A Few Deeds Short of a Hero - Tapa dura

Robert Widders served in all three branches of the armed services; the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF. A Few Deeds Short of a Hero tracks his life from childhood through naval service in the NATO rapid response Atlantic Squadron during the Cold War, through Army military manoeuvres in German, with the Royal Tank Regiment, and active service in RAF Field Hospitals during the Gulf War. Through his life-long service and brief period AWOL, for which he served military imprisonment, he paints a colourful picture of both the boredom and tragedy of war, interspersed with the shenanigans of a young man sliding towards alcoholism, and a penchant for feats of physical endurance including running the Bahrain Marathon and expeditions to both the Sahara and Mount Everest base camp. Widders has emerged on the other side of conflict and a life shaped by the military as a balanced individual despite the trials of war. He maintains his experiences have only made him stronger.