Amongst the Marines: The Untold Story by Steven Preece

[rgj-rifleman]

Steve i believe and i know alot of the lads on here belive you. My dad served in the time that you were in, in the paras, RAF Regiment and Scots Guards and he said everything that in your book does happen and did happen and that he took part in a lot of the social activities that went on as well. Sorry mate, but like Preece says, if people didnt agree with him there would be posts on here about it.

I have just been talking to a friend of mine on msn and he was inspired by Mr. Preeces book as well. The book was based on events that happened a long time ago yes, but.... thats why Steve wrote the book, his story to be told to people, whether they believe him or not is there own insecurity.

People like you are critics and need to open there eyes to what may be happening or has happened, and try to understand it, i get crap like this for my title fights, my training, and even my bloody TA life.

Its really pathetic and really annoys me and alot of the lads. It is a great insight into what the social life a Marine was like and still may be like in certain areas im sure.

Steve, i think you have the majority of the guys on here behind you and you dont need to prove that the events took place at all, what matters is you were there, it happened, if people chose not to understand then so be it, they are the ones missing out as far as im concerned!!!!!!

Someone told me you are ex SBS, and served for a number of years, thats awsome, but surly you of all people must see that Steve isnt a meriad of lies!! I read a book called, not by strenth, by guile, and that was much the same as preeces book, but with more action involved at war. I know it goes on as my dad and his ex squaddies did stuff like in Preeces book, plus even in the TA Infantry we do some crazy stuff still!!

RGJ-Rifleman

[Hughser]

I must admit i havent read it yet, although ive been trying to get a copy from the library, as regards to people who dislike the book...

simply put,
if you dont like the farkin book, dont bloody read it!!!!


edit - im not trying to rattle anyones cage, nor jump on any bandwagon, purely stating, if you dont like it - dont read it. I admit i could of been a little more diplomatic.

It is near the same principle as watching TV - if you see something on TV you dont like, you flick the channel over. What annoys me is when people complain about a program, then get asked why didn't they switch it over.. "aww well, i didnt think of that" is the best reply ive heard so far.

[Sarastro]

as regards to people who dislike the book...simply put, if you dont like the farkin book, dont bloody read it!!!!

Only problem there Sparky, is that the only way to know if they 'like the farkin book' is...? Engage brain, then jump on bandwagon.

By the way, you and Rifleman might want to check out what 'sneaky beaky' means in Bootneck slang, then blush, stare at the ground a bit & shut the f@#k up.

[borisimo]

If only artist were here

[rgj-rifleman]

yeah saresto have, SBS, mentioned in my thread!!! IF you care to read the entire thing!!

[Ste Preece]

Like I said guys, I proved most of my book on the marines forum with the support of people who were there. Whether it rings true to some or not, it happened just like I wrote. If you've read through all of the posts on the once a marine site, you'll find posts from people like Bailborg who was in my troop at the very beginning, when all the crazy things were going on in Yankee company, somebody even mentioned the term "Unacceptable behaviour" when they referred to people being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. Simon Bywater (Author of Forced Out and Honourable Retribution)confirmed the goings on in Gardermoen and the events that led up to my courtcase. Also: Booty73 and Bulldog who served with me at HMS Warrior (As did Kev Harris Flo, you know him, if you see him again ask him.) Kev was a handful too! Yashin confirmed the conspiracy in Hunderfossen. He was around during my courtmartial as was Simon Bywater. If anybody says things that don't ring true, then I can say whole heartedly that they didn't serve with me, at the same places at the same time. Now that is a bold statement. But its fact. There are others, such as Shultzy, who is very supportive. Not to mention of course the amount of ex bootnecks who email me and telephone me to discuss their antics when they were bootnecks. My family were there during the stuff that went on at home, so no big shocks there either.

I've proved practically all of this book and am sick to the back teeth of the denial, hard to believe comments, don't ring true etc etc. If I didn't believe in what I wrote, I wouldn't have went out of my way to stand by it. In 2004, when my first book was released it rattled a few cages and some people went out of their way to fisrtly deny my existence, then to deny what I wrote, then to accept it, now to discredit the loyalty of my friends and fellow bootnecks.

