Books for the troops

[puffin]

We have just received the following appeal for help from the chaplain with the Royal Marines in Afgahnistan



“Hi everyone
Hello from a rather cold Afghanistan.
Could I make a request from the Chaplaincy here for the Royal Marines?
We are asking for books and sweeties for the lads from supporters at home. There is a lack of books and sweets always go down well.
If you feel able could you please ask among your friends if anyone has old paperbacks that the lads might like to read - anything really except Mills and Boon romances... Also sweeties - the sort that come individually wrapped - like boiled sweets.


Packets under 2kg are posted free from any UK post office. If you can help, please ask folk to post any of the above to, Rev Peter Scott, Chaplain, Cdo Log Regt Royal Marines, Bastion, BFPO792. (Tell them not to write Afghanistan anywhere on the address)

Many thanks indeed
Peter”

I've asked everyone I know. If any of you can help I'm sure it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks, Puff

[zerozeroseptimus]

That's a good idea. It'll help me start one of my NY Resolutions to tidy and clear the spare room - I know I've got stacks of paperbacks gathering dust.

How many books would make up 2kg roughly? I'm rubbish at this new-fangled weights stuff. My brain can only cope with pounds and ounces.

[VikingHumpingWitch]

"Tell them not to write Afghanistan anywhere on the address" - why?

I would love to do this and I'm back in the UK in the beginning of February, got looooads of books round my mum's that I will never bother bringing to Sweden, but I have the memory of a demented goldfish who smokes an ounce a day, any chance you might remind me in some fashion nearer the 4th of Feb?

[puffin]

I'll try and bump this once a day if the management don't mind.

Management ?

[flatandy]

What a pain. Just gave all my old novels (about 1000 of them) to charity the other week.

Good stuff for troops, too, like Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse-V and All Quiet On The Western Front and so on. Lots of bleak apocalyptic stuff. Also I can imagine reading some of the more demented Ballard and Will Self and so on would have been really good for mentally fragile shell-shocked blokes on the front-line.

[VikingHumpingWitch]

Will Self's How The Dead Live is just great.

[moggyonspeed]

Great idea.

I'm wrapping up my copies of Catch 22, All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Good Soldier Schweik as we speak.

Serious point: I'd like to suggest that a fair few comics (or "graphic novels") are shipped out too, as the average reading age for a private entering the Army is about 7.

[puffin]

There are plenty of very literate adults who like to read some of the scifi and adventure comics.
That's not a bad idea.

[Libby]

Brilliant idea Puffin! I am definitely going to do this too! A small thing to do and would be so welcome i'm sure!
I will fish out some books and buy some sweets too ready to send asap!

No problem bumping the thread Puffin, i am sure we all endorse the sentiment of helping the troops!

[zerozeroseptimus]

That's good 'cos I've just sorted out quite a few sci-fi novels, and several Sharpe novels too that I'll never get round to re-reading.