Diary of a Legionnaire: My Life in the French Foreign Legion Paperback – October 1, 2007

This book answered the question once and for all "Should I have considered joining the French Foreign Legion?" and that answer is a resounding "no". The author does convey what it was actually like and didn't try to romanticize it. I have a lot of respect for men who join and serve their time in the Legion.I read the Kindle version and it was full of typos and misspellings on top of grammatical errors. Some sentences were difficult to read because of these errors, it's not just me being a grammar nerd.

Gareth Carins' story of his life in the Foreign Legion is different than most other autobiographies in that he enters the Legion soon after graduating from an English Univeristy. Carins joins the Legion because he liked the army, walking, travelling and is looking for a little adventure. Unlike many of the classic Legion memoirs, Carins is not escaping poverty, fleeing political turmoil or running from trouble with the law. At his core, Carins is a middle class Englishmen in search of adventure."Diary of a Legionnaire" has all the obligatory scenes one should expect in a Legion memoir. We see him as he enters the recruiting barracks, experiences his brutal basic training on the "Farm" and then goes off to further adventures in his new Regiment. Like many of the English soldiers who write their stories, Carins enters the elite Parachute Regiment based in Corsica. As with many of the recent autobiographies, Carins also goes to Africa where he partakes in some bloody skirmishes.The real strength of this book is that Carins is a good writer and does an excellent job of describing the day to day life of a Legionnaire. This book is filled with gritty details that anyone curious about the Legion will greatly enjoy. Legionnaire memoirs may span the decades but there is a core Legion experience that seems eternal.The only fault I have with this book is that Carins wrote this book too soon after leaving the Legion. He does a great job on the day to day details but we learn very little about the inner person. Why does a middle class, university graduate subject himself to the rigorous discipline of the Legion for five years? If Carins likes the military and wants some adventure, why doesn't he join the Royal Marines? Carins comes across as a decent person but in the end, he is still a mystery.In my opinion, the best Legion memoirs are all about the inner life of the Legionnaire. For me the Holy Trinity of Legion memoirs are Simon Murray's "Legionnaire", Tony Sloane's "The Naked Soldier" and Christian Jenning's "Mouthful of Rocks". All three memoirs are radically different but at the end of each book, the reader feels they know the person and root for him as he struggles to survive in some very harsh conditions. It is that personal connection between reader and Legionnaire that lifts a competent memoir into the realm of a "classic" account.

The beginning was a good read; explained the modern selection, training, and bases of the Foreign Legion. The book was fairly easy to read, although the British slang was somewhat difficult to translate. The description of deployments to Africa was also good, as were stories of legionnaire life. As others have stated, the end came much too fast. I thought that the quick ending might be a set-up for a second book and a career in the Legion, but that's not what happened. Overall, it's a good, but not great, book on the modern Foreign Legion.

3.5 stars.Great story that propels us through Legion basic training into the 2emeREP and then onto Africa.Mr. Carins can tell a story well. He injects some humor into the harsh proceedings. The names he uses to refer to the Corporals in training were hilarious. Just goes to show, some folks can find humor in anything.In general this is a good story but my main gripe is it seems unfinished somehow. It tapers off quickly towards the end then just seems to end too abruptly. The spelling and grammar decline rapidly towards the end as well. It's almost like Mr. Carins got tired of his own story and rushed to end it.Nonetheless, it's a good book with a real story of adventure which you'll enjoy. I still hold  Legionnaire: Five Years in the French Foreign Legion  as the best of these so far.

Good: the author seems like a modest, likable fellow who isn’t an experienced writer and just wanted to tell his story. He’s not trying to make literature here. This is a quick read.Not so good: i would have liked to read more about the rest of his enlistment. It covers maybe half of it.

This was well written, it was hard to put down. I like reading about the adventures of French Foreign Legionaires. Best way to experience it is to read about it, when your an old man.

Like many young men Carnis wanted a little adventure when he graduated from college. But unlike the others, he had the guts to try something very different from the others, and succeeded where others failed. He joined the French Foreign Legion and more importantly, finished his contract at five years.This was by no means an easy feat. Considering his while attempting to join he had his backpack's contents thrown about, was beaten and tossed to the curb. But like any good Legonnaire his dominant willpower sent him back the next day to try again. The book details the stark reality of the Legion's Spartan existence.The book covers his training from basic, parachute and jungle training. Carnis deployed to such wonderful locations as the Congo and half a dozen other third world nations held together by what little European presense is possible, fix-a-flat and some Bondo.One thing is for sure I can identify with what he says about being conditioned. I carried a firearm professionally for many years...and never feel comfortable without one near.As he said, he has no regrets about his time in the Legion. And I have none about reading this book. It's well written and entertaining in a vorouristic way. Quite frankly, it's good these books were not around when I was twenty or my French language skills might be much better today.

A fascinating book and if the reader is ex-forces there is a lot one can relate to, however, having a mild understanding of Legionnaire life albeit perhaps a little jaundiced I felt the book lacked any real insight into Legion life properly. All of that said it was an interesting read and appreciated.

It is not the best written book I will ever read but the writer has some ability to convey events in a pretty gripping manner even if Ii tis latrine duties. An absorbing read and I will not be advocating it as a life style choice for anyone I know.

Looking for adventure and adventure is what Gareth Carins got by the by truck load. From his first day as a recruit to bravely completing five years service with the French Foreign Legion. Few men can take the brutality dished out in training only real men can complete it and then stay and face daily hardship of commando and jungle training then being sent to a conflict with no ammo. Tells it as it is warts and all, the Generals should read this and they would realize that there is a better way of training men to be soldiers.

It was an interesting insight to the legion but I was left thinking that although tough they didn't come across as an elite force, just a bunch of bullies with poor training ethos. I now want to read another legion book for comparison.

Really interesting and insightful account of Gareth’s career in the FFL.Pushed to the limits on numerous times it’s a detailed look at the highs and lows during his 5 years in a unit little is known about.Highly Recommended 👍