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The release of this book is timely, given that this was International Men’s Health Week (June 15-21).
War Dogs by Shane Bryant and Tony Park delves into a so-far under-reported mental health issue - the prevalence of PTSD among civilian contractors serving in war zones.
War Dogs, a riveting true-life tale of fearless explosive detection dogs and their equally brave handlers during the war in Afghanistan, also exposes the sleeping issue of post traumatic stress disorder in civilian contractors engaged in modern warfare.
A report by the Rand Corporation in the US found that contractors were twice as likely to suffer PTSD than uniformed military veterans, yet they do not have access to the same levels of healthcare and support.
The book tells the story of Shane Bryant, a former Australian Army and police dog handler from the Illawarra in NSW, who served 10 years as a private military contractor in Afghanistan, initially on active service with the US military.
First released in 2010, this expanded edition of War Dogs now tells the story of Shane’s own battle with PTSD, brought on by repeated exposure to combat, and one particularly terrifying incident where Shane was nearly executed in cold blood.
Shane’s story was brought to light by co-writer Tony Park, a fellow Afghanistan veteran and the author of 18 thriller novels set in Africa.
Although a foreign civilian, Shane’s service in Afghanistan began with attachments to elite US Army Special Forces A Teams in Uruzgan Province.
War Dogs is also very much the story of Ricky and Benny, two plucky explosive detection dogs, and the bonds that form between working dogs and their handlers.
Shane, Ricky and Benny and their human and animal friends seek out deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and get caught in fire fights with the Taliban. The insidious nature of this war without frontlines is brought home to Shane and his US brothers in arms when an undercover suicide bomber is discovered in their base.
Back home in Australia Shane finds that commuting to and from a war zone over 10 years takes its toll on his relationships, and his children. He’s torn between having a sense of purpose in Afghanistan, and not being around for his loved ones.
While uniformed military personnel deploy for fixed periods, War Dogs shows that the world’s new breed of contract warriors – like Shane - often sign up for a seemingly never ending tour of duty that almost inevitably takes its toll.
War Dogs (print edition) is available online (from Amazon, Dymocks, Booktopia etc.) and book stores next week and there is also a Kindle edition.
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: AJP (15 July 2020)
Price: $29.99
E-book: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 230 pages
Publisher: AJP (9 June 2020)
Price: $10.99
For more information, please visit www.tonypark.net;
Facebook: @wardogsbook or Instagram: @war_dogs_international
MEDIA RELEASE, 18th June 2020
Shane, Ricky and Benny and their human and animal friends seek out deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and get caught in fire fights with the Taliban. The insidious nature of this war without frontlines is brought home to Shane and his US brothers in arms when an undercover suicide bomber is discovered in their base.
Back home in Australia Shane finds that commuting to and from a war zone over 10 years takes its toll on his relationships, and his children. He’s torn between having a sense of purpose in Afghanistan, and not being around for his loved ones.
While uniformed military personnel deploy for fixed periods, War Dogs shows that the world’s new breed of contract warriors – like Shane - often sign up for a seemingly never ending tour of duty that almost inevitably takes its toll.
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: AJP (15 July 2020)
Price: $29.99
E-book: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 230 pages
Publisher: AJP (9 June 2020)
Price: $10.99
For more information, please visit www.tonypark.net;
Facebook: @wardogsbook or Instagram: @war_dogs_international
MEDIA RELEASE, 18th June 2020
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