Legionnaire: An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion [Mass Market Paperback]

Simon Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2003

Simon Murray was nineteen when he joined the French Foreign Legion. Inspired by the romantic myths of Beau Geste, he found himself in the ranks of one of the world's greatest - and toughest - fighting forces. He kept a unique diary of the hard living, harsh discipline, and the military tradition of 'March or Die' which he turned into this gripping book. "Simon Murray's personal account of a gently reared, well-educated British youth's coming of age in the French Foreign Legion has the drama, excitement and colour of a good guts-and-glory thriller ...Murray is a talented storyteller, and his fellow legionnaires and their disciplined and proud Corps are vividly portrayed. I was hooked from the first page." - Dr Henry Kissinger. "One of the greatest adventure stories in recent years." - Chris Patten.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon Murray follows paths the rest of us only dream of. After his adventures in the Legion, he became part of the team that set up the mobile telephone company, Orange. His own highly successful investment company specialises in Far Eastern futures and he has been a 'Taipan' for the biggest Hongs in Hong Kong. Murray's friends read like a list of Who's Who. An enthusiastic jet-setter, Murray has homes in the Dordogne, Somerset, Klosters, Phuket, Hong Kong and London.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan; 2nd edition (February 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330485806
• ISBN-13: 978-0330485807
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DIARY OF AN INTELLIGENT MAN OF ACTION, May 29, 2000

By 

Bill Fitzpatrick (Natick, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Legionnaire: An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books I have ever read on what it means to be a soldier - not someone wearing a uniform and doing a job for a paycheck but a real soldier.

Being intelligent and tough are two good things and Simon Murray is both. When you read of this man's character, formed in his early twenties, you have little doubt of the leadership ability which led to business success.

Simon Murray is a man of action.

Very well written. Very readable. 1. It should be back in print. 2. Simon Murray should write a business book!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Low key adventure, April 14, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Legionnaire: An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion (Mass Market Paperback)

This book puts "Beau Geste" to shame, becuase of his straightforward matter of fact style you do not realize what a great story it is and how remarkable Murray is until about 2/3 of the way through. Murray actually describes the beginning of the transformation of the legion from the old brutal force to the slightly less brutal modern rapid deployment force that spearheads today's French Army. His grunts view of the Algerian general's attempted coup against DeGaulle is all too brief.
I have read elsewhere that after this book came out in the early 1980's British enlistment in the Legion went way up. English Legionnaires were referred to as SMS's, Simon Murray specials. Thats the best endorsement I can think of.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Autobiography that reads like a novel, May 26, 2004

By 

Brooks F. Bossong (Winston-Salem, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legionnaire: An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the compelling account of a young man who enlisted in the Foreign Legion. His trials and adventures take place in Algeria in the early 60s when France was reluctantly and painfully loosening its grip on this hot spot. The book is actually a diary which the author faithfully maintained over his five grueling years in the Legion. His account is captivating--a first rate novelist would be hard pressed to produce a story with as much force, sensitivity and depth of characterization. I don't know if the author has written other works. If he hasn't, I hope he takes up the pen again when he retires from his successful career in business.