed.  I found three of the stories hard to follow - which is unusual for Christie - her writing is usually exceptionally well laid out and easy to follow - especially when the subject is complicated - that's what makes her such a good columnist.  The others failed to evoke the emotional response I have come to expect from Christie's writing - I didn't laugh, I didn't cry, I didn't become elated, I didn't become depressed, I didn't get pissed off - all reactions I'm accustomed to when reading her columns.

I think she rushed this one - perhaps under pressure from her publisher to get it out in time for the Christmas season, perhaps because of a desire to get it out while the events depicted were "fresh",  perhaps because of a cathartic need to get these things out from inside and down on paper - I don't know.  I think if she'd written the SAME book a year or two down the road, and without the rush she would have done a better job - then again what the hell do I know?

Parts of it were good reading - especially her description of, and obvious attachment to "Mooney".  Prior to her first trip I had advised her to "find a big Newf and attach yourself to him", advice she obviously took to heart, or at least learned the wisdom of in situ.

I wouldn't pay full price again for this book, a statement it pains me to make as Christie is a favourite of mine, and one I count as "friend".  Perhaps IFF it comes out in paperback I could recommend it - but as a hardcover, I can't.

For what it's worth, I've expressed the same sentiments to her.


Roy


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## 3VP Highlander

I just attended a luncheon where Christie Blatchford was the speaker.  Her comments about soldiers and what they do were from the heart and I am certain that they brought tears at some point to everyone in the room.  They did for me.  I will receive  the signed copy of her book under the Christmas tree and plan to start reading as soon as the house is empty on the 26th.


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## observor 69

I am over half way through "The Unexpected War, Canada in Kandahar" by Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang.
For my military taste it is the best book I have read in a long time. It lays out the chronological order of the decisions that led up to Canada being in Kandahar. Point being the decisions along the way were all affected by a number of factors not the medias screaming headline "Harper did it" or "Hillier got us into Kandahar."  For me it is the first time I have learned of the various pressures and players at work in NDHQ and government decisions.
Also great info on Hillier's thinking on the Canadian militarys future shape and role. 
Highly recommended. Great book to start dropping Xmas hints about !  ;D

Edit: spelling


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## George Wallace

Interesting.  I would think that much of what is being said or talked about, is still protected under the Official Secrets Act as classified material, and that we will not have access to much of those historical documents for a minimum of fifty or so years.


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## HItorMiss

Her description of September 3rd and the events surrounding Will Cushley's and Frank Mellish's deaths are completely inaccurate .... Other then that I have heard nothing but good things about the book. I plan on writing to Christie and setting the record straight as to the events that transpired at the ZL.


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## Judy

Baden  Guy said:
			
		

> I am over half way through "The Unexpected War, Canada in Kandahar" by Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang.



I got both of these books from amazon the other day.  Can't wait to start reading.


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## ladybugmabj

HitorMiss said:
			
		

> Her description of September 3rd and the events surrounding Will Cushley's and Frank Mellish's deaths are completely inaccurate .... Other then that I have heard nothing but good things about the book. I plan on writing to Christie and setting the record straight as to the events that transpired at the ZL.



HOM...hubby said the same thing...alot of inaccuracies in the story. As well, the picture in the chapter of Nov. 27...for CWO Girouard, you don't see Bobby...only his nose (that's from his wife!!) Interesting read, nonetheless.


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## HItorMiss

LBMJ

I contacted Christie and told her the most accurate rendition I could of the events. She passed on to me why she wrote what she did, I cam PM you her reply if you like.


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## RangerRay

I finished reading this book last night.  It was classic Christie Blatchford.  I really enjoyed it.  She is really good at conveying emotion in her writing.  But like some others have said, I wish there were more stories that focused on some of our victories.


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## Mike Bobbitt

*Fifteen Days*
By Christie Blatchford



		HTML:
	

<A HREF="http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385664660"><img src="http://www.randomhouse.ca/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780385664660&width=95" border="0" align="right"></a>

I've been reading this book over the past month or so, and have finally had a chance to put down a few thoughts about it. I've read the comments made here from others, but have tried my best not to let those colour my view - though admittedly they seemed to be bang on for the most part.

