Operation Insanity - The Dramatic True Story of the Mission that Saved Ten Thousand Lives

Biography & Memoir, Historical, Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book Operation Insanity - The Dramatic True Story of the Mission that Saved Ten Thousand Lives by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan, John Blake Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan ISBN: 9781786063120
Publisher: John Blake Publishing Publication: September 1, 2016
Imprint: John Blake Language: English
Author: Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
ISBN: 9781786063120
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Publication: September 1, 2016
Imprint: John Blake
Language: English

'An important book...these brave men put their lives on the line' - Colonel Tim Collins, OBE

In the midst of the horrors of the Bosnian War, Richard Westley found himself commanding British troops in a battle to save an entire town from massacre. It proved to be one of the British Army's finest hours since the Second World War.

In the summer of 1995, the Bosnian town of Goražde came under attack from the Bosnian Serb Army, despite having been designated a Safe Area by the United Nations. Soldiers of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, sent to the area as UN peacekeepers, outnumbered, lacking firepower and without air support, began to be taken hostage by the encroaching Serbian forces, while the city itself came under bombardment. The entire British venture could have been summed up in two words: 'Operation Insanity'.

The author, then a thirty-two year old major, knew he had to act quickly and decisively to have any chance of saving the lives not only of the men under his command, but of Goražde's 45,000 inhabitants. In this he succeeded, saving the town from the fate of nearby Srebenica, where more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks were massacred. He was later awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry and leadership.

Colonel Westley's reflections on a horrendous period of modern history are harrowing and unforgettable. At one point he witnessed the murder of a young Bosniak boy by Serbian snipers, and he himself was wounded by shrapnel while directing the defence against an attack by renegade Muslims. Yet his is also a very human story, from the gallows humour of the SAS team to his friendship with Selma, a female Muslim interpreter, whose courage and skill inspired him. Two decades on, his story is as relevant as ever.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

'An important book...these brave men put their lives on the line' - Colonel Tim Collins, OBE

In the midst of the horrors of the Bosnian War, Richard Westley found himself commanding British troops in a battle to save an entire town from massacre. It proved to be one of the British Army's finest hours since the Second World War.

In the summer of 1995, the Bosnian town of Goražde came under attack from the Bosnian Serb Army, despite having been designated a Safe Area by the United Nations. Soldiers of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, sent to the area as UN peacekeepers, outnumbered, lacking firepower and without air support, began to be taken hostage by the encroaching Serbian forces, while the city itself came under bombardment. The entire British venture could have been summed up in two words: 'Operation Insanity'.

The author, then a thirty-two year old major, knew he had to act quickly and decisively to have any chance of saving the lives not only of the men under his command, but of Goražde's 45,000 inhabitants. In this he succeeded, saving the town from the fate of nearby Srebenica, where more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks were massacred. He was later awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry and leadership.

Colonel Westley's reflections on a horrendous period of modern history are harrowing and unforgettable. At one point he witnessed the murder of a young Bosniak boy by Serbian snipers, and he himself was wounded by shrapnel while directing the defence against an attack by renegade Muslims. Yet his is also a very human story, from the gallows humour of the SAS team to his friendship with Selma, a female Muslim interpreter, whose courage and skill inspired him. Two decades on, his story is as relevant as ever.

More books from John Blake Publishing

Cover of the book Fearne Cotton - The Biography by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Gang Wars of the North - The Inside Story of the Deadly Battle Between Viv Graham and Lee Duffy by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book The Unofficial Stranger Things A-Z by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Tulisa - The Biography by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book The Guv'nor - A Tribute by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Hard Road to Glory - How I Became Champion of the World by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Great Scottish Heroes - Fifty Scots Who Shaped the World by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Life in Strangeways - From Riots to Redemption, My 32 Years Behind Bars by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book The World's Twenty Worst Crimes - True Stories of 10 Killers and Their 3000 Victims by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Novak Djokovic and the Rise of Serbia - The Sporting Statesman by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book The Secret Life Of Freddie Mills - National Hero, Boxing Champion, SERIAL KILLER by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book Going Commando by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book The Big Fat Mystery by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book For The Claret & Blue by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
Cover of the book He's Still Here by Colonel Richard Westley, Mark Ryan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy