2012.
After ten years of fighting, the British Army and its allies are still locked in a deadly struggle against Taliban forces in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Captain Alec Collard is a newly trained army doctor who is bored by the safe, middle-class existence of home. He believes he will find adventure and purpose on the front line of the conflict.
At Patrol Base Kalay, he joins a battle-hardened infantry company whose soldiers bear the scars of multiple tours of duty and contacts with the enemy. As Collard struggles to prove his value to the soldiers around him, the company urgently seeks Callsign Grendel, a Taliban commander who they believe has gained valuable intelligence about their mission.
From a local population that may turn against them at any time, to the corrupt police force they must fight alongside, threats are everywhere.
Casualties mount and the British grip on the area falters. Grendel - the traitor in their midst - needs to be stopped.
In a final throw of the dice, the British mount a major operation to clear the area of Taliban fighters and kill or capture Callsign Grendel, but find themselves trapped in an isolated compound and fighting for their lives.
PRAISE FOR STEADFAST
‘Staten has written a cracking yarn that glows with authenticity.’ Patrick Bishop, author of 3 Para and Ground Truth
'An insightful and page-turning thriller, written by someone who was on the ground. Soldiers and military fiction fans alike should dive in.' Thomas Waugh, author of Enough is Enough
‘Gripping and beautifully written.’ Amazon Review