Soldier: The Autobiography

by Mike Jackson and Mike Jackson

Book Overview

General Sir Mike Jackson's illustrious career in the British Army has spanned almost 45 years and all that time he has shown loyalty, courage and commitment to the British army whilst also being an undeniable media attraction.

A man of substance where foreign policy is concerned, he has served in theatres from the Artic to the jungle but is perhaps best known for his role in charge of the British troops to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0552156027
• ISBN13: 9780552156028
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Corgi Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Useful account of life in the British army

This is a fascinating account of life in the British Army. General Sir Mike Jackson had almost 45 years' army experience, finishing at its head as Chief of the General Staff. He did three tours of duty in Northern Ireland and was present at `Bloody Sunday' in 1972 and the Warrenpoint bombing of 1979. In 1999, he commanded the Kosovo Force. In 2001, he was Commander in Chief of UK Land Forces, responsible for assembling the British ground component of the coalition forces in Afghanistan. He took over as head of the Army seven weeks before the invasion of Iraq. Jackson makes astute judgements about the operations in which he was involved. He writes about internment in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, "Terrorists would be able to find shelter in the Republic, safe from arrest. The round-up might catch a few of them, but most would escape the net. Meanwhile, many innocent people would be interned. The outrage at such injustice would undermine our attempts to isolate the men of violence. Internment was a blunt weapon which served to exacerbate rather than ameliorate the situation." On Iraq, he notes that Major General Tim Cross, a member of Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority, said, "This is a madhouse, the situation is terrible." Jackson writes, "I shared the view that the Washington-inspired decision to disband the Iraqi army was very short-sighted. ... in the long run I don't think it's possible for a foreign army to provide security, or for a foreign police force to maintain law and order. At the end of the day, internal security must be a matter for the people who live there. It is a question of consent: with it, the intervention force can hold the ring while indigenous security forces are brought up to scratch; without it, the intervention forces can only be seen as repressive. And consent in Iraq has dwindled since Saddam Hussein's downfall." On the abuse of prisoners, he rightly states, "I am appalled by the view that prosecutions of soldiers alleged to have abused prisoners were politically driven. ... the mistreatment of prisoners tarnishes the fine reputation of the British Army, and constitutes a blatant breach of discipline; furthermore, it is an affront to the soldiers' pride in their profession. Ultimately it is detrimental to operations, because it creates suspicion and hostility in the minds of the civilian population. The Army cannot condone such behaviour." On the war in Afghanistan, Jackson notes of the failed policy of wiping out opium growing, "eradication is contrary - right now - to strategic success." He also cites a British commander there who said, "We have not yet lost one tactical engagement, but we have yet to win at the operational level."