This book was something of a surprise gem. I only expected when I bought it to be better informed about British Mercenary actions in Oman and Yemen. Which the book did cover and I was gratified. What I did not expect was much more information which went beyond merely reporting about where mercenaries had fought but also how the trade started out and how it has evolved into the Private Security Corporations today. The book is well researched (as evidenced by the several pages thick reference notes) and the information is quite interesting from several aspects not military alone.
What the book did cover was the political, monetary and in some cases psychological motivations of those who sign up to fight for a bit of coin. The places they have waged war and numerous and as the security situation deteriorated in Iraq and Afghanistan their ranks grew.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the mercenary business as well as the geopolitical situations they were hired for. The examination of the vested interests and the motivations to cultivate a politically deniable fighting force make this book a cut above the rest.
Fun Fact: The UK owed the USA $4.4 Billion in loan repayments after WWI. Which were then defaulted upon.
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