The Changing Of The Guard: The British Army Since 9/11

Description

A revelatory, explosive new analysis of the military today. Over the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Britain has changed enormously. During this time, the British Army fought two campaigns, in Iraq and Afghanistan, at considerable financial and human cost. Yet neither war achieved its objectives. This book questions why, and provides challenging but necessary answers. Composed of assiduous documentary research, field reportage, and hundreds of interviews with many soldiers and officers who served, as well as the politicians who directed them, the allies who accompanied them, and the family members who loved and -- on occasion -- lost them, it is a strikingly rich, nuanced portrait of one of our pivotal national institutions in a time of great stress. Award-winning journalist Simon Akam, who spent a year in the army when he was 18, returned a decade later to see how the institution had changed. His book examines the relevance of the armed forces today -- their social, economic, political, and cultural role. This is as much a book about Britain, and about the politics of failure, as it is about the military.

About the Author

imon Akam (@simonakam, simonakam.com) held a Gap Year Commission in the British Army before attending Oxford University. He won a Fulbright scholarship to study at Columbia Journalism School in New York and in 2010 won the professional strand of The Guardianâ€™s International Development Journalism Competition. He has worked for The New York Times, Reuters, and Newsweek, and is currently a contributing writer for The Economistâ€™s 1843 magazine. His work has appeared in other publications including GQ, Bloomberg Businessweek, Outside, and The Atlantic