Catching Up On My Reading 15 - SAS Rogue Heroes,

 Now I have had this book since it came out in 2016 - my wife bought it for me back then and yes I have read it . So this is really a re-reading. I did this because I wanted to compare it with the TV Drama of the same name and vaguely the same subject. For the record I find the drama entertaining, but also quite irritating, historically speaking, the way it fudges and distorts and misinforms for dramatic effect but then as it is a drama with a different target why would I expect anything else?.

 Dramas often have to be simple- like the target audience! After all the punters need to know what they are buying. But sometimes the dumbing down and fictionalising  goes to far in order to fit the formula that the punters will buy into. This is especially true of the TV drama very very loosely based on MacIntyre's rather good book. Take the 'Benghazi raid' of episode 5 of the drama Yes Randolf Churchill was there  No there was no firefight. No they did not dress up in German Uniform . The true version is in the book and frankly is a better story than the violent crap on the screen but the TV director seems to want to cater to an audience that have the attention span of a backward haddock and need to be 'stimulated' by loud noises and bright lights every minute or so .

The book of course is far better than that in the same way a painting in the gallery is better than a postcard of it in the gif shop.

The evolution of the SAS is explained in some detail  with the development from L Detachment to two  British regiments two French and a Belgian . outlined and with no small amount of courage and sheer lunacy and horror - but without the gloating tone of the TV images. Yes some of the incidents of the SAS's desert war are 'reported' with some truth  in the drama but many even if mentioned were telescoped and trivialised . However the book has a seriousness which the drama conspicuously lacked. To portray the early SAS simply  as a bunch of irresponsible pirates is to give them less than their due.

 Mackintyre DOES NOT do this in his excellent book so bin the TV series and read the words- even if you have to use your fingers for the longer ones ! 

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas - again and again.

Well Dudes it is that time of year once again.

 The time for nauseating sentimentality and culinary over indulgence . Yes Chaps and Chapeeses, Dudes and Dudettes it is Christmas once again - only seems like 6 months since the last one came by.

Now regular readers will know my opinion of much of the fol-de-rol and fiddle-de-dee of this time of year. Which bits I like and which bits cause me to wish for the magical appearance of an AK-47 in my hands -and yes I am aware of the irony in that statement- especially since we are supposedly now heading towards 'Christmas Magic'  Ah well.

No, as per usual Carole and I are looking forward to a few days off, a bit of P and Q to recharge the  worn down batteries.

So, to that end the last posting date will be  Tuesday December 20th. Now with the assorted postal strikes we cannot say stuff posted on that day will or indeed will not arrive in time- remember there is a strike  on the 23rd- but that is the last date in 2022 that I will be lugging a bag of parcels through the post office door.

Normal service will resume on January 4th 2023.

The website will still be open but no parcels will go out after the 20th December or before January 4th .

Don't know about you but I am looking forward to a bit of a breather. 

 So here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas (or indeed any other once religious now marketing holiday you may choose to celebrate)and here's hoping for a happy new Year.