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A Soldier for a Summer Paperback – October 15, 2013

by Housam Najjair (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

Housam 'Sam' Najjair was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Libyan father. In June 2011, as his father's home country was being torn apart by civil war, he left Ireland on a one-way ticket to Tunisia, crossing into war-torn Libya, to join the uprising against the dictator Gaddafi.
Soldier for a Summer charts his journey - from his arrival into Libya to training in the Western Mountains for twelve weeks before advancing on Tripoli. On 20 August 2011, Sam and the now famous Tripoli Brigade - a unit of the National Liberation Army of Libya - were the first revolutionaries to enter the city, and subsequently secure it and Martyrs' Square.
From meeting representatives of NATO to covert operatives, arms deals, the death of his close friend and colleague, safe-houses and a captured girl sniper, this is the astounding story of how a young Irish-Libyan revolutionary became a battlefield commander of a unit of the National Liberation Army of Libya - an unforgettable account of a single season that liberated a country and transformed a young man.

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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hachette Ireland
  4. Publication date
    October 15, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    144474383X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1444743838
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Housam 'Sam' Najjair was born and grew up in the suburbs of Dublin. His father came to Ireland from Tripoli as a student in the 1970s, where he met and married Sam's mother Joanna Golden, daughter of Geoffrey Golden and Maire O'Donnell, two famous Abbey Theatre actors.

From the age of nine, Sam lived with his family in Libya for three years, before returning to Ireland. By sixteen, he had moved out of home, having been expelled from school. He worked in restaurants and in the Liberty Market and, at nineteen, took over a small restaurant in Dublin city before returning to Tripoli for two years. There, he worked for a diamond jeweller and in a travel agency that specialised in desert and mountain trips. He returned to Dublin at the age of twenty-one and worked in construction for several years before his fateful decision to fight against Gaddafi and help in the liberation of Libya.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hachette Ireland
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 15, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 144474383X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444743838
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #8,021,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 18 ratings

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
18 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

  • Feras el-kanouni
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Legitimate Read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    It was great, told from Sam's viewpoint and you can hear his voice clearly. I literally cried before I even started the actual book, just reading the dedication. There are so many memories wrapped up inside my head--everything came rushing back.

    "They shall be spoken of among their people,
    The generations shall remember them,
    And call them blessed:
    But I will speak their names to my own heart
    In the long night..."

    How could I not cry? These werent just numbers. They were our sons, husbands, fathers, brothers, cousins, colleagues, friends, etc. But heaven came calling...

