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  Keith McArdle - Action & Adventure Author

March 08th, 2015

8/3/2015

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In memory of darren

On Friday, 6th March 2015, my brother-in-law, Darren, died.

He leaves behind a wonderful wife, Nikki and two beautiful daughters, Ashlyn and Kyla. This has been a difficult few days for Simone and I. I can’t imagine what Nikki and the girls have been (and are going) through.

We are travelling up to them in a few days to help out in whatever way we can.

Darren was a good man and a loving father. I met him early in 2005 when I started seeing Simone (my now wife). He not only had a firm hand shake, but looked me in the eyes when we shook. That in itself, for me at least, was a good indication I was being introduced to an honest and decent man.

I was right.

The first time I met Simone’s father, Darren saved my arse, and I’ll be ever thankful for it. Simone and her younger sister (Gerry) had convinced me that their father, Peter (who was Croatian) was a traditionalist, and would expect me to shake his hand and then kiss him on both cheeks. I was a little concerned as I’d never kissed another man in my life (my Army brothers will smirk and offer smart arse remarks of disagreement at that. I would expect nothing less!).

Anyway, when we arrived at Nikki and Darren’s house (where I was meeting Simone’s mum and dad for the first time), Peter, as chance had it, had only just woken up from an afternoon nap. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and dangling half way down his chest was a golden necklace. On his wrist was a chunky, silver watch.

Christ, I’m about to meet the Godfather! I thought to myself.

It was too much. Gerry had already approached her father and kissed him on both cheeks, and Simone was not far behind.

What if he disapproves of me? Will he feed me to the pigs or something? I was stressing now.

Then I saw Darren standing guard over the BBQ out on the patio, turning sausages, prodding steaks, and mixing onion rings.

BAM! I was out the patio door.

“Hey Darren! Is it true I have to kiss Peter on both cheeks?”

Darren looked at me dumbfounded for a moment and then began to laugh.

“No mate,” he managed as he chuckled. “I think someone’s having you on!”

Relief washed over me. Peter was not in fact the Godfather. He wasn’t some mafia criminal mastermind. He was the father of the woman I loved (and still love) and just wanted a coffee.

Darren had been taken by surprise by my question and answered truthfully, but later, kicked himself, wishing he had been in on the trick. It would have been that much more convincing and I probably would have kissed Peter on both cheeks (in his younger days, Peter was a Golden Glove boxing champion, so I’m not sure that would have gone down so well!).

I’ll miss you Darren, and I’ll never forget you…well, my grandad died from Alzheimer’s disease, so if I go that way, I might actually forget you, along with everything else, as I use the frypan as a piss pot; however, as long as I retain all of my faculties, I’ll never forget you. You were a true blue Aussie bloke, and a mate.

Goodbye brother.

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Heroes & Cowards: They walk among us

24/1/2015

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I’m fascinated by the human condition, which is why there are quite a few different characters in The Reckoning. Almost every character in The Reckoning and Aftermath (the sequel (coming along nicely by the way)) is based slightly (or, in some cases largely) on people I know, or have known.

Many of them are large people. When I write that, I don’t mean physical size, but their mental strength, humility and tenacity in the face of abject danger (be that physical, emotional, mental, or even financial I suppose) is enormous. These are people who will sacrifice something of their life or themselves so that their friends, family and sometimes total strangers, will benefit. And when it’s all over (whatever the hardship may have been) they’ll have returned to their humble, unassuming selves. I am sure you will all have the privilege of having many of these types in your life.

I often watch people and how they act or react. No, that doesn’t mean I’m some pervert staring out my window with a pair of binoculars at night. I’m talking about sitting in an airport waiting for a flight, or sitting in the car, waiting for my wife to come out of a shop. If I find myself in those kinds of situations, I watch passers-by, see how they interact with one another or the world around them. It really is intriguing (well to me anyway). It’s probably the reason the style of my writing is more character driven, than event driven.

But, it’s not all roses and smiles. There are also the cowards amongst us (and when I describe the character of a coward, you will know at least one). Contrary to popular belief, the coward is not a meek individual slinking in the shadows. They are usually outspoken, boastful and never afraid to tell those foolish enough to listen, how amazing they are. It’s a defence mechanism, because they are compensating (or over compensating) for a weakness in their character. When it all turns to custard these loud, boastful individuals will usually be out of sight somewhere, leaving others to do the ‘heavy lifting’, so to speak.

So in both The Reckoning and Aftermath, I have attempted to give tribute to the truly stoic, unflappable people in our lives, and tried to expose the reality of the cowards amongst us.

In my honest opinion, I believe the heroic individuals far outweigh the cowards.
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Australian military leaves Afghanistan - was it a waste of time?

17/1/2014

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With the advent of Australian military leaving Afghanistan this year, a common question is, 'was it worth it?' or 'was it a waste of time?'.

Good questions, considering our military have been involved in Afghanistan in varying degrees since 2001. In my humble opinion, no, by no means was it a waste of time.

Let me explain.

