Dusty Warriors

Foremost military historian Richard Holmes offers us a compelling and at times terrifying account of what it means to be a contemporary soldier.

In this remarkable book, Holmes draws on the testimonies and personal photographs of the 700 soldiers of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment in Iraq to vividly capture their day-to-day experiences of the conflict, from camp kitchens to the heart of an armoured convey barrelling out across the desert.

As colonel-in-chief of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment himself from 1999 until 2007, Holmes combines acute observation with heartfelt experience to produce a gripping and deeply moving vision of his regiment at war.

Reviews

‘This is Holmes at his best. There isn’t a better book about soldiering today.’ Literary Review

‘An invaluable insight into the workings of a modern infantry regiment … essential reading.’ Sunday Times

‘First-rate … with this exciting, affectionate account of his regiment at war Holmes has set a standard for other military authors to aspire to.’ Daily Mail

‘You will not be able to put it down.’ Spectator

‘Entertaining and thought-provoking.’ Guardian

About the author

Celebrated military historian and television presenter Richard Holmes is famous for his BBC series ‘Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolutionary War’; ‘Wellington: The Iron Duke’; ‘Battlefields’; ‘War Walks’ and ‘The Western Front’. He is the author of many bestselling and widely acclaimed books including ‘Firing Line’, ‘The Western Front’, ‘Redcoat’, ‘Tommy’ and ‘Sahib’. He is general editor of the definitive ‘Oxford Companion to Military History’. He taught military history at Sandhurst for many years and is now Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. His biography of the Duke of Marlborough is published by HarperCollins in 2008. He lives near Winchester in Hampshire.