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'He is a thinking soldier with a gift for words and tells his story well' John Keegan, SPECTATOR; 'This absorbing tale, by turns dramatic, thoughtful and humorous, is a lesson in the humanity behind a country at war' SUN; 'The book is a fascinating, detailed account of what he and his men went through in the invasion and delivers a hard-hitting message of where the Coalition has gone wrong since the invasion' Sydney SUN HERALD; 'His memoir is incendiary' Glasgow HERALD; 'Painfully compelling' Allan Mallinson, THE TIMES (Various )
Product Description
From the moment Tim Collins’s speech to his men in Iraq was made public, this soldier–thinker became a hero and an inspiration to world leaders and infantrymen alike. To a public suspicious about the motives for war, he offered some explanation for it and inspired a mood of optimism and humanity that has since been sadly lost. And yet, only two months later Collins was pilloried by two national newspapers and accused of war crimes. But this is only part of his story. From taking command of 1 Royal Irish in the aftermath of the Sierra Leone hostage crisis to combating the Loyalist murder gangs in East Tyrone, Rules of Engagement is a powerful memoir that offers a frank and compelling insight into the realities of warfare and a life lived on the frontline.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a really important book on a number of levels. I have seen some of the reviews that have commented about the author's philosophy but it does help us understand his mind set and approach!
The title suggests this is a full autobiography but it mainly deals with Iraq with a little bit before and a little afterwards.
Collins is a natural leader and his approach to the Iraq conflict should have been a benchmark for the rest of the conflict, i.e put into place standards and controls that would allow the free Iraq people to govern themselves and allow the early withdrawal of British and US troops. Very much a thinking and intelligent leader (although he admits his mistakes) you can see how his tactics work and the resulting improvements in the areas under his control.
Equally fascinating is his view and understanding of the people of Iraq. They come across and a warm but complex people and it is easy to understand how and why they have re-acted to the conflict in the way they have. There is a small section on the way a British cemetery has been immaculately maintained through the passion and loyalty of the locals that was quite moving.
Of course there is much mention of both the famous speech and then later on, the allegations against Collins. It was dis-heartening to see the way that the British Army and establishment failed to support Collins and allowed his name to be smeared in the press when they should have stood by a true asset.
While a biography will obviously paint a reasonably positive view of the author, I think this is a frank account and I have no doubt that the British Army needs more people like Collins.
I learnt a great deal from this one and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who is interested in either the Iraq conflict or military leadership.
The title suggests this is a full autobiography but it mainly deals with Iraq with a little bit before and a little afterwards.
Collins is a natural leader and his approach to the Iraq conflict should have been a benchmark for the rest of the conflict, i.e put into place standards and controls that would allow the free Iraq people to govern themselves and allow the early withdrawal of British and US troops. Very much a thinking and intelligent leader (although he admits his mistakes) you can see how his tactics work and the resulting improvements in the areas under his control.
Equally fascinating is his view and understanding of the people of Iraq. They come across and a warm but complex people and it is easy to understand how and why they have re-acted to the conflict in the way they have. There is a small section on the way a British cemetery has been immaculately maintained through the passion and loyalty of the locals that was quite moving.
Of course there is much mention of both the famous speech and then later on, the allegations against Collins. It was dis-heartening to see the way that the British Army and establishment failed to support Collins and allowed his name to be smeared in the press when they should have stood by a true asset.
While a biography will obviously paint a reasonably positive view of the author, I think this is a frank account and I have no doubt that the British Army needs more people like Collins.
I learnt a great deal from this one and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who is interested in either the Iraq conflict or military leadership.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Tim Collins comes across as a man of honour, integrity and ability.
