Dusty Warriors - Prof. Richard Holmes

From an invader of Iraq in the past we now turn our attention to an invader from the present day. Like it or not, that's exactly what we Brits did and although politics will have no place in this blog I shall merely note that whether or not we should be there is somewhat immaterial these days. Like it or not, the simple fact is that we are and this book gives a perfect taste of life out East in war conditions. For that's what it is.

Let no one try and say that Richard Holmes is not the consummate military historian. He is an absolute master of his craft. There are few of his peers who are his equal in terms of dispassionate objectivity and scrupulous research (Antony Beevor being the exception) and none have got as close to the British soldier in terms of character, experience and knowledge.

The reason for this is very simple - he is one. A former battalion commander and Brigadier in the Territorial Army he was, until his retirement in 2007, also Colonel in Chief of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. 'PWRR' in the army lexicon, 'The Tigers' in everyone else's. This book concerns the deployment of the 1st Battalion (1PWRR) to Basra and environs in April 2007. From meeting with Tribal Chiefs and Marsh Arabs to the epic 100 day+ defence of CIMIC house, Al-Amarah, this 'County Regiment' went through a lot.

Holmes does a masterful job in guiding the reader gradually to this point with a consummate explanation of what a regiment is, what it can do and the organisation of it on all levels before it gets pitched, sometimes calm, sometimes screaming, into an anti-insurgency campaign. The actions of the individual soldiers are portrayed in exquisite detail and the maps in the book are commendably clear and uncluttered; giving quick and easy reference on the occasions when military references and the welter of call signs and 'Zap numbers' become overwhelming in combat.

For despite this being a history book and an autobiography of sorts the pace is relentless, driving along at a rate that would leave many thriller/drama authors floundering and coughing on the dust kicked up by the regiments' Warrior AFV's and the odd Challenger 2 MBT.
Despite all the action, however, there are quieter moments of reflection and introspection that provide a wonderful snapshot into the diplomacy and hospitality of both soldiers and the mass majority of the Iraqi people - from lavish banquets thrown by Tribal elders to the tireless work done to restore amenities shattered by combat.

If you want a picture of hectically paced yet organised infantry operations in urban combat, this is hard to surpass.

9 and 3/4's out of 10. It's that damn good.