Peter de La Billière

The 1994 autobiography of General Sir Peter de la Billière (1934 - ), British commander in the first Gulf War.

It is quite interesting to reflect on the fact that de la Billière had a privileged upbringing, the son of a naval surgeon father and socialite mother. His father died when his ship was sunk in the Mediterranean in 1941; but de la Billiëre was well provided for, and ended up in the British public school system, at Harrow. That system was the making of him - but not in an 'old show more boys' network', 'doors opened for him' sort of way. Rather, his rebellious nature before public school meant that that environment provided him with ample opportunities to get into trouble, and get out of it again. He was certainly no academic, but early on discovered for himself the benefits to be gained from reconnoitring a situation and planning how he was going to achieve his objective - whether that was a clandestine night out in London or accessing the school Cadet Corps armoury.

With that mindset, the Army in general and the SAS in particular were probably the most obvious and appropriate places where he could find fulfilment. He saw active service in Korea and then set his sights on joining the SAS, where he served in Malaysia, Oman, Aden and Borneo.

That experience meant that he was always likely to take to the ideas of giving subordinates the operational freedom to take decisions, relying on their high level of training to achieve the necessary results. These were ideas which he carried forward into his subsequent military career post the SAS.

There is a lot of namedropping in this book, but those mentioned are there because they earned de la Billière's respect. His insider perspective on the British Army, its relationship with the political leadership and the governmental machine, and the wider political impact of some of the operations he took part in are valuable; In particular, his assessment of why the Coalition forces didn't advance on, and then take, Baghdad in the closing days of the first Gulf War (1990-91) is worth reading, because he basically highlights why the eventual fall of Baghdad in the second Gulf War in 2003 resulted in such a disaster - the US-led Coalition did all the things de la Billière said would have been disastrous in 1991.

His insider account of the SAS assault that ended the Iranian embassy siege in London in 1980 is quite gripping, even though by that time he was in a senior command position and so dealt directly with senior police officers and the political establishment. Yet in that operation, and indeed throughout his military career, he emphasises the importance of talking to the people at the sharp end and seeing as much of any operation for himself.

Perhaps the best comment on this book comes from one of the reviews quoted on the back cover: "Naughty boys should not be allowed to read this book, for it shows that persistence in the planning and execution of escapades that break all the rules can lead to the status of national hero." (Michael Carver in the Sunday Telegraph.) show less

A well written book which I enjoyed reading. A book that defied the laws of gravity - I couldn't put it down!

Well written autobiography of the British general who commanded the British forces in Operation Desert Storm.

Autobiography of the most decorated SAS soldier in history. Retired 1992.