Making A Killing: The Explosive Story of a Hired Gun in Iraq - Tapa dura

In the tradition of Andy McNab’s Bravo Two Zero comes an explosive insider’s account of life as a private soldier in Iraq. In September 2003, James 'Ash' Ashcroft, a former British Infantry captain who served in West Belfast and Bosnia, landed in Iraq as a 'gun for hire'. It was the beginning of an 18-month journey into blood and chaos. In Making a Killing, Ashcroft provides a first-hand view of the secret world of private security where ex-soldiers employed to protect US and British interests can make up to $1000 a day. But he also reveals a new kind of warfare where the rules are still being written. Although hostilities are officially over, the fighting goes on. Scores of US soldiers are dying every day and Coalition Forces are struggling to defend their own bases, let alone bring order. And the death of every insurgent killed only recruits a dozen more to fight Western forces.

The rebel in the centre carried an RPG on his shoulder; it cracked noisily as he released the rocket ... I trained my front sight on the insurgent to the left and squeezed the trigger as he was bringing his weapon to bear. I gave him a triple tap. He definitely went down as I saw the blood spray from one headshot; pure luck, I was trying to put all three in his chest.