Told through the eyes of a soldier, and interspersed with humorous anecdotes, Appel is a fascinating story that debunks myths about the French Foreign Legion and shows it more accurately as a professional arm of the French military.

In vivid detail, Joel Struthers chronicles the French Foreign Legion's storied history, including the rigorous discipline it instills in its recruits, as part of his six years as a professional solider, from the unrelenting operational training in France to face-to-face combat in Africa.