SOLDIER: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY First edition by GENERAL SIR MIKE JACKSON (2007) Hardcover Hardcover – August 1, 2007

Sir Mike Jackson's autobiography was published over eight years ago, but it contains important snippets of wisdom that remain highly relevant. Most particularly, what should we expect when we intervene militarily in a foreign country and how might such interventions lead to outcomes we want rather than fiascos, frustrations and mountains of dead bodies who died for no purpose?For those interested in how a young officer in the British army rises to a position at the very top of the command structure, the first 200 or so pages are instructive. Moreover, for those curious about why the British Army works as well as it does (or doesn't) this same material is equally informative. The major point is that the British Army remains extremely serious about developing and keeping a world-class officer corps, and it achieves that aim by rotating officers back and forth between operational assignments, staff positions and formal study (with the very best officers serving as teachers imparting the very latest knowledge from hard-won experience). You get ahead by learning more and you learn more by getting ahead. Promotion does not entail political maneuvering, apple polishing or ass kissing.For those more interested in conflict resolution, the reader can skip to page 183 and start reading from there. That's when Jackson gives detailed accounts of service as a senior commander for the Bosnian War, the Kosovo incursion two years later, Afghanistan after that and then Iraq. Importantly, he was not a combat leader (much to his regret), but as a key decision-maker, his insights might be even more valuable.The most important lesson Jackson has to teach is that it is absolute folly to go thundering in to some locale with guns blazing, take out all the institutions of social control, and expect the flowers of liberal democracy to emerge spontaneously from the ashes. In Bosnia and Kosovo, the allies had learned how important it was to address the need for government immediately. Sir Mike has high praise for a reconstruction consultant from England called Gilbert Greenall who probably has more post-conflict reconstruction experience than any man alive. (If you want to be impressed by a life well lived, Google Gilbert Greenall!) Greenall's rule of thumb is that you have no more than 100 days after conflict to restore functioning government--the means by which the population is persuaded that life will be better for your having been there. Fail that and you fail it all.So what does this activity consist of? Sir Mike repeatedly uses the analogy of a rope of several strands--a military strand, a security strand, a humanitarian strand, a demobilization strand, a political strand and an economic strand. Individually, each can be severed, but woven together they are strong. If you're not prepared to do that, you might as well stay home. Over and over, Jackson stresses that military success is not the end point:The end point is political stability/functioning government that is legitimate in the eyes of the populace. In America, there seems to be a serious delusion that major problems are solved by applying military might hard enough. To Jackson, that is confusing means with ends. The military, he stresses, can never be more than a means to an end, and the end is often every bit as hard and every bit as costly as the means.In the run-up to the Iraq invasion. Sir Mike was made aware of the State Department's detailed plan of reconstruction and development for Iraq. More than a year in the making, it was probably as thoughtful as any such document can be. It was this more than any thing else that convinced him that a successful outcome was eminently possible. He watched with rising horror, though, as the American military simply ignored it at the instigation of Donald Rumsfeld, who famously remarked, "We don't do nation-building." A year after the invasion, the coalition Provisional Authority was desperately (chaotically and ineffectually) trying to pick up the pieces that they has so cavalierly thrown on the ground. Three years on, we had still not re-established a reliable power supply in Baghdad. Ideologically rejecting "nation-building," we now find that ISIS is doing what we failed to do. Shame!A stickler for discipline, law and military tradition, Sir Mike Jackson could never be accused of being a liberal. What he can not abide is dogmatic thinking, leading as it does (in his view) to policies that are doomed to fail and a profundity of injustice. Next to ideology (e.g. the neocon variety), Jackson takes the opportunity to give the British Ministry of Defense (MOD) a right old pranging. In this he is totally on par with Robert Gates, who had almost identical issues with the Pentagon. That is, the civilian dominated military bureaucracy (1) Routinely ignores the military equipment needs of soldiers in the field (2) Substitutes its abstract plans for military realities on the ground (3) Seems more concerned with saving money than saving lives (4) Seriously questions why soldiers should be involved at all in developing military doctrine. (See Robert Gates's book Duty for a real eyeful along this line.)As a person, Jackson comes across as ambitious and none too humble, but also hard-drinking, fun-loving, devoted to his family, incredibly energetic, self-disciplined, professional and scrupulously fair. If there is a single word I would use to describe him, it is "honorable."If there is a downside to Sir Mike Jackson's autobiography it is its length (nearly 400 pages). Its many upsides include innumerable lessons for the style of conflict in which we will certainly be engaged for the indefinite future, its detailed grasp of the big picture without losing sight of telling details, and Jackson's extraordinary clarity of mind.

This is highly biased to justify many of the cover ups that he helped construct, which are well documented. Watch The Ballymurphy precedent, it gives another view.

I learned about General Jackson from musician James Blunt who was deployed in Kosovo and under his command at the time where General refused direct order from his superior to engage Russian soldiers at Pristina Airport and possibly start and international forces incident which could have led to major UN disaster. The book is well written for a non-writer, and showcases his attitudes from a soldier point of view. General Jackson defines solider role as peace vs war based. His agenda and motives are to bring peace and balance vs destruction and reorder, often seen by NATO led US army. Good book written with good understanding of situations and motives of those he took orders from with a touch of personal.

ich konnte dieses Buch kaum mehr aus der hand legen.die teilweise sehr persönlichen schilderungen aus dem leben von sir mike jackson spiegeln authentisch und mit ständigen blick über den tellerrand der eigenen überzeugungen und erfahrungen das gefühl der jeweiligen zeiten und orte wieder. das buch bietet damit auch - quasi als nebeneffekt - einen schönen rückblick in die vergangenen 30-40 jahre des kalten krieges, der entspannung zwischen ost und west und der darauffolgenden verlagerung und neuen entstehung von konflikten.äußerst empfehlenswerte lektüre!!!

General Sir Mike, the British Army's top General and a very astute individual. I have been waiting for his autobiography, well, since the Kosovo operation as I was very interested in hearing his version of events regarding his interaction with SACEUR, Gen Wesley Clark and the Russians.The book is written in a style that is very easy to read. This General has done a lot and experienced a lot and at times, you do feel that he has only touched the surface in what he has written. However, overall, I would recommend this book as a good read.

Despite the fact that he is still smarting over Bloody Sunday, of which he was not responsible (he cannot be held responsible for a load of trigger-happy 1 Paras, who were notoriously of control to begin with), but the buck stopped with him, and he remains, in my opinion, one of the greatest soldiers of modern times. Regarding Bloody Sunday, my father who was in the British Army for 18 years, regarded Bloody Sunday as a stain of blood on the army. Anyway, what a wonderful book! (Highly recommended) Thank you Mike Jackson, for your book and your service. Never to be forgotten.

I found the book a very interesting account of Sir Mike`s life and experiences in the army. Particularly the part about the ambush at Warrenpoint as I am from the area and witnessed the events of that day. Indeed this was my reason for reading the book. However the rest of the book was also a very useful personal insight into a very complex era of modern history. For anyone with an interest in history, particularly military history, it is well worth a read.