A pleasure to read and nearly impossible to put down.Army TimesEmbodies an experience that many have enjoyed in fantasyfew in reality.The Washington PostThe French Foreign Legionmysterious, romantic, deadlyis filled with men of dubious character, and hardly the place for a proper Englishman just nineteen years of age. Yet in 1960, Simon Murray traveled alone to Paris, Marseilles, and ultimately Algeria to fulfill the toughest contract of his life: a five-year stint in the Legion. Along the way, he kept a diary.Legionnaire is a compelling, firsthand account of Murrays experience with this legendary band of soldiers. This gripping journal offers stark evidence that the Legions reputation for pushing men to their breaking points and beyond is well deserved. In the fierce, sun-baked North African desert, strong men cracked under brutal officers, merciless training methods, and barbarous punishments. Yet Murray survived, even thrived. For he shared one trait with these hard men from all nations and backgrounds: a determination never to surrender.The drama, excitement, and color of a good guts-and-glory thriller.Dr. Henry KissingerFrom the Paperback edition.