Why read The Making of a Legionnaire?

Book cover of The Making of a Legionnaire: My Life in the French Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment

Book description

Penniless, divorced and AWOL from the British forces, Bill Parris volunteered for the French Foreign Legion in the early 1980s. Unlike many British volunteers to the Legion, Bill did not desert. He endured a horrendous training regime and, despite a fear of heights (!) joined the elite Foreign Legion Parachute…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Making of a Legionnaire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jaime Salazar

Author

This tome was the size of a phone book but it has relevance even today. It's one of the slightly obscure classics but it speaks to the profound spiritual questions that transcend time. Parris was an idealist Englishman who served in the legion in the early 90s. but this was not a story of glory and medals. Parris saw action in Chad and had to spill blood. This chilling act never left him and he was haunted by his actions for years to come. The author passed from illness but dedicated the book to his son.

From Jaime's list on the French Foreign Legion from someone who joined.