The First Casualty: The War Correspondent As Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Kosovo

Ignorance is bliss (at least for those of the privileged classes). The First Casualty was difficult to read; apart from insomnia, it also gave me an upset stomach. It's an excellent book.

This is a “preaching to the converted” book - I knew it would upset me, but in these times of fake news, widespread media manipulation, politicians who lie as they breathe, it is comforting to know that one is not alone. I have been aware of the early wars described by Phillip Knightley since my earliest school days; I have been alive during the more recent ones, and even witness to some, notably the NATO strikes in Yugoslavia. I have also and continue to work closely with many military organisations working in either peacekeeping or peace enforcing operations in numerous conflict zones in Africa - the military tends to be averse to media coverage, generally seeing journalists as part of the “enemy” camp (a bit of cooperation and trust from all sides would save many lives and shorten most wars).

In his brilliantly researched book, Knightley dives deeply into the parallel world of information manipulation - something that is anything but new. Beginning with the Crimean War, and taking us through the US Civil War, the two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Grenada, the Falklands, and Kosovo, he pays particular attention to government leaders in London and Washington in particular, without leaving out Berlin, Buenos Aires, or Belgrade. Prime Ministers, Presidents and Generals make no qualms in their beliefs that the people who elect them and pay their salaries do not deserve the truth. In more recent times, they hire expensive public relations firms, or the Hill and Knowlton and Bell Pottinger variety, to “create” a narrative to “inform” opinion - there's no need to include any element of truth in the narrative.

A number of years ago I unwittingly (they are good at hiding their motives) got involved with a subsidiary of one of these greasy outfits in Somalia - it was a tough and expensive lesson.

The First Casualty is quite difficult to find. It's a book many would not want you to read. it is 550 pages of uncomfortable truths.

Although reading it was painful, it has only served to motivate me ever more in my attempts to work with people to provide credible information in places where it cans be lifesaving. Life is extremely expendable to many of those referred to in Knightley's work.

Of course, times have changed, and NATO is only telling us the truth these days! Too bad Phillip Knightley is no longer with us.