A Life of Choice: The Trilogy Edition is the same story as the five-part eBook series, but is available in paperback only, for those who for whatever reason, do not use digital reading devices.
It’s 1969, and Jim Faulkner, a shy 17-year-old, feels there must be more to life than his office job. He surprises everybody when he signs up to leave Glasgow behind to join the British Army.
The teenager survives training to be posted to southern England. After a few months, the regiment moves to Dortmund in Germany and the younger men find themselves facing temptation.
Jim succumbs and immerses himself in a hedonistic lifestyle. The once-shy teen becomes the epitome of a single soldier. An Op Banner tour in 1973, finds Jim on the streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the role of an infantry soldier. On his return to Germany, he quickly returns to a hyperactive social life.Jim’s maxim is work hard – play hard, but how long can he maintain such a life?
As he leaves Dortmund under a cloud in 1974, Jim Faulkner promises himself he’ll settle on his return to Northern Ireland. In Londonderry, a variety of interesting tasks become available to the young operator and he has opportunities to show his worth.
While in his second unit, Jim recognises the personal issues he must overcome. One of those issues is his dependence on alcohol, and another is understanding the female of the species.
A course in Catterick follows the Londonderry posting, and Jim moves on to West Berlin. He becomes co-founder of a fund-raising club and all is going well—at first.Until he falls from grace in West Berlin, Jim only thought he had problems. Again, alcohol, his Achilles’ Heel, and the desire to live life to the full plague the young man’s good intentions.
As 1978 gets underway, Jim Faulkner has already taken the ultimate step to save his career, and possibly his life—he has married Avril, the girl he met late on his Londonderry posting.
Jim desperately wants to prove himself to his young wife, and his superiors—he can make something of his military career.When the young couple leaves West Berlin, Jim knows he must take care with each decision.
Promotion goes to those who are good, but are all-rounders. A series of postings will test Jim in every respect and now as a husband, he has responsibilities outside of work.
Will Jim, the ex-office junior finally prove himself as a career-soldier?