Painting the Sand cover art

Painting the Sand

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Painting the Sand

By: Kim Hughes
Narrated by: Oliver Hemsbrough
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

This is a book about science, bombs and what happens to the human psyche when every day you go to work might be your last.

Kim Hughes is the most highly decorated bomb disposal operator serving in the British Army. He was awarded the George Cross in 2009 following a gruelling six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, during which he defused 119 improvised explosive devices, survived numerous Taliban ambushes and endured a close encounter with the Secretary of State for Defence.

The backdrop to Painting the Sand is the Afghan War, the conflict where the cold courage of the bomb disposal operator rose to national prominence. No other field of warfare offers the chance of a single individual to come so close to his enemy and fight out a battle of wits where losing means death. This is one of the best memoirs that will come out of a 10-year struggle to defeat a hidden and enduring enemy.

©2017 Kim Hughes (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Thought-Provoking Inspiring

Listeners also enjoyed...

 SAS Great Escapes cover art
The Chosen Few cover art
Brothers in Arms cover art
We Were Warriors cover art
The Hunt cover art
Killing Zone cover art
Zero Six Bravo cover art
Eye of the Storm cover art
Desert Sniper cover art
Combat and Other Shenanigans cover art
The Eyes of Orion cover art
First into Action cover art
The Silence of War cover art
No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor cover art
Still Watching Men Burn cover art
Outlaw Platoon cover art
All stars
Most relevant
Loved this book, it’s honesty and utter realism. Read it if you have the slightest interest.
Being EOD is a seriously punchy role needing nerves of steel and top level skills. Well in Staff!

A realistic and thoroughly interesting real life story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I served in the same places only months prior.
Kim Pulls no punches and details the utter mess that is Afghanistan. Every soldier who served outside of Bastion will certainly identify with almost all of this crazy place and time.
The tears, exasperation and even the last minute changes which make you want to explode. But you smile, swear, take the Mickey and move on.
This is outstanding on audible.

Accurate, detailed and moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
For anyone who enjoyed BlueStone 42 on BBC a few years ago, this is a must read. Obviously the true to life, more serious version, but a very good read all the same.

Great book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fantastic book, so well written and makes you feel you are there living the hell the troops go through. I truly feel for these lads, a soldiers war never ends but the support they need is a joke.

This book will blow your mind

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
All the more chilling for the matter of fact dialogue. Narrator's voice well suited to the subject matter.

Fascinating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews