Life in the French Foreign Legion: How to Join and What to Expect When You Get There: Amazon.ca: Evan McGorman: Books

Product Description

Book Description

Forget all your preconceptions about the French Foreign Legion. Many of the legends you grew up with no longer apply, so whatever you've heard probably does not reflect the reality of service today. Evan McGorman explains in detail how to apply to get into this elite corps, what to expect if accepted, and how to make the most of the experience.

About the Author

In 1983, McGorman read a magazine article about the French Foreign Legion and was amazed to discover it still existed. For the next six years he was consumed by the romantic notion of running away to join. In 1989, after serving four years in the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, he went to France and signed on for a five-year stint with the Legion. He currently resides in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews

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4 star:		(3)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleasantly Surprised, Jan 10 2004

By

One of Marius' Mules (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life in the French Foreign Legion: How to Join and What to Expect When You Get There (Paperback)

I bought and read McGorman's book not because I had any desire to enlist the Foreign Legion, but because I wanted to see how his enlistment compared to my own five-year hitch in the Marine Corps. I must say there are very few major differences. Naturally, we (the Marines) didn't have to learn to speak French but the mindset of the two institutions is not noticeably different. I agree with his advice too, don't do it (enlist) unless you're ready to put up with a lot of peacetime garrison nonsense (the proverbial "chicken$&#t" that Paul Fussell so aptly described). Amazingly, the Legion is far more selective than the Marine Corps about who is allowed into recruit training and then there's the added benefit of not having to deal with burden of female troops. I was also very pleasantly surprised to find that McGorman is a talented writer (the editors did a fine job too). If there were any typos or mistakes anywhere in this book, I didn't see them. Books about the Foreign Legion are usually more concerned with wowing action adventure readers with all the "zap-blat-gott-in-himmel-bayonet-in-the-guts" nonsense they crave. Thankfully, that's not the case here. McGorman is definitely not concerned with telling war stories. What the reader will find is a detailed account of what it's like to serve the Legion (circa late 1990's) and what will be required and expected of aspirants once they embark on an enlistment. All in all, I don't think a finer book about the Legion has ever been written.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars All you need to know., April 20 2003

By

Michael J. Dudrich (Middletown, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life in the French Foreign Legion: How to Join and What to Expect When You Get There (Hardcover)

There isn't too much information out there for someone who is interested in joining the French Foreign Legion. This, however, is the perfect book for anyone interested in knowing what a man has to go through to become a member of the French Foreign Legion. The author goes through every detail from the time before he enlisted to his deployment to his dischage five years later. It doesn't go through the history of the Legion, but that's fine. That's not the purpose of the book. I recommend this book especially to those considering joining the Legion. I considered joining prior to reading this, and the book definitly helped me decide not to. Again, this is the perfect book if you wonder what life is like as a legionnaire in the mysterious French Foreign Legion. I highly recommend it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Considering? Then buy this book., May 5 2006

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Damianos Orfanoudakis (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Life in the French Foreign Legion: How to Join and What to Expect When You Get There (Paperback)

This book is essential reading, whether you are considering joining the legion or are just interested in the inner workings of this organization. The section on Bosnia was eye opening. A very well written book.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! A MUST have.
The only thing I didnt like was the fact that there arenty any more books like this out there. Awesomely written, any book written in this style can keep the attention of the... Read more

Published on Jun 2 2004 by Christopher Duncan

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on subject
Well written. A must read for anyone who is thinking of joining.

Published on Feb 22 2004