Losing Small Wars

British Military Failure in the 9/11 Wars

Ledwidge Frank

This new edition of Frank Ledwidge's eye-opening analysis of British involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan unpicks the causes and enormous costs of military failure. Updated throughout, and with fresh chapters assessing and enumerating the overall military performance since 2011 – including Libya, ISIS, and the Chilcot findings – Ledwidge shows how lessons continue to go unlearned.

About the Author

Frank Ledwidge spent fifteen years as a Naval reserve military intelligence officer, retiring in 2008 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He served on front-line operations in the Balkan wars and Iraq, where he commanded British and multi-national units. In civilian life he practised as a criminal barrister for eight years before specialising in international development and human rights law. He has since worked as a civilian advisor all over the world, including in Afghanistan and most recently Libya. He is the author of "Losing Small Wars: British Military Failure in Iraq and Afghanistan" (2011).

Reviews

"A brave and important book; essential reading for anyone wanting insights into the dysfunction within the British military today, and the consequences this has on the lives of innocent civilians caught up in war" – Times Literary Supplement

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