Many will recognize the author, Christie Blatchford, as a journalist for _The Globe and Mail_, often reporting on the Canadian Military and Afghanistan in recent years. In doing so, Christie made several visits to the country, often working as an embedded reporter alongside our soldiers outside the wire. _Fifteen Days_ is, quite simply, her personal account from fifteen select days which defined her experience there. They are not (necessarily) days of great strategic importance or even of note to others; this is her personal view of events and most definitely not meant to compete with a regimental history for example. Christie has focused on the places, the events and, mostly, the people which made these days significant to her.

The book is laid out with each day as a standalone chapter. While many of the names, places and even events from one flow into another, there is no need (with the exception of the last chapter - November 11th, 2006) to read them in order. In fact, they're not even laid out in chronological order, a fact which I found oddly confusing. Granted, each chapter covers a long trail of events leading up to (and falling out from) the "day" in question so it would be hard to order them logically, but I found the current layout unintuitive and at times, fractured. Frankly, I found the book downright bewildering on several occasions, due in part to the frequent jumping around. It almost seemed at times that the editing phase was rushed or skipped all together.

Thankfully, this impression didn't cloud things too often or deeply. _Fifteen Days_ is compelling reading right from the start precisely because it *isn't* an over-analysed colourless lecture on Afghanistan. It's about the soldiers first; about their lives at home, their families, their likes and dislikes, but never about tactics or lessons learned. This personal approach is why I recommend this book to anyone who wants to put a human face on the mission. No, you won't come away with a high-level understanding of any of the Panjwai battles, but you'll feel like you've been introduced to a few of the people who fought in them.

As others have pointed out, I found that Christie focused a bit too much on the cost of the mission, and too little on the value. On the flipside, she never flinched from telling the story as she saw it, putting names to successes and failures where she felt they were earned. I found it refreshingly honest.

A map, index and glossary are included but honestly, since _Fifteen Days_ is more of a personal memoir than a reference book, they're unlikely to be used much. The photos and quotes however add some depth to an already "personal" feel, and are a nice touch.

I read _Fifteen Days_ from the perspective of an "informed civilian". That is, what I know about Afghanistan and the mission is all second hand - from the media, friends/family and of course, from posts here. Among other things, this means that I am completely unqualified to comment on the controversy surrounding the accuracy of events, I'll leave that to the BTDT crowd. I will only say that Christie provides the most _complete_ description that I've read for most events to date. Is it better to provide the Canadian public with a thorough but at times wrong account of our soldiers' actions in Afghanistan, or none at all? That's a call everyone has to make for themselves I guess.

In summary, I think _Fifteen Days_ is a must read for all Canadians. For folks like me it is a rare peek into the very human side of the mission, and for those more intimately involved, hopefully it will stand as a permanent record of their work. Soldiers aren't wont to brag even when they do remarkable things, but Christie Blatchford does a damn good job on their behalf.

*Additional Notes*


Official book web site
ISBN 978-0-385-66466-0 (0-385-66466-4)
Price: $34.95
About Christie Blatchford


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## LordOsborne

I personally thought the book was fantastic, and I do reccommend it to my friends to read. My parents obviously though i should read it too, so they accidentally bought me a second copy for xmas


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## Judy

Finished reading today.  I really, really, enjoyed it, and it moved me in many parts.  Reading it on the plane, with tears streaming down my cheeks.  

A couple things I didn't like - her lack of use of rank in certain places annoyed me, and I found her writing style hard to follow in certain places. 

Otherwise, I thought it was an excellent read.  Even as someone in the CF, it opened my eyes to the things that are really going on over there.  I have a lot of friends in KAF, but don't hear any of these type of stories, so I can't imagine the civilian perspective of the mission in Afghanistan.


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## Flip

I finally finished it over the holidays.
I found it profound and moving.
A fine tribute.



> As others have pointed out, I found that Christie focused a bit too much on the cost of the mission, and too little on the value.



+1 Mike. But I think it was the nature of the book and what she intended. I think a tribute.

It was fascinating to read who was a"good guy" and who was not. Remarkable candor!
I wouldn't expect to get some of those insights in any written form.

