Appalling book, don't waste your money. - Rated 
The only reason I gave this book one star is because the Amazon site does not allow me to give it zero.
For an ex Navy officer Page does show an appalling ignorance about his service and the army and RAF. He seems to think that heavy armour is obsolete (events in Iraq notwithstanding) and that the new Type 45 is a Cold War relic (strange considering it was designed just after the turn of the century). He also seems to presume that we will never need Anti Submarine Warships in the future.
Presumably we will never have to fight a capable military enemy in the next 20-30 years in Page's world. I just wish that was true. I'm certainly glad for the country's sake that the Chiefs of Staff and the staff in the MoD are not Lewis Pages.
Depressingly True..? - Rated 
Not having any forces experience I can't comment directly 'from the front line' of the UK military; but experience of the prevalent culture and working practices of another government-funded monolith - the NHS - makes me suspect that most of what 'Lions, Donkeys and Dinosaurs' has to say about our Army, Navy, Airforce and MoD in general is depressingly accurate.
Top-heavy leadership and ring-fencing of vested interests, 'jobs for the boys', misallocation of resources, hard-working and dedicated people making do with what's given rather than what's needed...unfortuately it's all too familar. The comparison could run for pages.
However, I do note in the news recently that the Commons Defense Committee has expressed 'serious concerns' - after 8 years and 800 Million pounds (!) - about the Nimrod MRA4 program. It has also recommended that the MoD 'look carefully' at the Joint Strike Fighter (which will, of course, not be ready when its aircraft carriers are) along with the M400M transport project - all of which feature prominantly in Mr Page's book.
Possibly all those letters to MPs which readers of 'Lions, Donkeys' were urged to write has had an effect after all..?
One can but hope.
Must read for every British Citizen - Rated 
Thoughtful but entertaining writing style bringing to life what would otherwise be a difficult subject. The fact is that defence of the realm is the single most important point of a government and as this book makes clear our political leaders and policy makers have used it as a very large job creation scheme, and even on these terms they have not been very successful.
Both his theories and background information carry a great deal credibility and as a consequence we citizens of the UK should be hounding our politicians to sort out the mess that is British defence procurement. The complicity of senior armed forces officers and civil servants in the ongoing catastrophe just makes it worse and more vital that we tackle our leaders over this. The very sad truth of this book is that we could have armed forces that were the envy of the world and a scourge to our enemies with the £32bn that we spend every year. Due to massive incompetence and blinkered empire building we are far from it, and our real fighting soldiers, sailors and airmen bear the brunt of this failure.
Lewis Page has done a great service to our country, perhaps more than he did when in uniform, if by this excellent book he initiates change at the MOD and in our government.
Atten-SHUN! - Rated
I'll keep this brief because most of the things I wanted to say have already been said...
1. If you've ever thought there's a bit of a conspiracy of silence about how Britain's armed services are funded - and where exactly all the money goes - you will have all your worst fears confirmed by this brilliant book.
2. Page SHOULD be a defence correspondent for a major news organisation, as Max Hastings suggests. Why wasn't this book written by one of the ones we've got? See above.
3. Even if you don't think you are interested in the military, give this book a go. Lewis Page writes in an amusing and conversational way. You'll learn huge amounts about how our armed services work, though it's difficult not to end up feeling mightily depressed about what goes on behind the scenes in the UK.
4. Ignore the more pedantic negative reviews below. This is a great piece of journalism.
A considered view of the Defence Forces - Rated
This book gives a very good explanation of what kind of forces are operated by the United Kingdom and how they dispose of their budget funding.Not surprisingly, perhaps, the answer is poorly.
The author does an excellent job at explaining the practical composition and disposal of Defence resources. One needs very little knowledge of the military to appreciate the thrust of his argument.
If you are someone who reads defence related publications regularly, this is a nice summary and realistic account of how the armed forces are run. The personalisation of bureaucratic rivalries and shortsightedness ,endemic to any sheltered but lavishly funded organisation, ring true for readers.
While the pure strategists may object to the overemphasis on airpower and rejecting certain tenets of high intensity land warfare, the author argues his point based on what the UK actually does. In other words, destroy the serious opposition from the skies and hold ground with infantry. Everything else is an unecessary (in the British case ineffective to boot) expenditure.
Overall, the book argues it's thesis cogently and thoroughly. It tells you things you wouldn't otherwise easily discover. Worth the read.
|
