Along the Swift River

This novel is the third in a series following two characters through the wars of the Blair/Brown period of government. It's 2009, and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Rawlins has been offered something he has always dreamed of: command of a battalion on operations in Afghanistan. But has he considered the personal cost of his ambition? And will his past decisions come back to haunt him? "We never failed at any task. We did everything we were asked to do. But it was never quite enough." The sequel to In the Shadow of the Mountain and Sunrise in the Valley, this novel brilliantly captures how the British soldier fights on despite the lack of political guidance, the impossibility of the war, and the absurdity of a `war on terror.' Review At the heart of this story is one man's hunger for advancement. But having won his promotion the lead character finds himself in an impossible situation: under resourced, lacking guidance, and barely able to understand the complexities of his environment. Along the Swift River uses a diary format to truly show the pressures of operational command in modern warfare. It highlights how the Afghanistan campaign of 2002 to 2014 was fought with tenacity and courage by the British soldier but within a context of poor or contradictory political guidance. In his third novel, Fergus Smith picks up the story of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Rawlins, a character who had a supporting role in the two previous novels. Readers will connect with his strength, sense of duty, and determination to win. Through these attributes, however, they will also see why, ultimately, he fails. About the Author The author served for 12 years in The Parachute Regiment. He now writes and consults about personal and organisational change.