For those interested in the French Foreign Legion, or anybody that enjoys a good military story, is Mouthful of Rocks, Modern Adventures in the French Foreign Legion by Christian Jennings.

 

Although perhaps not quite so "modern" anymore (as I believe the book was first published in 1989) and considering that the Legion has changed over the years, Jennings' account still remains an incredible read of harrowing brutality (and humor, as odd as that may sound). To my knowledge, Jennings' epic first desertion (described in the book) later became a legend in the Legion because it was so utterly insane. This, and the realities of French military life detailed by Jennings will resonate with anybody serving or having served elsewhere in a different army. And so will some of the unforgettable characters included in the book. 

 

I have come across some over the years that say Jennings' account is inaccurate, concerning where his basic training was reportedly carried out and some other details. I do not know enough about Jennings' time in the Legion (from other sources) to be able to discern if those claims have any truth or not. And those claims do not affect Jennings' credibility in my opinion. It is quite a compelling story regardless and an unvarnished look at what it can really mean to serve, and the sorts of folks one serves with along the way. Very highly recommended! Enjoy!

 

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Mouthful-Rocks-Adventures-Foreign-Traveler/dp/0871133407/

 

 

A much better, and undisputed read...

 

Sources:

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=pJl3myN1TlsC&pg=PA2&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&ovdme=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Murray_(businessman)