With the Paras in Helmand

Craig Allen, a Paratrooper for 29 years, returned to 2 PARA as a reservist and unofficial photographer for the Battlegroups dramatic 2008 Tour in Helmand.

As both a respected soldier and photographer he had unrivalled access to the fighting and moved from area to area following the action. Every evening he wrote up his experiences and those of the men he was with, whose trust he had as a member of the club. He had a ringside seat to a very costly summer tour, with the Taliban proving themselves worthy enemies to even the most elite British Army soldiers.

His story tells in superb action photographs and no-nonsense prose of the hardships, courage, fears and cost suffered by front line soldiers over prolonged periods. He captures the colour of life and death in Afghanistan for both combatants and the luckless civilian population caught up in this vicious spiral of war.

An unforgettable book which has true visual appeal.