Makerson's War

Two honourable men – both dramatically transformed by their participation in the Afghanistan conflict and their struggle to control their individual, manifestly affected lives. David Makerson, an Australian Infantry Captain is severely wounded on a routine patrol by an IED explosion. During his rehabilitation, he lapses into depression and anomie; he becomes a shadow of his former self. Saarim Darwish becomes head of his family after his father is executed by the Taliban. Saarim’s plans to attend university and study engineering are destroyed as he is forcibly recruited by the insurgents to join their network to construct roadside bombs. Makerson needs to remember and take control over his life. Dangerously under-equipped, he returns to Afghanistan to exact his revenge. Enter Major Hannah Jardine; a military psychologist or the leader of a covert Special Forces operation to locate and cripple the major bomb-making cell in Eastern Afghanistan. Why is she so fixated on Makerson? Who is she really working for? Makerson’s War explores their journeys of survival as they all deal with their respective situations and with those allies and enemies with whom they come in contact. Morality and values become a secondary consideration when their individual existence is threatened.

About the Author :
About The Author Max Simmons - Before his retirement from full-time work in 2001, Max was a senior Health Psychologist in the Adelaide offices of the Department of Veterans Affair’s Veterans Counselling Service. He continued his successful private practice consulting with veterans and private clients referred from local medical clinics. He has worked in the Geelong University Chronic Pain Clinic and has been a regular team member on the Deakin University, Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) for the Doctor of Medicine since 2012. Max attained his PhD from Flinders University in 2007. Titled The Discursive Construction of War-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the thesis reviewed post trauma stress responses over the past 120 years and interviewed veterans, DVA officers and mental health providers dealing with the effects of war-related trauma of Australian soldiers over major overseas conflicts. During the past thirteen years, Max has led groups on mindfulness and meditative approaches to chronic pain and trauma. He has self-published an e-book screenplay, Fall from Grace, examining the trauma response in Australian East Timor veterans. Max lives on the Victorian Bellarine Peninsular with his partner, Annette, and builds and runs workshops on wooden boat building.