about me

Born in Somerset, England I began a career in journalism and publishing in 1972 and quickly focussed on current affairs, defence technology and military history. Since then my work has appeared in British, American, German, French, Spanish and Middle Eastern publications and over the years I have filed from Europe the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

In 1982 there was a brief career change when working as a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Whitehall, London. During this time I was closely involved in the Institute's analysis and coverage of the then ongoing Falkland Islands campaign.

In 1998 I set up and edited Jane's Amphibious Warfare Capabilities a reference work on the world's marine and amphibious forces. In 2002 Harper/Collins published Commandos at Dieppe – Rehearsal for D-Day the first full account of Operation Cauldron the attack by No 4 Commando. In 2004 Weidenfeld & Nicolson published Operation Barras the SAS rescue mission Sierra Leone 2000 and in 2009 publish We Gave Our Today an account of 14th Army campaign in Burma in World War II.

I am the author of over 30 books covering conflicts from the 19th Century to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as military equipment and technology. I have broadcast on radio and appeared in history programmes on the Discovery and History TV channels. I am a member of the British Commission for Military History.

A long time Territorial Army (TA – similar to the US National Guard) soldier I was commissioned into the 4th Battalion The Royal Green Jackets and volunteered for service in the First Gulf War of 1990-91. In 1993 as the visiting foreign student I graduated as a French Army Reserve Staff Officer (ORSEM) at the Ecole Militaire, Paris.

Since retiring from the TA I have maintained contact with the British Army as a battlefield study guide for groups including The Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) Warminster and the tri-service Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) Shrivenham demonstrating the value of history as a method of evaluating and testing current military doctrine.

I am married and my wife and I share our home in the West Country with two lively Border Terriers