I WISH I'D READ ... STRIKE BACK

THIS IS BRIEFLY THE PLOT. Two soldiers: one a celebrated military hero and the other a broken veteran living in the gutters of London. Their paths last crossed nearly twenty years ago. Now, amidst a hostage crisis in the Middle East, their lives are about to collide again. And the Strike Back is about to begin. John Porter  was involved in a hostage raid in Lebanon in 1989. The raid went disastrously wrong; several Regiment men died. John spared the life of a Lebanese fighter and blames himself for the deaths. Struggling to come to terms with the past, John has hit the bottle and is sleeping rough.Colonel Peregrine Collinson was involved in the same raid. Unbeknownst to his colleagues, it was Peregrine's fault that the mission went wrong. He was awarded a Military Cross and is heralded as a military hero for something he didn't do. After the disastrous raid, the lives of the two men couldn't have been further apart. Until now. A hostage crisis in the Middle East draws the enemies back together again. Who will be the hero this time...

If you had met me only few months ago and told me I might read this book in my future life I would have laughed at you. A military story?!? A best – seller based on action and a very simple plot addressed , evidently, to a male audience?!? Instead...

Record time for my usual reading style. I completed it in only two night reading sessions . I simply could not put it down: just one more chapter, ok one more, and then another … I turned the lights off at 2.a.m. twice and it was over.
 Few months ago I started wishing reading it, (Why? Have you seen the handsome man smiling at you in the pic next to the book cover?) only I didn’t dare buying such a book. And if I wouldn’t like it? But, as it has often happened in my recent life, my little fairy "felt" my secret dream and asked : “Why don’t you read Strike Back, it is Richard Armitage ‘s next TV work and you like him so much”? ( How does she know?) And she added: “You can borrow my copy and read it when you have some time …”

That's it. That’s how ( ... and why ...) I came to read it during the recent holidays and here I am to tell you about it.

Nothing particularly clever in this story, a very simple plot with bad guys and a good guy (what a Guy!), well – written (already winking at a camera), compelling and with a quick pace, perfect to be read on the beach, on the train or bus, queueing at the post office or waiting for your turn at the dentist. Only it is difficult to stop once you start so … pay attention to what you have to do in the following hours...You may forget, be late or find yourself in embarassing situations. Maybe the fact that I could see in my "inward eye" John Porter's tall figure, dark hair and piercing blue eyes just like this (see photos) influenced my good disposition toward such a book.

Imagine reading these words with these pictures in mind: "From the corridor behind him, Porter could hear the rattle of gunfire, and then the sound of a man screaming. Without pausing to think, he held his rifle in his left hand, balanced himself, then threw his entire weight into the wooden doorway. As it flung open, ..." (p. 12)

"Her hand was almost touching his now. Porter let his right hand stretch out, his fingers creeping across the bedding, until slowly they reached hers . He could feel the warmth of her skin against his ..." (p. 126)

Well, let's say I may have been influenced, a bit, not much.And let's admit that, since I've read so many books, I can recognize this is not a masterpiece classic reading but , anyhow, it is a good pleasant read.

I wished I'd read it , I did it and  ... I'm glad of that.

 By the way, did I tell you this is also my RA Friday Post for this week?

P.S. I just wonder, how can they make 6 episodes from this story? They must have added characters and subplots. Furthermore, why did they change the name of John Porter's nemesis from Peregrine to Hugh Collinson? Peregrine was just the right name for such a hateful character! I can't wait to see Sky 1STRIKE BACK in April. The scenes I most long for ... those with John and his teenage daughter, Sally, those must be very touching... and what about those  about John's painful descent to hell , guilt-ridden and haunted? I hope they won't change these parts too much: I loved them.

RELATED POSTS , SITES AND MATERIALS

Strike Back on FHS

Richard Armitage strikes back: One more John

Chris Ryan's site

Chris Ryan on wikipedia