    Allah yherham shuhadanah wa yishfee jerhana. (May God have mercy on our martyrs and heal our injured)
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Martin B. Dermody
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great insiders look at the Arab spring.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    It's simple writing style is it's greatest feature and biggest drawback. Great read for anyone interested in world politics, especially with a view from feet on the ground.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Akram Twil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic I've read it twice
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Fantastic I've read it twice, it touched my hart
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  • Christine J. George
    1.0 out of 5 stars This book is very deceiving. It is filled with ...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This book is very deceiving. It is filled with lies. He is fighting now for the unrecognized government in Libya.
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  • Jin
    5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Experienced no issues. Received book in a mannerly time.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Karam Almustaa
    4.0 out of 5 stars A new prospectus to the Libyan revolution
    Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014
    Instead of reading different books about Libyan revolt from a political point of view, it was interesting to read it from a man who was there, and I had the chance to see him in the middle of the combat.
    The book was written in a simple language, i personally found amusing that I felt I was there with them in the mountain.
    The Tripoli battle part was a bit overcrowded with so much detail that I found it could have been written in a better way.
    For me the book was inspiring as it showed the life of several guys who lived a good live in Europe or America yet they choose to leave their comfy life to 50/50 chance death or injury, just for their country.
    I would recommended to all the people interested in that period of Libyan history or for all those who is looking for an interesting story, but definitely not for those whose looking for History or politics in.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Robert Todrick
    2.0 out of 5 stars A Book Written by a Thug
    Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017
    A book written by a thug.
    Like it or not that's what the author is....how he speaks of the people around him, both enemies and those combatants that are revolutionaries (but not part of his immediate brigade) is pathetic. Non combatants that he encounters are treated with no respect unless they are completely on the side of the revolutionaries...he has no realization that for the average non combatant citizen who has throughout their life only know the Ghaddifi regime...they are going to be quite comfortable with the status quo.
    Quite pointedly, the author wouldn't make it through the first psychological testing in any modern western army.
    I'll give it two stars only because it is interesting to see how fractured the Muslim revolutionaries are (this book is about Libya but it holds true for Syria) who have been involved with what started as the Arab Spring in 2010...and how things in the middle east will continue to deteriorate for years to come.
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  • MDJ
    1.0 out of 5 stars This guy is a thug!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2013
    I didn't read this book and I amnt going to! I had the chance to chat with the "Sam" on facebook, and we disagreed about many issues. Then he asked me where I lived and when I told him in Benghazi (which I am from but I no longer live in) he wrote that he could send some guys to my home and slap me across the face!!
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • reecekp
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    After having seen Sam, and the Tripoli Brigade, on the France24 Documentary about the Liberation of Tripoli, I was excited to Sam's in-depth account of those events, among others. The book did not disappoint. It is an excellent, and very thought provoking read. Lots of passion has gone into it. It reads as being written by a human being, which is the highest compliment I can give.
    I found myself drawn to Sam's experiences in the Nafusa mountains, at the beginning of the journey. This is where the Tripoli Brigade was essentially forged in a baptism of fire and some politics.
    His experiences, as coming from two different worlds makes Sam a true citizen of the World. My greatest hope is that he is able to see his little daughter Layla as much as he wants :)
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars He is a great sniper, crack shot
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I honestly do not know what to make of this book. I heard Sam Najjair being interviewed twice on Irish National Radio, and was very impressed by him. He came across as a brave man, and very clear and articulate. When I heard he had written a book about his experiences I simply had to read it.
    To put it simply, the man I heard on the radio, and the person he portrays himself as in his book appear to be two different people. The former is calm, clear headed, c Earlyompassionate. The latter seems to have a very high opinion of himself - He appears to excel in everything (militarily) he turns his hand to.
    He is a great sniper, crack shot, superb high speed driver, mechanically proficient every which way. He is a leader of men and a skilled interrogator of prisoners. He gains the trust and admiration of all (allies) he comes in contact with. And all this from his own mouth!
    It really is a bit hard to take.
    Then there are the inconsistencies. Early in the book he refuses point blank to lend his beloved sniper rifle to be used for a training session ( He does not want the delicate calibration settings compromised ). Not long after he uses the stock of self same rifle to smash the concrete holding a window grill in place.
    When the keys to two SUVs are lost, he tries to smash the windows so they can "hot wire" them. I dont think its possible to hot wire a modern vehicle, they have engine immobilisers.
    I could go on.
    Having said all that, I watched teo France 24 docs online, coveriing the liberation of Tripoli and the Sam Najair I saw there was more in keeping with his radio persona, and the French film crew semmed to rate him highly.
    So there. Sam Najjair, undoubtedly a very brave and commited man, its just a shame about the book,j
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  • Sdhaimish
    5.0 out of 5 stars 'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning' to become a 'Soldier For A Summer'
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Soldier For A Summer moves at a fast pace through intense events, but still manages to draw attention to significant moments in the historical revolution. It is a well-constructed homage to the rest of the Tripoli Brigade. Najjair never fails to mention the supreme efforts from his comrades, nor does he take credit for the selflessness of those who fought against Gaddafi.

    Many onlookers to the revolution witnessed television reports, images and videos circulating social media. To hear a soldier's account is such extraordinary circumstances shines a new light on the summer of 2011. The heat and exhaustion soldiers were faced with is brutally depicted, but their will to sacrifice t is left unaffected by the blistering conditions, allowing them to successfully liberate the country from Gaddafi's grip.

    Resemblances can be drawn to classical novels such as Laurie Lee's `A Moment Of War' and George Orwell's `Homage To Catalonia', set in the Spanish Civil War, where both men voluntarily embark on a war-ridden journey to fight for a cause. There is no doubt Soldier For A Summer is fundamentally more personal, but all three stories express mans bravery to voluntary fight for a foreign cause.

    Following the Libyan revolution, Najjair and Mahdi al-Harati went to Syria in the summer of 2012 and established a new brigade - the Liwaa al-Umma (Banner of the Nation). But as he says himself, that's another story for another time.
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  • Jojo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Love this book. A very real and interesting read.
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  • Lynn Gazal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Well done Sam. I'm a big fan.
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