Shashank Joshi

The British army in the 21st century under scrutiny

There are urgent lessons to be learnt from mistakes in Basra and Helmand if the army is ever to redeem itself, say Simon Akam and Ben Barry

British soldiers drive past a field of heroin poppies in Helmand Province, March 2006. Credit: Getty Images
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  • The Changing of the Guard: The British Army Since 9/11

    Simon Akam

    Scribe, pp. 704, £25

  • Blood, Metal and Dust: How Victory Turned into Defeat in Afghanistan and Iraq

    Ben Barry

    Osprey, pp. 528, £25

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