Mark Etherington was brought up in Kuwait and Qatar and educated at York and Cambridge Universities and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He served six years in the British Army's Parachute Regiment, including two tours of Northern Ireland. He was seconded to the European Community's Monitor Mission in former Yugoslavia during the 1992-1995 war and has subsequently worked in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was appointed CBE in December 2004.

Etherington's book is a rich depiction of the on-the-ground struggles he faced while trying to create the conditions for a lasting peace after major combat operations ceased.... He has provided a well-written and engaging narrative of his time in Iraq, describing the great responsibilities of the CPA and describing his bitter disappointment at its failure to provide the conditions necessary for a safe and secure future for the people of the Wasit province. His account paints a negative picture of all involved, including his bosses in Baghdad and London, the entire coalition, the local Iraqis, and finally, himself.

Mark Etherington was brought up in Kuwait and Qatar and educated at York and Cambridge Universities and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He served six years in the British Army's Parachute Regiment, including two tours of Northern Ireland. He was seconded to the European Community's Monitor Mission in former Yugoslavia during the 1992-1995 war and has subsequently worked in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was appointed CBE in December 2004.

Etherington's book is a rich depiction of the on-the-ground struggles he faced while trying to create the conditions for a lasting peace after major combat operations ceased.... He has provided a well-written and engaging narrative of his time in Iraq, describing the great responsibilities of the CPA and describing his bitter disappointment at its failure to provide the conditions necessary for a safe and secure future for the people of the Wasit province. His account paints a negative picture of all involved, including his bosses in Baghdad and London, the entire coalition, the local Iraqis, and finally, himself.

Mark Etherington was brought up in Kuwait and Qatar and educated at York and Cambridge Universities and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He served six years in the British Army's Parachute Regiment, including two tours of Northern Ireland. He was seconded to the European Community's Monitor Mission in former Yugoslavia during the 1992-1995 war and has subsequently worked in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was appointed CBE in December 2004.

Etherington's book is a rich depiction of the on-the-ground struggles he faced while trying to create the conditions for a lasting peace after major combat operations ceased.... He has provided a well-written and engaging narrative of his time in Iraq, describing the great responsibilities of the CPA and describing his bitter disappointment at its failure to provide the conditions necessary for a safe and secure future for the people of the Wasit province. His account paints a negative picture of all involved, including his bosses in Baghdad and London, the entire coalition, the local Iraqis, and finally, himself.