Six Months without Sundays

Helmand Province, Afghanistan, 2010: the British campaign is in its fifth summer and entering an arduous new phase. British soldiers must partner Afghan forces, protect and win over a sceptical population as well as battle a tenacious enemy. Their weapons will be agricultural handouts and new roads rather than bombs and artillery. It is a controversial plan, not least for the soldiers, some only eighteen years old, who patrol through fields laced with mines and endure sniper-fire in their makeshift checkpoints. Who are these young troops? Trained for war, can they switch to this new reality? What cost will the campaign have on soldiers and civilians alike? Are the Afghan forces and government viable in the eyes of the local people? Is this even the right plan? To answer these questions, Max Benitz spent months living and training with the soldiers in this world-renowned battalion and was allowed a unique look into their lives.
His books provides an intimate and insightful picture of this controversial war: the war-weary locals who hedge their bets, the frustrations of battling a skilled and seemingly invisible enemy, and, above all, the resilience, talent and humour of the soldiers.