An extraordinary story of an extraordinary man – Without Warning: Damien Thomlinson

Rough day at work? Nope – think again. Sometimes its the reminder that someone else is doing it tougher than you that forces us to remember just how fortunate we are. Then there is the often missed concept in modern days where we appreciate the freedoms we have because of the man and women who represent our country in so many missions across the world. Damien Thomlinson is one such man.

This book, details the story of a man through his quest to join the Army, after initial rejections and a strong determination he made it and became a member of our special forces.

The horror which struck “that night” on April 3, 2009 in Helmand province in Afghanistan would – as they say – change his life forever.

His doctors describe his condition after the IED blast he fell victim to – as “as close to death as you can get”.

Private Damien Thomlinson is a former member of the elite 2nd Commando Regiment of the Australian Army, and following the devastation of the incident in 2009, was officially released from the Army in 2012.

Whats hard to believe is that Damien is now an aspiring Paralympian, who from the looks of every single photo in the book has a smile that could light up the darkest nights.

The story is told in a very neat way – with contributions from the people closest to him, family members, mates. So you see the story from the eyes of the many.

Its heartbreaking to imagine, but the heartbreak seems short-lived given the way at which Damien has attacked life on every single day since.

A genuine inspiration – a story everyone should read.

Without Warning, A Soldiers Extraordinary Journey is available in bookstores and is published by Harper Collins Publishers.