It's all about how you view our involvement in Afghanistan. If you look at it in a purely political light, you're lost at the outset. Politicians like to waltz around in their expensive suits hurling primary school insults at one another at the expense of the Australian tax payer. Remove the political element of Afghanistan, as, I believe, it is a separate issue.

At the end of the day, the Australian Defence Force were sent there to do a job, and the particular job they were tasked to do (whatever it may have been), they carried out with dedication and professionalism to the best of their ability.

Our military have given the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police plenty of training, support and knowledge. Whether the afore mentioned forces decide to continue and hone their craft in order to defend their people and country, well that's their choice, the ball's in their court now, and that, too, is a separate issue.

But as for the ADF? Well they have well and truly done their duty. In fact, in true Australian form, they have gone far and above what they were expected to do.

For those soldiers who died, they died doing something they loved, (including our military dogs).

So, when someone asks whether it was all worth it, with all due respect, it is a slap in the face for not only the ADF, but for the soldiers, sailors and airmen of every allied country who have put blood, sweat and tears into Afghanistan.

Not to mention the families of the 40 dead Australian soldiers, or the 256 soldiers wounded, or the thousands who carry invisible wounds.

Our men and women were sent there to do a job, and they carried their task out in dangerous, arduous conditions with true professionalism.

Picture
Special forces about to be infiltrated onto hostile ground as part of an interdiction raid on Taliban bomb makers. Photo taken - 2008 - Copyright Keith McArdle
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The Reckoning

30/7/2013

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Australia, an amazing country, she enjoys a laid back atmosphere, as well as freedom (of choice and speech). It is something of which we are proud.But, what if Australia were successfully invaded? What then?

Rest assured, our Defence Force would fight long and hard against the threat. However, although both the ADF and NZDF are ranked amongst the top 10 in the world, at some point, numbers will win the fight.

In 'The Reckoning', (now almost 90% complete) the ADF is smashed as an organised fighting force. We will follow the remnants of an infantry platoon as they take the fight to Indonesian supply lines, Special Air Service operators deployed into regional Australia who link up with a cattle farmer and turn his family and he into geurilla fighters, and a RAAF fighter pilot, whom is eventually shot down (and finds himself struggling to survive in the Aussie bush).

'The Reckoning' is dedicated to members of the Australian & New Zealand Defence Force, both past and present, who have or are protecting our way of life. 
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Why I Wrote 'the forgotten land'

16/7/2013

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I have always had two great passions, the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), and the Vikings.

First, let's look at the Vikings:

The Vikings are a severely misunderstood race of people. Yes, some were violent, yes, some of them did undertake lightning raids on all and sundry. But that time of history was a violent time, a time where tribes, clans and countries were often at war with one another. The Vikings' mark on our history is tainted mainly by the biased, literate Christian scholars that remember them in their writings. Today, modern historians and archaeologists are working very hard to shed light upon who the Vikings actually were. We know, for instance, that a Viking woman had the right to divorce her husband if she had grounds. We also know that the advice of a warrior's wife was usually heeded and often sought. Women in some areas of the world in 2012 do not enjoy that level of respect! The Vikings were also very cunning and intelligent traders, so much so, that present day York, which in Viking times was called Jorvik (pronounced Yorvik (from which the present day name is derived)) was, during the Viking reign, the trade centre of the world. The Vikings were a very colourful, sophisticated and rich culture. Oh, and they did not wear horned helmets!

Now, second, let's look at the Aussie SAS:

The Australian SASR (Special Air Service Regiment) are an elite group of Australian soldiers. When the war in Afghanistan started, people might remember an offensive called Operation Anaconda. When that operation commenced, the Aussie SAS moved well forward of the advancing allied troops and set up hides or observation posts (OPs) underneath the noses of the Taliban. They fed back all sorts of information to the American head sheds, including enemy number, weapons, level of morale, locations and so on. When the fighting began, the Australian SASR were in a position to guide in airstrikes and give grid references for artillery and mortar fire missions. In another instance in Afghanistan an Australian SAS soldier was shot by Taliban fire. Rather then bother his mates who were still engaged in heavy fighting with the enemy, he managed to make his way to the closest vehicle. Knowing that he was losing enough blood that he may lose consciousness, treated the wound as best he could and then wedged himself between the bulbar and the vehicle's radiator. He tied himself to the bulbar and then continued to fire at the enemy. He did this so that if the Australians were to make a rapid fighting withdrawal, then the Aussie's withdrawal would not have been slowed by carrying him and then securing him in the vehicle.

There is something about these incredible soldiers that has always intrigued me. Every country in the world has a small elite group like the Australian SAS. They are for the most part, quiet, easy going, never consider themselves any better than the next bloke, but have the courage of a rabid lion. To date two Australian SAS soldiers have been awarded the Victoria Cross (the VC, which is the Commonwealth's highest military award) for actions in combat. Both lived to tell the tale.

So in The Forgotten Land, I bring together the Australian SASR and the Vikings, my two greatest interests.
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    Author

    Keith is an action/adventure author who loves to write fast paced style books.

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