Fairweather does not disappoint; from the start this book grips with its successful blend of reportage and interviews. Fairweather interviewed over three hundred key players, giving him a panoramic understanding across the spectrum of the conflict, ranging from the political machinations of Whitehall to the gritty reality of life on the street outside the Jamiat. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wears a TELIC medal - things may make a lot more sense on reading it. As we start to approach transition in Afghanistan, hopefully those involved in the planning may take a little time out to read it and avoid some of the pitfalls of recent history. ”

– ARRSE (otherwise known as the The ARmy Rumour SErvice)

The calamitous decision-making process that sent Britain into the “perfect storm” of fighting two wars on two fronts is brilliantly catalogued in Jack Fairweather's excellent book A War of Choice. Through more than 300 interviews, Fairweather, a former Daily Telegraph correspondent in Iraq, expertly dissects the lies, spin and appalling decision-making which led to the biggest British foreign policy disaster since the Suez Crisis. ”

– Sean Rayment, The Daily Telegraph

Jack Fairweather, the accomplished correspondent of the Daily Telegraph for much of the Iraq venture, gives a brilliant summary of the British entanglement for the fourth time in that country in A War of Choice. It is very much an account of the story so far — and this conflict is by no means over, according to latest reports — and by far the best of its kind yet.”

– Robert Fox, Evening Standard

An outstanding work of contemporary history that reveals for the first time the full drama and folly of Britain's adventure in Iraq. Jack Fairweather does a service to history by telling us what really went on in Iraq.”

– Patrick Bishop

A compelling history of the seamy realities of war in  both Iraq and Afghanistan, it combines the vividness of front-line reporting with detached and incisive analysis. A War of Choice is a definitive account of this era, setting out the case against Tony Blair’s shifty manipulations in Iraq more forcefully than any number of official enquiries will do.”

– Alistair Horne

We have needed to have a detailed and dispassionate book on Britain’s bitterly controversial war in Iraq.  At last we have it with this sweeping, powerful account.”

– Anthony Seldon

A War of Choice, a roller-coaster narrative of heroism, mismanagement and disaster, is as gripping as any novel.  I only hope that lessons will be learned from it.”

– Robert Irwin

Britain's campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have spawned a new generation of war correspondents as brave and fluent as any that went before, many of whom go on to write books. Jack Fairweather, who reported from Baghdad for The Daily Telegraph, has compiled his own account, which is sound, vivid and ... simply describes in cool prose how Britain's share in the western allies' initial 2003 success in deposing Saddam Hussein and occupying Iraq turned into a nightmare struggle against insurgency.

The author has interviewed most of the key players, military and political. He tells a story of repeated poor situation assessments and strategic decisions, interspersed with heavy action. There are many tales of courage, but the overall picture is one of a struggle against odds from which few senior commanders emerged with as much credit as those at the sharp end, though not all were heroes.”

– Max Hastings, The Sunday Times

back to top