All I can say is Well done Christie!
This one sits on my sacred texts shelf.


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## kr1kit

I just finished the book, it's amazing. It really gives a respect to the soldiers that they so badly deserve.


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## Teflon

Just finished it yesterday, a read I truely enjoyed and plan to provide copies for my civi love ones so that they might have another voice to try to explain "what it was like over there" since my voice isn't always the best at such things.


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## Penny

After reading the first few reviews on this site I asked for a copy for Christmas and got it. 
Happy to see the reviews were on the mark. Thanks for the tip.


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## 3VP Highlander

I just finished reading the book.  It was outstanding, but very emotional reading.  Brought back a lot of memories and well worth reading.


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## Spartan

Definitely a very good read. I rather liked the personal feel to it - made it a very quick read. 
And the personal feel added to the event details and upfront graphicness of the novel.


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## jimb

Sparton .....................A slight  correction, if you don't mind..........

It isn't a NOVEL, that would be a work of fiction, made up by the author.

 It is a work of facts and opinions. And some very hard realities.

In my opinion, it should be mandatory reading ,  in every Canadian grade 12 class.

Jim B. Toronto.


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## Roy Harding

jimb said:
			
		

> Sparton .....................A slight  correction, if you don't mind..........
> 
> It isn't a NOVEL, that would be a work of fiction, made up by the author.
> 
> It is a work of facts and opinions. And some very hard realities.
> 
> In my opinion, it should be mandatory reading ,  in every Canadian grade 12 class.
> 
> Jim B. Toronto.



Actually, jimb - I thought the same thing, and was going to post a very similar sentiment - but I looked it up, first (http://www.bartleby.com/61/99/N0139900.html):



> The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000.
> 
> nonfiction novel
> 
> NOUN:	A factual or historical narrative written in the form of a novel: Truman Capote's In Cold Blood is a nonfiction novel.



Live and learn, eh?


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## James

I saw this book a few weeks ago and was intrigued by it. While at the mall yesterday, I saw it again and decided to pick it up. I'll probably start reading it tomorrow. I wanted to come on here first and see what some of you guys thought of it. Good to hear that you guys recommend it. If I enjoy it, I'll probably let my father borrow it (he works at GDLS).


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## Redeye

I quite enjoyed it and have circulated my copy amongst friends and colleagues - though with the caveats from here that it might not all be true - but not deliberately false - just based on Christie Blatchford's encounters.  That said, the book was a great read, well put together and I think it was a great piece overall to let the public a bit more in to the humanity of the men and women who they see in the news.  I've had the honour of having Capt Schamuhn as a section commander at Charm School the Infantry School and it was amazing to read the stories of his tour - told almost exactly as he shared them with us.  When I first joined I also met CWO Girouard (then RSM of the School) and found him rather - well - terrifying - but the model of what an RSM should be.  To learn so much more of the rest of his life and what a great man he really was also something this book was.  To have an accessible tribute to those sorts of people is good.

Wow, that sounds like a paid shill, grousing, or both.  To sum up, definitely worth the read, when my copy finishes circulating I might see about donating it to a local high school library as it would be a good read for students who aren't getting enough information on what Canada does in the world.


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## Flip

> To sum up, definitely worth the read, when my copy finishes circulating I might see about donating it to a local high school library as it would be a good read for students who aren't getting enough information on what Canada does in the world.



I'm keeping my copy!

Maybe we should all just buy second copy for schools and libraries....


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## OkotoksRookie

Best read I've had in years!
At the end she mentions that she had numerous other stories that she couldn't fit in the book. One can hope she decides to publish those as well.


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## Gunner98

I read this book with high expectations and it did not meet all of them.  I would be interested to know if those who were quoted extensively, after its publication, felt that she became too personally involved in their lives through her comments and restating of the thoughts of the family members and friends. I am sure there were clearances prior to publication, but how do they feel months later?

I would be upset to think that a reporter would publish the events surrounding my final moments and then trace the reactions all of the way to the wake/party commentary.  IMHO she pushed beyond the envelope by publishing the content of personal letters, family conversations, and the commanders’ conversations.  Yes it sheds like on the events but...I found that the flow of each day's story were confusing at times. It made me wonder how often she had the tape recorder running in her pocket without the knowledge of those around her.  I know, once imbedded, nothing is off the record.