Please squash the rumour about any links with me and SBS. I did have a few Oppos who were SBS, they are the creme de la creme. Artist will, no doubt remember, a former boxing colleague of mine who served with the SBS, Neil Blane, who sadly met with a fatal accident during a parachuting accident. He was a top guy.

I served in the places I wrote about and during the times stated. Without any disrespect to anybody who condones my story, all I've really done is stand my ground when people fire pot shots at me.

The first book doesn't paint a good picture. I turned into a handful during those years and there were plenty like me.
Other servicemen in other branches of the armed forces confirm their goings on in a similar fashion. I did state, that our antics would be an eye opener to those outside our kind. And its true.

You can call my book an inspiration, a bible or even a pile of trash. That's up to you.

If you've read all the URL's I posted earlier then finish with the comments on Amazon. There's a conflict of interests there too as you would expect. The one that strikes me the most is the reference to my kind being dinasoars, that have now become extinct. This does point towards their previous existance, doesn't it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1840 ... e&n=266239


Finally, please don't condone any comments made by any other former marines AGAINST the book. They are protecting the more important professional values of the corps.

All our journeys in the Corps are different and they may well not have experienced what I did or more probably not behaved UNACCEPTIBLY like I did at times.

I hope those of you who have read it can learn from my mistakes and avoid the trouble I got into and created at times.

At the end of the day, its truly about working with the system, NOT about working against it.


Best Regards


Steve

[MrC]

I went ahead and decided to read both books last week, as I previously said they were great books, well written.

The only issues I had, was that some of the 'encounters' seemed a little far fetched but as you said, it's your experience, memories and journey through the RM.

But like flo said, the only way of knowing how it is, is to be there..

Nice books.

[rgj-rifleman]

Please squash the rumour about any links with me and SBS. I did have a few Oppos who were SBS, they are the creme de la creme. Artist will, no doubt remember, a former boxing colleague of mine who served with the SBS, Neil Blane, who sadly met with a fatal accident during a parachuting accident. He was a top guy.

I wasnt referring to you in the SBS Steve, Saresto was having a go at me, saying i didnt know who he was, as in Sneaky Beaky, which is the SBS slang for 'SBS'

[Ste Preece]

Sorry RGJ Rifleman. I miss read it. I appeciate your support. Your comments are constructive.

Hopefully, I put the record straight in "Always A Marine" when I concluded my story. I think I did.


Anyway: Have any of you read Simon Bywater's "Forced Out." This was a book I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed reading his latest novel, Honourable Retribution, which I had the pleasure of reviewing in Raw Manuscript.

http://www.charentepublishing.com/catalogue.html


I've asked Simon to join this site. Hopefully he will. He's a really good guy.


regards

Steve

[daz89]

Iv been looking for a book for a while. What is "forced out" all about though? Play.com doesnt have a review.

http://play.com/Books/Books/4-/281744/F ... oduct.html

"Honourable Retribution" Looks like a good read.

"Not by Strength, by Guile" Pete Mercer sounds quite good as well, Im not to sure what to go for.

Has anyone read "The Cage" by Tom Abraham? This is one of the best war storys that I have ever heard of, read the review on play.com. If you want a good read I really recommend this.

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/2244 ... oduct.html


Anyone got any other good books?

Regards

Darryn Ednie

[Ste Preece]

Darryn,
"Forced Out" is on Amazon.co.uk. Its only out in Hardback at the moment and unfortunately was not released in Paperback.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1857 ... e&n=266239

It explains Simon's journey through the Corps and also a very gripping encounter afterwards when he served with the police force in the crime ridden streets of Moss Side in Manchester.

Simon, unfortunately, suffered from PTSD which he wrote about. His follow up novel Honourable retrobution was his Novel way of dealing with it.

Thankfully, he came out the other side. Charente publishing belongs to Simon, so you could email him with any questions via that website.

Regards


Steve

[daz89]

cheerz steve mate, they both sound like a good read. I'll try and get my hands on both.

Thanks Again

Darryn Ednie

[the_trainee]

i thought it was an excellent read ' amongst the marines ', i took it to las vegas an read it poolside, only bad thing i can say is that for a £9 book, it has fallen apart into about 10 parts, the pages tear too easily

[rgj-rifleman]

lol, Mr. Armstong your just being rough with the book lol