Leading from the Front: An autobiography

"A passionate and searingly honest account of four decades of army service, it offers both a sober caution of the past and a carefully thought-out blueprint for the future" (Saul David Sunday Telegraph)

"In this book, Sir Richard Dannatt has some thoughtful things to say not only about the past but also about the future shape of our forces. No one can read it without being reminded that we need, as a country, to take the military covenant with our forces with the utmost seriousness" (Richard Harries Church Times)

General Sir Richard Dannatt's distinguished career in the army has spanned thirty-eight years and seen him serve in many different theatres of conflict, from Northern Ireland (where he was awarded the Military Cross) to Bosnia and Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His experiences have forged an unwavering loyalty to the fighting British soldier.

As Chief of the General Staff, he was given overall command of the British army at a time when the fighting was fiercest in Afghanistan. But from his very first day in the job, General Dannatt proved himself a courageous leader and a forceful advocate for his men, never shying from controversy to tell the truth as he found it.

More than any leader in recent times, Dannatt has used his position of command to get a better deal for the British soldier - the right equipment, the right conditions, the right reward - to do the job we ask of them. His leadership and example have shaped the debate about the role of the professional army in modern warfare.

Leading from the Front is General Sir Richard Dannatt's reflections on a life of military service which offers a characteristically frank analysis of whether Britain's defence strategy is fit to deal with the numerous threats we will face in the 21st century.