The Accidental Soldier is a gripping, hilarious, and deeply honest memoir of life on the front line in Iraq.

Owain Mulligan never expected to become a soldier in one of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world. A schoolteacher by day and Territorial Army reservist at weekends, he imagined his deployment to Iraq would involve a relatively safe headquarters role. Instead, he found himself patrolling the streets of Basra during one of the bloodiest periods of the war.

Facing constant danger, questionable equipment, and a chain of command that often seemed as hazardous as the enemy, Mulligan recounts the realities of military life with remarkable honesty and razor-sharp humour. Balancing laugh-out-loud moments with the sobering realities of combat, he offers an unforgettable insight into the chaos, camaraderie, and absurdity of serving in a war zone.

Both moving and darkly funny, The Accidental Soldier is an unflinching memoir that reveals the human side of modern warfare and the resilience of those caught in it.