Sunday Bloody Sunday cover art

Sunday Bloody Sunday

A Soldier's War in Northern Ireland, Rhodesia, Mozambique and Iraq

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Sunday Bloody Sunday

By: Gregory Michael Budd, Jake Harper-Ronald
Narrated by: Pat Devon
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About this listen

Gold is forged in fire.

Men in the furnace of adversity… Step into the extraordinary life of Jake Harper-Ronald, a man whose childhood dream of becoming a soldier led him on an unparalleled journey.

In 1966, he fulfilled his ambition as a conscript in the Royal Rhodesia Regiment, only to embark on a series of adventures that most soldiers can only imagine.

From early days in the elite Parachute Regiment in the UK to his pivotal role as the official photographer during the infamous 'Bloody Sunday' in Northern Ireland, Jake's path was one of courage and resilience.

He left an indelible mark on history, capturing iconic moments through his lens that still resonate today. Returning to Rhodesia in 1974, Jake's journey continued with the ultra-tough SAS and Selous Scouts.

His daring cross-border raids and contributions as a professional soldier showcased his unwavering commitment.

Despite facing the trials of combat, he persevered, transitioning to a top-secret Special Branch callsign and later joining Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation.

Jake's remarkable story unfolded further as he operated as an intelligence agent for global powers such as South Africa, Britain, and the US.

His path was not without challenges; accusations of treason led to his time in solitary confinement at Goromonzi Detention Centre.

Undeterred, he emerged from adversity, and in 1989, MI6 enlisted his expertise to train and lead militias combating Renamo in Mozambique.

His efforts were so impactful that his Special Forces unit was integrated into Mozambique's National Army.

Witnessing the harrowing realities of Mozambique, Jake's journey came full circle as he returned to Zimbabwe and ventured into the private security sector and onto private military contracting in Iraq.

Despite his health declining, his resolve remained unshaken until his passing in 2007 at age 59.

Immerse yourself in an incredible narrative of bravery, sacrifice, and tenacity as 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' chronicles his awe-inspiring life.

©2009 Gregory Michael Budd (P)2024 Patrick Devenish
Africa Armed Forces Military Military & War Special & Elite Forces Solider

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Most relevant  
I'm over the moon with this title! The only downside is that the narrator doesn't get the military jargon or abbreviations right, which as a 14 year military veteran myself I can't help but notice, but that's once or twice and forgivable because the story is so good! which I already knew as I bought and read the page book years ago. But I'm so pleased that Audible has started to put these titles out there. There are so many books on Audible written by celebrity SF types, cashing in on their service while real warriors with real stories never have their stories reach the wider audience because so few people enjoy reading and will only listen to books, which means great stories disappear! I can't recommend this story enough!! And I sincerely hope that we see more Audible titles turning up from British/Empire/Commonwealth troops, from the 2nd World War, Burma Campaign especially! Rhodesian Bush War,South African Border War ect ect.. There are so many memoirs out there that are as good as this book or better, I hope that this title is a brilliant beginning to a long list of future titles they plan to release! And as starting point, I can't recommend it more.

More Books Like This Please!!!!

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The story was interesting, however the writing was amateurish and delivered by, possibly, the worst narration I have ever heard.

Interesting story but poor delivery

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Great story’s Took a bit to get used to the narrator. But once I got in to it , was good

Interesting story

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This book is an oasis in a virtual desert of southern African military history subject matter in the Audible library. I suspect the "Bloody Sunday" title might have been used purely to pull a bigger audience, for whilst the protagonist certainly was present at the event and did a fair stint in the British paras, the largest part of his military service was in Rhodesia. And that is no bad thing, for, whilst equally worthy, books on British military history are 2 a penny, so this stands out - particularly for those that want to know more about this difficult period from a Rhodesian perspective, and not necessarily the way it is portrayed in the popular media.

As a South African who is also a British Army veteran (not teeth arms), I have read extensively about both the Rhodesian "bush war" and South African "border war", and this is one of the good ones. If you like books about this era, you will enjoy it.

My only slight pedantic criticism is the narrator who has one of the most unique southern African accents I have come across, despite me growing up in the region, and also mispronounces/misreads some terms. That said, it is refreshing and overall enjoyable to hear such a book read by a local who can pronounce Afrikaans and African names/words properly. I would certainly listen to more books read by this narrator.

Definitely worth a listen!

Great Rhodesian military biography

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This was a complete waste of time ? The narrator was awful and clearly had no military background or concept ? It just went on and on about Rhodesia? One chapter about Bloody Sunday ? RUBBISH

Dreadful AI narrating ?!

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