Outside the Wire
Click here to see an interview with Kevin Patterson on Canada AM, and here to hear an interview with Kevin on CBC Radio's "As It Happens."
"[T]here are chapters in this book that leap from the page. The powerfully written foreword by Roméo Dallaire is one. In fact, his treatise about war zones should be required reading for anyone who decides to comment on or demonstrate over Canada's involvement in Afghanistan."
—The Globe and Mail, January 2008
"In these accounts, we hear crying children saying good-bye to parents; we witness the horrific deaths of Canadian heroes and we are shown the difficulty soldiers have trying to reintegrate back at home. Some of these accounts are moving and heartbreaking. Others are painfully raw. All are memorable and, in most cases, quintessentially Canadian, being a mixture of fearlessness and civility. Outside the Wire tells us more about the lives and deaths of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan than will ever be conveyed in news reports or military briefings. It's a book to make you cry and to make you feel proud, not just of the soldiers serving there but of all the soldiers who have worn the Canadian uniform for the past century."
—The Ottawa Citizen, January 2008
"We hear a lot [about the war], but relatively little from the ones most directly affected, such as rank-and-file soldiers, aid workers, or even Afghan citizens. That’s where this excellent new book comes in. It’s written from the perspective of people who have been there. They’ve lived, fought, died, aided the needy, and invariably been changed by their experiences in that country. …None of the chapters are throw-aways; they’re all engrossing. It’s not an easy book to read, but it is an astonishing one."
—The Winnipeg Free Press, January 2008
"[I]n this startling new book... the voices of battle denote the ecstasy of survival, the thrill of engagement, and the crippling loss that accompanies the death of friends and compatriots. At times haunting and desperate and at other times playful, even lyrical, these unmediated dispatches are flesh and bone, mind and matter, and, above all, soulful to the last. For observers of Canada’s national drama on the killing fields of Kandahar province, Outside the Wire is a must-read. It ensures that our soldiers are heard — that they do not go missing in action."
— The Walrus, December 2007
"Refreshingly . . . raw and evocative, infused in equal parts with pain, sadness, and the kind of rage only a war zone can elicit. There are also warnings for what is to come."
— Quill & Quire, December 2007
Click here to listen to an interview with Kevin Patterson on CBC Radio's "The Current," or here for a summary of the show. The interview includes information about the anthology, as well as a reading by one of our contributors.