Ask Forgiveness Not Permission

The True Story of an Operation in Pakistan’s Badlands

De: Howard Leedham

Narrado por: Howard Leedham

We need someone with the British mentality to get it done. You Brits are great at what you do. The only problem is that I know when I unleash you I’m going to get a lot more than I ever bargained for’ said the US State Department official who hired Howard Leedham, a former British special forces officer living in America.

The task was to energise and lead an American sponsored border security program on the Pakistan side of the Afghan border... And they did get much more than they bargained for.

The hitherto unknown story that Howard Leedham has to tell could have come from the Northwest Frontier of Rudyard Kipling’s time...The year described in these pages cost him his marriage and (several times) almost his life... Somehow it happened. Somehow, on a shoestring, the helicopter-borne, night fighting intervention force began to frighten the black turbans out of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and opium barons...And his Pathans...

Those fifty dark featured, tough, lean, hard warriors, as dangerous as the land that made them...for a few months led by an infidel Britisher, they terrified those whose only language was terror. Kipling would have loved them.

©2012 Bene Factum Publishing (P)2013 Create

Seriously entertaining and informative!

What made the experience of listening to Ask Forgiveness Not Permission the most enjoyable?

The attention to details is stunning. I wonder how the author could remember such minute details from the past. The story is fast paced with no dull moments and keeps you totally engaged. One can clearly notice the influence of British English in writing style. The authors voice is good and very neutral and hence is simply great to listen for long durations.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously Howard Leedham. He is the center of the story and pulls it off marvelously.

What about Howard Leedham’s performance did you like?

The narrator also being the author definitely has advantages. The expressions are real and based on memories. This makes listening more engaging. British accent also helps.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book did bring out loud laughter moments occasionally. It does encourage one to take risks and inhibit fear.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book and performance.

The audio recording quality was inconsistent. Once could improve it by eliminating the inhaling sounds, background noises etc. Thought I heard the phone ring in the background somewhere towards the end!

Acha!

Any additional comments?

Excellent story read by the main character/author. The criticism the author held for ridiculous U.S. bureaucracy and some aspects of foreign policy was also refreshing.