Mouthful of Rocks (Jennings) [Paperback]

Christian Jennings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 26, 1990 | Series: Jennings

An account of the author's experiences in the French Foreign Legion. He was attached to the Amphibious Warfare Company in East Africa where he deserted before being recaptured by native bounty hunters and jailed. Returning to Europe in 1986 he deserted again, this time reaching Britain. Christian Jennings is one of 11 children, is now in his mid twenties, and is a freelance journalist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury (March 26, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747505799
• ISBN-13: 978-0747505792
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,256,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting view of another legionnaire, January 23, 2004

By 

Alberto Alvarez Ruiz (Madrid Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mouthful of Rocks (Jennings) (Paperback)

I have not served in the French Foreign Legion and I cannot say whether the details of his life there were true or not, but after reading it all I can say is that I enjoyed it. I had previously read three books about English-speaking legionnaires: Henry Ainley who joined in 1950, Simon Murray, who joined in 1960 and Evan McGormand in 1989. All of them finished their initial time there (Henry Ainley couldn't because of disease but never tried to desert) and all of them had a hard time and regretted having joined shortly after starting their basic training. What I am trying to say is that even Simon Murray, who is praised in one of the reviews by someone who gives a bad account of Chris Jennings's book, had a rough time there and saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the five year ended. Unfortunately for Chris Jennings, his mind cracked up very soon, most probably (as he himself puts it) because his own mind was not very stable by the time he joined and the comfortable background where he came from.
Another of the reviewers states he was there at that time and was even mentioned in Jennings's book, and calls Jennings a liar. That is probably also true, because Jennings himself owns up to lying to people very often, but anyway I found the book amusing and well enough written. All of us usually have read books from people from every walk of life, different personalities and sensibilities. Chris Jennings perhaps wanted to be a soldier in a crack unit in order to prove something to himself, but he was not made for that kind of life. Here is the account of the wrong person in the wrong job. He probably represents a big percentage of the people who get to the Foreign Legion recruiting office.
If you want to read a gung-ho book, of course this is not the right book.

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Drivel, January 6, 2004

By 

Nick Hughes (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mouthful of Rocks (Jennings) (Paperback)

I served in the Legion at the same time as the author...in fact we went to the induction center at exactly the same time and I get a mention in his book.
Unfortunately, while the book is well written, the content is a collection of gross exagerations and outright lies.
The author didn't like the Legion which is why he attempted to desert so many times (most people pull it off on the first attempt) so don't read the book if you want an accurate recording of what goes on and realize if you do read it, that the author is writing a very jaded account.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this before you think of joining the Foreign Legion!, September 20, 2003

By 

Neil Coleman (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mouthful of Rocks (Hardcover)

I found this biograpy of Christian Jennings, a former member of the 2eme Regiment Etranger De Parachutistes (3rd Company), at the city library. I am glad that I had run across this book before I had found the book by Howard R. Simpson, "The Paratroopers of the French Foreign Legion", because Jennings reminded me of things (the constant bull**** during basic training and the drinking and screwing off by other shipmates at my command) that I wished I had known to take place before I had joined the U.S. NAVY... if I had known these things I may have not wanted to join.
However, Jennings's book does detail his time spent in the French Forgein Legion which took place about twenty years ago, it is a little hard to read at times since he forshadows events in his life. Though this book is still worth reading, if you are into history or just a good story, since I found it hard to put down, because of my interest in what basic training was like.
Though I am now thinking twice about joining because of what I have seen in news specials and have read in this book. The French Foreign Legion's training is not soft or cuddly like the the U.S. Service's basic training, where they are not allowed to hit you! Just to quote Jennings, "I am not sure I want to loose some more teeth", when speaking with a NCO about some problems I am having.