His book is full of insight, educated comment and some great humour. He allows the reader to be with him in some very tense and dangerous situations. He also clearly shows us that desk jockeys and management wannabes have no place in judging those who have placed themselves in harms way and alludes to the fact that without practical experience and wisdom the allies will make an almighty mess in Iraq. His personal experience of injustice is a salutary warning for us all - as personalities and politics are a constant threat to justice and reason - however there is another lesson in that life will use any means to precipitate the mid-life transition - particularly in an outstanding man of action.
Tim Collins shows how the job should be done in an excellent book - we can only hope that men like him train the armies of the future.
His book is full of insight, educated comment and some great humour. He allows the reader to be with him in some very tense and dangerous situations. He also clearly shows us that desk jockeys and management wannabes have no place in judging those who have placed themselves in harms way and alludes to the fact that without practical experience and wisdom the allies will make an almighty mess in Iraq. His personal experience of injustice is a salutary warning for us all - as personalities and politics are a constant threat to justice and reason - however there is another lesson in that life will use any means to precipitate the mid-life transition - particularly in an outstanding man of action.
Tim Collins shows how the job should be done in an excellent book - we can only hope that men like him train the armies of the future.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I agree with previous reviewers who have detailed this excellent book but thought I would add another angle of analysis. In a market segment dominated by individual tales of derring-do on the battlefield, in his autobiography Tim Collins gives us an insight into the very difficult role of battlefield management. If you want detailed pages of tech specs on weapons loadouts and obscene bodycounts read an SAS book; in Rules of Engagement these heroic exploits usually get a line or two. Instead we are given a detailed overview of the psychological and organisational issues involved in running an army regiment, which is often where the real battle is fought.
He understands that having the right kit with you is as much about looking the part as doing the job, the role of the regiment as an extended family that looks out for its own, and how strong leadership is the backbone of the British Armed Forces. I particularly enjoyed the sections contrasting the outlook of the Brits to the Americans in running an army, they are undoubtedly well trained, well equipped, and make all the right noises but appear sorely lacking in experience amongst their lower ranks. In addition to the other qualities mentioned here and other reviews, this book serves as a fine tribute to the Royal Irish Regiment and the community that supports them.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Amazing insight to life at the head of a battlegroup
Former Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins was commissioned in the Army in 1981 and served in a wide variety of roles and regiments encompassing tours in Northern Ireland, the Falkland... Read more
Published 4 months ago by S Mcveigh
Compelling and refreshingly honest
Absorbing from the first page, this is a fascinating soldiers-eye view of conflicts most of us have only read about in the newspapers. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Janie231
A surprisingly good read
A good read. Demonstrates all too clearly how when a non-politician is a true leader and comes to the attention of the public he is honoured and loved by them, as we are searching... Read more
Published 15 months ago by A Walking Reader
Very dissapointed
I started reading this book wanting to know the truth about this man's experiences in his various deployments and to be honest found the description of events very interesting. Read more
Published 20 months ago by brandoni
Thoroughly enjoyable - though not in the way I expected
This was my first 'Military' book purchase. Bought it more for leadership tips and hints (though bit disappointed in this respect as didn't really learn anything new). Read more
Published 21 months ago by juno
Excellent insider's account of life in the Army
I had this book recommended to me and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a fantastic account of what life in the modern army is really like. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2009 by mclanno
A role model for soldiers and writers alike
I bought this book having heard Tim Collins lecture on leadership and strategy. Since he is impressive in person, I had high expectations and I was not disappointed. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2007 by G. H. Fraser-sampson
ASYMMETRIC WARFARE
Colonel Tim Collins first achieved fame for his address to his troops when about to go into battle in Iraq. Read more
Published on 2 July 2007 by DAVID BRYSON
Pull up a sandbag
As a former soldier myself, I bought this book as a holiday read at the airport and was not disappointed - in fact it was very hard to put down. Read more
Published on 16 July 2006 by K. Dawson
Simply Superb
This is a book every politician should read, he did far more for Iraq in his tour of duty than any politician managed, they should be taking notes on the concept of honour and... Read more
Published on 18 May 2006 by Mr. T. Holden
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