Product Description

In this irreverent and provocative book, Lewis Page exposes the scandalous state of our armed forces: how British soldiers are sent off to war with some of the worst guns around, how the MOD keeps financing useless toys (at huge expense to taxpayers), and how decisions seem to be made with an eye, above all, for the interests of British Aerospace. He shows how politicians and the top brass are hopelessly entrenched in yesterday's wars and pouring their talents and energies into making sure that money is wasted right, left and centre.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #142288 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Independent on Sunday
I'ts very unlikely that anything this entertaining or important will be
written on military matters this year. It deserves to be a bestseller.

Sir Max Hastings, Daily Telegraph
Page writes with force and wit...I hope he soon gets the job he deserves,
as a defence correspondent in the national media. The MoD and chiefs of
staff might tremble in their boots about the consequences, but that is as
it should be. Page does a splendid job.

Douglas Carswell MP, speaking in the House of Commons
Mr Page's highly readable account...is, I hope, on the Minister's reading
list...To conclude, I hope that the Minister and many others in the House
will read Lewis Page's excellent book. I hope that the Minister will go
back to his Department..and create an effective defence procurement policy
inspired by what Mr Page has to say.

Customer Reviews

Informative and well written
To most of us defence expenditure is not the most exiting subject. Page gets around this by writing in an exiting, informative and often humorous manner. I have no reservations about recommending this book to anyone. Indeed, it is an essential read for anyone who worries how their tax is being spent. Thirty billion pounds a year is an awful lot of cash to be spending on rubbish kit.

After some checks - it seems factually correct to me. Indeed, I can't find the inconsistancies profered by his detractors and wonder about their motivations.

Shocking, verifiable - and a page turner
Really - I can't say enough about this book. Military and civilian friends alike have been equally taken with it, causing a spate of letter writing to MPs. Page gives the UK forces their very large due, but is merciless on inadequate and feather-bedding politicians, defense contractors, and senior officers. He also writes wonderfully.

Frightening but terribly plausible
Lewis Page enumerates the various ways in which the defence budget is misused to keep the armed forces in their traditional, but now ineffective, roles, and keep BAE Systems in profit. I have no direct knowledge, unlike other reviewers here, but it correlates frighteningly well with messages I get from other sources. Basically, Page claims, with detailed working out, that we could get armed forces four or eight times as effective as those we have for the same money as we now spend, or even less. He has convinced me.

The book is extremely readable, even a page turner, and will be worth reading for those with interests either in the militarly or in complex systems.

To the reviewer who accuses him of getting his figures from tabloids: he states that they were drawn from military and MOD websites. Pleas prove him a liar, if ytou can.