Excursion to Hell: Mount Longdon, a Universal Story of Battle

by Vincent Bramley

Book Overview

Vincent Bramley's account of his experiences in the Falklands campaign is a universal story that transcends time and place. Such stories are rarely committed to paper and never as candidly as this. Mount Longdon will stand as the testament of common soldiers throughout history, caught up in wars not of their own making, of how they cope - or in many cases fail to cope - with fatigue, fear, aggression, carnage and death. It is a story filled with compassion...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0747509530
• ISBN13: 9780747509530
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square Publishing
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

unforgettable

This book had more impact on me than any other battle account I have ever read. It's an account of a vicious fight by soldiers who had the best training but no previous experience of the reality of war. Vince Bramley later wrote a follow-up, '2 Sides of Hell' based on the experience of some of his friends, and some Argentina soldiers who fought against them. I have seen translations of both books in shops in Buenos Aires. Vince Bramley is a guy I'd like to meet.After reading these books, war fiction books are suddenly much less interesting.

Longdon Relived

I served with the RAF in the Falklands between 1996-97. During a Sunday afternoon walk to Mt Longdon I met 2 men on electrical contract work for 4 months. One was Vince(nt Bramley) and the other Dom(inic Gray). Having briefly chatted with them they invited me to walk their battle the following Sunday. Wow! What a humbling experience. Only after the end of the walk did he tell me that he had written a (this) book. Reading it again 4 years on it still has the same impact. Vince is an honest and candid man. Having been there, you cannot underestimate the cold, the damp, the barren and harsh terrain, the unforgiving ground and unbelievably,how dark it can become with no light pollution. The battle itself must have been horrific, let alone the TAB before hand, which in itself was a superhuman effort. Well done Vince. You have written a frank account of something that (thankfully) most do not have to do. It is a fitting and lasting tribute to your colleagues.

A long time ago!

I read the book as soon as it was published. I presume I was one of many hungering for the book as I knew vince bramley personally, although he himself will mostprobably not remeber me.He was a L/CPL in the trg BN that I did my basic training in, in 1990. I had a face and a voice to go with the book! As a young soldier the book gripped and excited me, it made me fearful and thoughtful.In hindsight the book was good for me in one way: as a soldier it opened my eyes to the extent that war was not glamourous and very dangerous indeed, through personal experience later in my service I thought back to when I bought the book and my thoughts were: "HOW TRUE".Excellent book!!

A real excursion to war, the worst hell on Earth

I'd like to recommend this book because it means a lot to me. As a argentinian that I am it touched my feelings and the way the author describes his story is impressing. You can actually feel that you are at war and afraid to die. As himself describes usually soldiers' stories are not told, and they dies with the people who fought. This book is exactly what it takes to show how stupid are human beings solving troubles by killing each others.

politically sensitive expose of the falklands conflict 1982

'they' tried to ban this book, but bravo to mr bramley for telling it as he saw it. The parachute regiments airborne capabilities are sunk by a french made missile, and times are about get tougher for these para's. Faced with a horrendous march and battle at the end of it, you know the reluctant defenders fear that they are no match. From the moment they are in range of the Argentinian artillary, the graphic realism and (to some)shocking details of adrenaline and fear let loose in the same moment, make for a compeling account of the human experience, when instant death is possible at any time. A revealing no-nonsense must read for those who think joining the armed forces, is 'all about a lot of marching'. Be thankful to Bramley if that's all it is.