#WavellReviews The Accidential Soldier by Owain Mulligan
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#WavellReviews The Accidential Soldier by Owain Mulligan
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About this listen
Owain Mulligan, a frustrated teacher and self-declared weekend warrior (a "STAB" in old Army lingo), signs up for a tour in Iraq with the Queen's Royal Hussars in a bid for change. What follows is his story as a troop leader, a far punchier job that he had signed up for.
The book is filled with comic moments. Nearly every page contains a witty remark or a hilarious anecdote - from felt-tip penis graffiti in Basra Palace to bizarre and endearing interactions with Iraqis. The opening page talks of there being too much mastaubation in the draft, but the humour is actually far more sophisticated. Mulligan's tone is light-hearted, and for veterans, the authenticity of his experience rings true, even if there are some embellishments.
For civilian readers, it might leave the risky impression that war is…fun.
Yet beneath the humour lies something deeper. Mulligan's comedy often feels like a mask, concealing frustration, anger, and sorrow behind a stoic façade. His writing invites empathy, and his portrayal of friction between units, allied forces, or the Foreign Office, is handled with both humour and humility. For example, being stopped for his ID card by an American soldier or interactions with obviously corrupt Iraqi officials.
Beyond the storytelling, The Accidental Soldier offers an important perspective. It gives a glimpse into how soldiers truly felt during their time in Iraq. Mulligan's frustrations with the Iraqi Army and Police are clear, though often cloaked in humour. By the book's end, he begins to ask the harder questions: Was it worth it? His answer "I didn't make it any worse", is offered as a kind of modest victory.
This is not a mocking critique of the war. Mulligan's deep respect for Iraq and its people is evident throughout. His sense of duty, while often buried beneath comedy, is unmistakable.
The book also tackles the challenges of leadership, from handling cultural differences to dealing with death. One might come away thinking Mulligan found leadership easy - but 19 years of hindsight have surely softened the harder edges. Still, there are moments when the humour fades and the rawness of memory shines through, especially in the final pages. These scenes offer a jarring but necessary reminder of war's reality - and mark a turning point in how the book should be understood.
His interaction with a local complaining about their strategy or the frustration about not being able to do more comes through as critical notes.
At first glance, The Accidental Soldier might seem like another in the vein of The Junior Officers' Reading Club or Doug Beattie's numerous memoirs. It's both like them and not. The heart of this book lies in bringing the human experience to life, with humour as its main weapon.
Discussing the book through The Wavell Room, we finished it feeling this was a genuine reflection - one written with respect, and one that adds real authenticity to the genre.
The Accidental Soldier is brilliant. It's hilarious. It's laugh-out-loud funny. A confident 11/10.
A copy of The Accidental Soldier was provided to The Wavell Room by the Publisher.
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