The introduction of this unusual book smacks the reader full in the face: it is a bullet point summary of Martin Bell’s very eventful life that has, as the title suggests, revolved around war and peacekeeping.

His university education was his national service – specifically in the 1st Battalion of the Suffolks (formerly the 12th of Foot). This provided him with a bedrock of survival skills in a warzone, an understanding of weaponry, and some nuances of the command and control systems (and internal politics) of the British Army. That he failed a commissioning board understandably rankled a little, but probably enabled him to witness his wars from nearer the sharp end.  Bell is a great advertisement for the good that came from National Service; his experiences give him the footing (and legitimacy) to make much of the comments that follow.      

It is apposite that Bell’s first discourse is on Turkish/Greek relations – the situation remains very live today. My sources tell me the Turkish Navy is constantly trying to provoke its Greek counterpart in contested waters. Bell’s  war with the Suffolks was in the peacekeeping role in Cyprus. Here he was first able to observe the British Press Corps in action – the comments are wry. In parallel he is concerned and amused about how what he is experiencing first-hand is played out in Whitehall. As one might expect most of the stories are the cocktail of pathos, danger and wit that only Britain’s armed forces can conjure.

By page 57 this reviewer’s heart was beginning to tick a little faster  – the Turks actually invade Cyprus in 1974. This is the only war I have played a hand in. More like a fingernail – involvement was temporary and microscopic. Bell mentions Op Ablaut – the need to resupply British Forces on the island at extremely short notice. He doesn’t mention the parallel operation – Fallacy – which was the equally urgent repatriation of British service dependents. I flew out in a C130, in retrospect too blasé that the main cargo was ammunition, with Ablaut, and did an immediate about-turn with Op Fallacy. The cargo was wives and children; they were unsurprisingly stressed and tired – the C130 is not configured for passenger comfort. And as I soon discovered, they were prone to air sickness. This was probably not helped when an hour later I poled the Herc around the sky for 20 minutes!  

Bell very clearly apportions blame for the (continued) partition of Cyprus to the British Government. Once into his journalistic career he has continual opportunities to evaluate the success of the UN’s interventions around the globe. The Balkans are one of his first conflicts, and he gives a withering assessment of the utility of the contributions of minor nations to UNPROFOR. In the aftermath of this conflict he did a lot of testifying at the Hagues’ War Crimes Tribunal.

Bell is justly very exercised by the proliferating use of landmines by Third World regimes, and of cluster bombs by First World countries. His fundraising work for the likes of the HALO Trust is well explained. He also gives very useful coverage of the prevalence of PTSD. According to Bell (this, like everything in the book, is irritatingly unsourced) 17% of British front-line veterans of the Iraq and Afghan conflicts have suffered from it, and 6% of support troops.  For reservists the proportions are higher. Thirteen years is the average length of time before a sufferer cries for help (this tallies with other evidence). Proof, were it needed, that the UK should put more effort into veteran care (and that politicians such as Blair rarely pause to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions).