{"product_id":"operation-telic-and-the-liberation-dennis-alexander-abbott-9781036106416","title":"Operation Telic and the Liberation of Iraq: From the Desert Rats to the Media War","description":"\u003ci\u003eOperation Telic and the Liberation of Iraq\u003c\/i\u003e is an anecdote-packed daily diary recounting the author's experiences as a reserve officer and media handler with 7 Armoured (the Desert Rats) and 19 Mechanized Brigade during Operation TELIC in Iraq in 2003.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA journalist in uniform, Abbott provides an insider-outsider account of British Army media ops in southern Iraq during the immediate post-conflict phase.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a sharp eye for detail, Abbott provides a behind-the-scenes account of the highs and lows of serving two 'masters' - his demanding military commanders on one hand and a voracious press on the other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of his first missions is dealing with a barrage of media questions following the brutal murder of six Royal Military Police by a crazed mob in Majar-al-Kabir.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbbott recalls the adrenalin-filled atmosphere when the British Army garrison at Basra Palace is surrounded by a crowd firing mortars and unleashing hundreds of rounds from their AK-47s. It's only after a tense stand-to that the nervous troops discover that they are not under attack: the crowd is celebrating the demise of Saddam Hussein's sons.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are plenty of lighter and un-woke moments, too, as Abbott tells stories that fortunately didn't make the news at the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe author admits how criminal thoughts might just have crossed his mind over the $30 million flown in by the US government each week and stored feet from his camp-bed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbove all this is a vivid account of a controversial operation that cost many lives and severely tarnished the reputation of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnconvinced of the merits of military action before arriving in theatre, Abbott ends his tour in a positive mindset despite the failure to locate WMD.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis diary is more SOS than SAS, with little of the derring-do of an Andy McNab adventure. Yet it's just as un-put-downable. More in the tradition of Leslie Thomas' Virgin Soldiers than Bravo Two Zero, it's an honest, authentic and often funny read which has the potential to appeal beyond a niche audience. There has been no account of the British in Iraq quite like this.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Dennis Alexander Abbott\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1036106411\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781036106416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Pen \u0026amp; Sword Military\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/16\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover","brand":"Dennis Alexander Abbott","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46293103018239,"sku":"9781036106416","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_fb74f354-f843-456f-9096-2be0d0a7cb1d.jpg?v=1730212133","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/operation-telic-and-the-liberation-dennis-alexander-abbott-9781036106416","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}