Esprit de Corps

Review By Alex Davis

The Patrol is a memoir of war, written by Canadian Reservist Ryan Flavelle, who worked as a Signaller for the Canadian Army during a seven month tour of Afghanistan. His book, The Patrol is a look at modern warfare — and how it has changed drastically since the days of our forefathers. Ryan Flavelle is a young university graduate who by a great feat of perseverance, has managed to publish his memoirs and provide a stark contrast to the memoirs of previous generations of soldiers. The Patrol is a first-person view of war, the story of a seven month tour told directly through the eyes of a man who was there.

The Patrol is Ryan Flavelle’s first-person account of his many patrols in Afghanistan.

In it, Ryan talks about the boring, foot-slogging patrols from one base to another, and the gripping, intense moments of his career. He tells these stories from his own perspective, as if he were speaking directly from the moment that the events happened, going so far as to explain the sweat that dripped down his face at the moment or the ringing in his ears.

Despite the story being recounted from such a personal perspective, The Patrol is told with great detail. The author literally paints a picture of the muddy grape fields, the filth covered Afghan wadis and the unbearably hot, dusty climate of Afghanistan. Despite his youth, Ryan Flavelle writes very well and very thoughtfully, with detail and environment where it is needed and brevity where it is appropriate as well. At the end of chapter two, the author reveals a talent for poetry that he exercised in Afghanistan, a talent that is evident in almost every page of the story.

Ryan Flavelle talks about many different things in his book, not just the dangers of Afghanistan or the harrowing journeys of his patrols. He speaks about his relationships with the soldiers around him, how they all interact with each other. He likens the army to a “high school” where the infantry are the “jocks” and the signallers unit, his unit, would be the AV club. He describes his conversations with other soldiers, his interactions with the population of Afghanistan and the way that he viewed his superior officers during the war. He also talks about his job during the war, that of a signaller, and the endless menial tasks of repairing and manning the army’s radios.

Overall, The Patrol is one of the most personal, in-your-face and relatable battle memoirs to date. Ryan Flavelle is the modern soldier, speaking to people on their own level in a clear and easily understandable way. It is a battle memoir that few others will be able to emulate.

The Patrol by Ryan Flavelle, foreword by David J. Bercuson. Published by Harper Collins in 2011, includes 251 pages, b/w images, index. ISBN: 978-1-44340-717-5. Soft cover: $29.99

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