Do I think people should read it – yes.

I think a lot of valuable info was left in the Editor's recycle bin/waste basket.  Are 358 pages really enough to tell the story of 15 important days?  I did not feel there was enough of a balance between factual, anecdotal and personal.


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## Springroll

After reading the reviews on here, I ventured out last night and bought it. 
Started reading it today, and so far am very pleased with the purchase. 

My son has already laid dibs on reading it when I am done!


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## vonGarvin

Redeye said:
			
		

> When I first joined I also met CWO Girouard (then RSM of the School) and found him rather - well - terrifying - but the model of what an RSM should be.


CWO Girouard was never RSM of the School.  You must be thinking of someone else.  Charlebois, maybe?


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## Redeye

Was he a CSM of C Coy then in 2001?  He was there - I will never forget it!


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## Springroll

Almost done the book....only a couple chapters to go.

I must say that this has been one of the best ones I have read in a long time. 
Times where I laughed. 
Times where I cried, and times where I sat there thinking WTF???

Not only is my son gonna start reading it, but my brother's girlfriend really wants to dig into it too, after I told her mom about it, and her mom read it and fell in love with it. She said it was about time something like this was published from this perspective(her husband is a padre).

Thanks again to all of you for this thread. 
Without it, I never would have found this book.


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## ReconWO

Redeye said:
			
		

> Was he a CSM of C Coy then in 2001?  He was there - I will never forget it!



He was our CSM for the Adv Small Arms course in 2000, name of the Coy I could not tell you.


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## vonGarvin

ReconWO said:
			
		

> He was our CSM for the Adv Small Arms course in 2000, name of the Coy I could not tell you.


That must have been C Coy, which also does CAP (aka "Phase 2" for us old buggers)


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## Redeye

That would be it - this was 2001 and I was on Phase II so that's where he fits into the picture.  He definitely left an impression on me that ultimately was very positive.


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## timma

Just finished the book today and loved it. I couldn't put it down. It's good  for those who want to get a look at the lives of soldiers and their families and  I liked reading about the battles that took place. The only downside was that it wasn't in chronological order and made it confusing at times. Overall ,a good read and I'm going to recommend it to my friends and family.


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## Fraser

I only got like 50 pages to go, should be done this week. I loved this book, the next book i am going to be reading is Outside the Wire.

In 15 Days they mention On Combat and On Killing, I have bought these book and I have read a few pages from each and they seem like they should read by anyone to Afghanistan, or anyone coming back from Afghanistan.


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## jeffb

Fraser said:
			
		

> I only got like 50 pages to go, should be done this week. I loved this book, the next book i am going to be reading is Outside the Wire.
> 
> In 15 Days they mention On Combat and On Killing, I have bought these book and I have read a few pages from each and they seem like they should read by anyone to Afghanistan, or anyone coming back from Afghanistan.



I have read all 4 recently, getting ready for BMOQ, and I found On Combat and On Killing especially interesting.


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## infamous_p

For those of you who have read Outside the Wire, what did you think?


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## Mike Bobbitt

There's a thread on that book too, here:

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/69212.0.html

Cheers
Mike


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## siege

Another good read is house to house, its a book about the US military in Falujiah (excuse my spelling).  Written by a soldier who was there and his memories about time in Iraq, i bought it in an ariport in dallas on my way to brazil, and i didnt put it down all the way there, im almost done and it has kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.  It is very graphi and real.  A must read from my perspective.


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## The Bread Guy

Congrats to Christie on this one...


> ....Non-fiction
> 
> Christie Blatchford, Toronto, Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army.
> (Doubleday Canada)
> Christie Blatchford's Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army is a dramatic and vivid chronicle that proves reportage and the language of common speech can rise to the challenge of literature. Blatchford's writing allows the soldiers and their families to speak to us in their own voices, without adornment ....


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## adahmani

Another 100 pages and i am done reading this amazing book. 

This book is the reason why i am going to join the Canadian Forces!

To you men and women in the Canadians Forces thank you


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