Rarely does an Irish non-fiction title scream to be transferred to the big screen as much as with the O'Brien Press bestseller Hidden Soldier.

Based on the life of Padraig O'Keefe, Hidden Soldier tells the true story of the Corkman's extraordinary journey, from serving with the infamous French Foreign Legion in Cambodia and Bosnia, to his experience of being the sole survivor in an ambush on a security mission in Iraq.

O'Keefe's vivid and often terrifying story reveals a world that is unknown and unimaginable to most. While the book describes his unlikely career path, from entering the French Foreign Legion at age twenty, and his subsequent discomfort in his new lines of work upon arriving back in Ireland, the real story of Hidden Soldier is with his experiences in Iraq.

The mysterious and often controversial role of security escorts in Iraq is exposed in an honest and frightening account, showing the harrowing situation in the war-torn country for both military and civilians alike. The ambush between between Abu Ghraib and Fallujah is detailed spectacularly, fully engrossing the reader, and even leaving them breathless at the end.

Hidden Soldier is a must for the adventure prone reader, with action-packed scenes captured in the most vivid of detail.

Hidden Soldier is a great read if you enjoy books about the French Foreign Legion and also gives a fair look at more modern conflicts than other such books have covered in the past few years. One thing I particularly liked was the fact that the author is blunt about his experiences. At one point during basic training he explains how certain behaviour would get a person punched in the face or kicked in the ribs which is the truth unlike the claims of the French Army who say that the Legion is under the same rules as the rest of the French Army ie no hitting the trainee. The author also gives the unique perspectives of a soldier and a civilian contractor. The contractor viewpoint is not one that you will usually hear too much about which makes this account even more interesting. Overall a great book I would highly recommend!

But this is the story how he survived and became a professional military contractor working around the world. But seriously, he's taken far too many chances, in a profession that doesn't leave much room for error.

Some men are drawn into conflict, O'Keefe was born to it. This is story of a true Irish warrior told in his own words. This is a man who backs down from nothing.

First serving with the French Foreign Legion and an expert in explosives, he traveled to such wonderful locations as Cambodia (land of a million land mines), Kosovo, a place where death ruled supreme. Later he served in Iraq and Hattie as a contractor.

I liked this book because it is a very enjoyable, quick read that can be done over a long weekend. It's very well written and he gives no quarter where none is deserved. It is a brutally honest account of the war in Iraq from his perspective. Quite frankly he reminds of men like Bob MacKenzie, only still alive.

But not for a lack of effort on the part of his enemies. No expense was deemed unreasonable in trying to kill him. Wait to you read about the ambush in Iraq. I read about it when it hit the press. But this is the only first hand account there will ever be.

I can't wait for the sequel to be published in about 10 years. If you liked this book and want more information about his line of work, I would suggest reading War Dogs, fighting other people's wars.

I have had the pleasure of working in Iraq with Paddy, and this book is a brilliant read, I thought I knew him well, but realise there is so much more to this quiet and well respected man. Well done mate, think about the lads a lot too. SW