"Best books on British Army in Iraq/Afghanistan" Topic

Gents.

Looking for suggestions on the best books about the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. Looking for anything, really -- first person accounts, general histories, stuff by journalists … whatever. There's just so much out there, and not sure where to start.

Have already read a ton about US Army/USMC … just looking to dive in on the UK perspective.

Thanks in advance for the help.

brian

Sniper One by Serjeant Dan Mills, PWRR, is outstanding, despite its somewhat jejune title…It features the Battle of Cimic House, including the infamous use of 2 inch mortar at point blank range whilst wearing nothing but nicks and flipflops…

link

I second Sparker with Sniper One…. Good book with loads of scenario potentials…..

I liked, Company Commander by Russel Lewis. Covers his experiences during a tour in Afghanistan in 2011

A few I enjoyed, the first two in particular have enough maps and detail to construct decent tabletop games.

3 Para by Patrick Bishop – 3 Para in Afghanistan

Attack State Red by Richard Kemp – Royal Anglians in Afghanistan, useful to watch Ross Kemp in Afghanistan at the same time as it is the same battalion. Pretty full on!

Junior Officers Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey – covers the Sandhurst then active duty experience. Interesting to watch 'Sandhurst' at the same time to appreciate the real significance of marching, shouting and ironing to the British Army.

Joint Force Harrier by Ade Orchard – Harrier ops in Afghanistan (when we still had Harriers), fascinating insight into modern CAS.

Patrick Hennessey: The junior officers' reading club.
Hennessey is an officer of the Grenadier Guards who has written an utterly readable book about his career and the fights in Afghanistan. Read the first pages about meeting four tea drinking Pasthu Gandalfs while in the middle of a firefight… How insane war can be…

Ah ! Martin stole my thunder… ;-)))

Callsign Hades- Patrick Bury.

'Losing Small Wars' by Frank Ledwidge (covers Iraq and Afghanistan – he has a follow up 'Investment in Blood')

'In Foreign Fields: Heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan in Their Own Words' – Dan Collins. (General)

'Dusty Warriors' by Richard Holmes (PWRR, Iraq)

'Dead Men Risen' by Toby Harnden (Welsh Guards, Afghanistan)

It's quite interesting reading the different perspectives on both the different tours (and how the earlier ones may have been viewed by later tours) and also operations on the same tour by battalions playing different roles in it, so if you wanted to try following something approaching a chronological study:

On Herrick 4:
'A Million Bullets' by James Fergusson – a bit depressing as to how evident it seemed to be that the overall mission was doomed to failure, but a very good one to complement '3 Para' as it covers the non-Para units of that Battle Group.

'3 Para' – covered by others above.

Herrick V:
'3 Commando Brigade' by Ewen Southby-Tailyour – Quite a dry book though, sadly. I think he's writtena follow up of their return tour.

Herrick VI:
'Attack State Red' (covering R Anglians)
'The Killing Zone' (covering Grenadier Guards. Features the Hennessey chap mentioned above. Also has quite an interesting insight into the Afghan Kandaks)

As well as the Ross Kemp documentaries, the BBC documentary series 'Our War' is also worth getting hold of as some of the episodes cover the same battalians and operations (eg Series 1 has an episode on the Anglians). I haven't looked but I'd be surprised if there weren't Youtube clips of these.

These are great, guys. Thank you! Any thoughts on British uniform/equipment references? I know Osprey's BRITISH ARMY SINCE 2000 is due out in a couple months, but any others out there?

I would strongly recommend the books by both Ewen Southby-Tailyour and Patrick Bishop. They are very different in style with Bishop's book being more personal and Southby-Tailyour's being more of an operational account.

I issued copies of "3 Para" to my officers before we deployed to Afghanistan.

For those who can read German and are interested in the German experience in Afghanistan , I would also recommend:

"Feldpost: Briefe deutscher Soldaten aus Afghanistan", a collection of letters, texts and emails written by German soldiers in Afghanistan

"Foxtrott 4: Sechs Monate mit deutschen Soldaten in Afghanistan"

"Vier Tage im November: Mein Kampfeinsatz in Afghanistan"

Jurgen

Back to the Battle of Cimic House, Y Coy 1 PWRR, I hadn't realised there some youtube videos around this action,including some hoofing shots of a 2inch mortar being put to good use:

YouTube link

YouTube link

Unfortunately, unlike regimental legend, most of the participants appear to be more or less clothed!

Hi Brian

Operation Snakebite by Stephen Grey

Kind regards

Phil

Ordinary Soldier by Doug Beattie – Beattie was the OC of a small British Army liaison team attached to ANA and ANP forces. His account is absolutely gripping, as well as being most unusual, in that it involves no British units aside from his tiny team. Stacks of good wargame scenario fodder in there.

I second recommendations for Doug Beattie and "Dead Men Risen". Both cracking books and full of scenario ideas as well as real insights into Op Herrick.