“There is
one other reason for dressing well, namely that dogs respect it, and will not
attack you in good clothes.”
― Ralph
Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson obviously didn't know Stumpy.
But let's
start on a more philosophical note.
The bond
between a man and his dog is perhaps unlike any other. Profound minds across
the centuries from Martin Luther to Mark Twain to Edward Abbey have often cited
mutual dependence as the foundation of this phenomenon, and perhaps it's true. However,
adjacent to the simple relationship between a man and his pet, is the
"working" relationship. In a military context, dogs perform a variety
of functions- guarding prisoners, detecting weapons and explosives or tracking.
(In the parlance of the British military, dog teams with those skill-sets are
respectively known as "Snappers", "Wagtails" and
"Groundhogs".)
The bond between
a soldier and his soldier-dog is more intense than that between a man and his
pet. While virtually every pet owner I personally know respects their animals
and cares for them deeply, military dog-handler teams- especially those
deployed to conflict zones- endure significant danger, stress, hardship and
violence, which creates a different kind of connection.
"Stumpy
and the Auld Sapper" is a memoir about two soldiers, one of whom happens to be
canine.
Despite the
serious build-up in this review, this is a funny
book. Uncontrollably laughing out loud, nearly pissing yourself, coffee coming
out of your nose, funny. Rab Orr is a natural. Reading his book makes
you feel like you're sitting in a bar, with a Veteran who keeps you riveted
with his war stories. The punchlines either make you shake your head in
disbelief at the ridiculousness of it all, or laugh 'til you cry (which I did
at least a couple of times). It is a profane book however- and if you have
delicate sensibilities, I recommend avoiding it.
Officially a
work of "fiction" (I assume to protect the guilty), the narrator, The
Auld Sapper (a Royal Engineer by cap badge) tells of his time in the Bandit
Country of County Armagh, NI as one half of a Wagtail team seeking out weapons
and explosives with the aid of his half-pit bull, half Yellow Labrador, Stumpy.
The pair endures all types of folly, and not a little bit of danger, with humor,
stoicism and humility.
I think the
genius of this book is Stumpy's voice. Admit it. If you've ever had a close relationship
with an animal, you've often imagined what they were saying at any given
moment. Rab Orr brilliantly demonstrates his comedic chops by articulating
Stumpy's voice and personality. You will come to know and love The Stump.
The rest of
the comedy is provided by the British Army and the nature of conflict in
general. This book is not a madcap," M*A*S*H-style" send-up or satire.
It's funny because you can really imagine these things happening. And it's not
all shits and giggles either. If you enjoy military memoirs that lack bombastic
Rambo-style action (even though the SAS does make an appearance), I highly
recommend this to you.
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