Thirty-two years ago, Brig Gen Ancil Antoine along with hundreds of soldiers, was thrust onto the frontlines of a battle.

This conflict was not fought in the jungles or deserts of a faraway nation, but the streets and alleys of their own country.

Antoine, then a major in the regiment, was one of several commanding officers who led soldiers to recapture buildings seized by Jamaat al Muslimeen insurgents in St Clair in the 1990 attempted coup.

These experiences and others are captured in his book, Attack with Full Force, which describes in vivid detail the strategies the military used to defeat the Muslimeen, and TT's history with insurgency.

Speaking with Sunday Newsday on Thursday, Antoine, 67, said the book, which contains maps, newspaper articles and photos of the soldiers, is intended to be more than a collection of his war stories, but rather a scholarly guide to one of TT's darkest hours.

[caption id="attachment_967439" align="alignnone" width="875"] Retired Brig General Ancil Antoine with a copy of his latest book Attack with Full Force. - JEFF K MAYERS[/caption]

The book's title is a direct quote of Prime Minister ANR Robinson instruction to the armed forces while he was held hostage at the Red House with other parliamentarians and civilian staff.

Antoine said the attempted coup was a difficult chapter in TT's history, but he hoped the book would serve to inspire future generations to take pride in their country while informing them on the sacrifices made to protect the nation.

Antoine began writing and researching the book after his short stint in politics ended in 2020.

He said he originally considered writing a book on TT's military history from 1962-1990, but chose his experiences during the attempted coup first, given its significance in local history.

Antoine joined the military at 18, in 1973, three years after the infamous 1970 military mutiny. This mutiny, led by Raffique Shah and Rex LaSalle, led to the capture of Teteron Barracks from the army. Shah and LaSalle were sympathisers with the Black Power revolutionaries at the time.

The military base was later recaptured and Shah and LaSalle court martialled.

The government halted any recruitment in the army for three years.

Antoine was one of the first soldiers to enlist after the mutiny and said his decision was motivated by a need for adventure.

"I remembered seeing a newspaper article with the headline, '40,000 public servants: No promotion.' I looked at that and thought I didn't want to do any desk work for the rest of my life with no advancement.

[caption id="attachment_967468" align="alignnone" width="719"] Scenes from the attempted coup as depicted in Ancil Antoine's book Attack with Full Force. - Photo courtesy Ancil Antonie[/caption]

"I didn't have a cadet force background or anything like that. I joined because I didn't like desk jobs, just going from desk to desk, I wanted to be outdoors, I wanted to start a military career."

Antoine said at the time he remembered the government was considering removing t