Description
Codenamed Operation Telic, the British component of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the largest gathering of British troops since the Second World War. Whilst the British public prepared for the worst as its soldiers were facing weapons of mass destruction, most servicemen and women were under no illusion that they were invading Iraq to rid the people of Saddam Hussein.
While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair's government, not nearly enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation Telic. Based upon dozens of veteran interviews, personal diaries and archival material, this book tells their stories, in their own words.
From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces at 34,000 feet in an AWACS plane down to submariners beneath the warm waves of the Persian Gulf firing Tomahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming unexploded bombs
face=Calibri>- these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of experiences.
Polarised public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has detracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of courage, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern asymmetric warfare.
About the Author
Julian Whippy served for 25 years in the British Police, primarily with Firearms teams and as a covert surveillance officer in London. Julian's passion for military history began when he joined the Royal Anglian Regiment as a reservist and has culminated with him owning his own battlefield tour company and working for many years across the world as an accredited battlefield guide. A member of the British Commission for Military History, he wrote The Greater Game, Sportsmen Killed in the Great War. A season ticket holder at West Ham United, he is married and has a Vizsla called Gurkha.
Reviews
[A] fascinating contribution to our understanding of the Iraq War. * Midwest Book Review *
There are dozens of books about the U.S. involvement in Iraq but very few about what the British experience so Burning Horizon helps fill in that part of the history. Basing it upon first-hand accounts also makes it much more engaging than your usual military account. * Musings on Iraq *
This is an important book. . . . Burning Horizon is unofficial history; detailed, confused and unadulterated. It is probably too much to hope, as Peter Caddick-Adams alludes in his fine foreword, that an official campaign history is in the offing. In the meantime this book will keep memories alive. * Military Historical Society Bulletin *
In these detailed and compelling recollections of British soldiers at the very start of the Iraq war in 2003, Julian Whippy not only captures the chaos of those earliest days of the war but also how the UK military stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US as they have done so often and for so many years. Burning Horizon reminds us how British and American servicemen and women train together, learn together, and, when called upon, fight together to defeat threats to our common values. * General James N. Mattis, US Marine Corps (retired) *
Book Information
ISBN 9781636242972
Author Julian Whippy
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Casemate Publishers
Publisher Casemate Publishers
While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair's government, not nearly enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation Telic. Based upon dozens of veteran interviews, personal diaries and archival material, this book tells their stories, in their own words.
From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces at 34,000 feet in an AWACS plane down to submariners beneath the warm waves of the Persian Gulf firing Tomahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming unexploded bombs
face=Calibri>- these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of experiences.
Polarised public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has detracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of courage, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern asymmetric warfare.
About the Author
Julian Whippy served for 25 years in the British Police, primarily with Firearms teams and as a covert surveillance officer in London. Julian's passion for military history began when he joined the Royal Anglian Regiment as a reservist and has culminated with him owning his own battlefield tour company and working for many years across the world as an accredited battlefield guide. A member of the British Commission for Military History, he wrote The Greater Game, Sportsmen Killed in the Great War. A season ticket holder at West Ham United, he is married and has a Vizsla called Gurkha.
Reviews
[A] fascinating contribution to our understanding of the Iraq War. * Midwest Book Review *
There are dozens of books about the U.S. involvement in Iraq but very few about what the British experience so Burning Horizon helps fill in that part of the history. Basing it upon first-hand accounts also makes it much more engaging than your usual military account. * Musings on Iraq *
This is an important book. . . . Burning Horizon is unofficial history; detailed, confused and unadulterated. It is probably too much to hope, as Peter Caddick-Adams alludes in his fine foreword, that an official campaign history is in the offing. In the meantime this book will keep memories alive. * Military Historical Society Bulletin *
In these detailed and compelling recollections of British soldiers at the very start of the Iraq war in 2003, Julian Whippy not only captures the chaos of those earliest days of the war but also how the UK military stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the US as they have done so often and for so many years. Burning Horizon reminds us how British and American servicemen and women train together, learn together, and, when called upon, fight together to defeat threats to our common values. * General James N. Mattis, US Marine Corps (retired) *
Book Information
ISBN 9781636242972
Author Julian Whippy
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Casemate Publishers
Publisher Casemate Publishers
