Islands of No Return — James Philip

Islands of No Return is the first book in the Harry Waters Series. Harry's life goal was to get into the SAS. When we meet him in 1981 he is in the process of achieving his dream. No sooner has he lived one dream than he bumps into another, Sarah, the love of his life. What could go wrong? Well, quite a lot. For example, an idiot Latin American dictator might invade the Falkland Islands within months of Harry earning the right to wear the legendary winged dagger cap badge. Islands of No Return sets the scene for the rest of the series, concerning itself with Harry's decade on the road with the British Army's version of Murder Incorporated â€" the legendary SAS. For many of Harry's friends and comrades the Falkland Islands will indeed become 'Islands of No Return' and the war in the South Atlantic will change him in ways he can not even imagine until many years later. We ask our service men and women to do remarkable and occasionally, terrible things in our names. We ask them to fight in other people's wars, to pick up the pieces, to do things we have no right to ask them to do. And nearly always our soldiers, sailors and airmen do it. They do it because they believe it is their duty, whatever the cost in wrecked relationships, blood and sanity. Harry Waters is a hero but not like in the movies. The title Islands of No Return like the titles of many of my other books is inspired by a song. Billy Bragg's Islands of No Return struck a particular resonance with me, and I'm sure many others, in the aftermath of the Falklands War. The next books in the series are: Book 2 - Heroes Book 3 - Brothers in Arms Book 4 - It Says here (Available 2015)