The Accidental Soldier
The hilarious, must-listen account of serving in Iraq - as recommended by Marina Hyde on THE REST IS ENTERTAINMENT
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The Accidental Soldier
Narrated by:
Owain Mulligan
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Owain Mulligan
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By:
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Owain Mulligan
About this listen
The instant Sunday Times bestselling true story of how one man found himself (quite near) the frontline in Iraq - and what happened next . . .
Listeners are LOVING The Accidental Soldier:
'One of the funniest books you will ever read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I've spent 15 years waiting for a book which entertainingly brings to life the humour, mundanity & absurdity of serving in Iraq . . . Thankfully this is that book and it is excellent' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Absolutely brilliant from start to finish . . . Just when you feel the situation is about to drop off a cliff (again!), Mulligan turns it around with a jab of wit as amusing yet as honest as the chance of surviving in a Snatch Land Rover in Basra. Read it in three evenings' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Owain Mulligan was never what you'd call a career soldier. Nor even a particularly good one. At weekends he trained with the Territorial Army and dreamt of swapping the mayhem of teaching in a tough school for the adventure of service in Iraq. At least they'd let him wear a helmet in Iraq.
But when the job in headquarters he's been expecting doesn't materialise, he finds himself on the streets of Basra during one of the most violent periods of the conflict. Between homicidal militias, a chain of command who seem determined to get him killed, and equipment which might well do it for them, he and his men have their work cut out. It certainly puts double geography with 9E into perspective.
The Accidental Soldier is a searingly honest and darkly funny account of what it was really like being in the British Army in Iraq (including all the bits they probably hoped you'd never find out). We share all the hardships, fears, and occasional lunacy of military life as Owain and his men try to navigate a war gone badly wrong. One thing's for sure; you'll never look at the phrase 'military precision' in quite the same way again...
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'This book is absolutely incredible. It made me laugh more than any book in so many years. I found the writing just so unbelievably brilliant and hilarious and affecting . . . I am crazy about it!' - Marina Hyde
'I loved it . . . relentlessly funny and really well written' - John Oliver
'Authentic and compulsive' - Richard E. Grant
'A fascinating insight into the often farcical chaos and catastrophe of war. Reads like a non-fiction Catch-22. Compelling, enlightening and bleakly funny. A jaw-dropping read.' - Matt Haig
'An instant classic - a deeply funny and mordant book about war.' - Richard Curtis
The Accidental Soldier is brilliant. It's hilarious. It's laugh-out-loud funny. A confident 11/10.' -The Wavell Room podcast
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100% of the author's royalty earnings (expected to be at least £20,000) from sales of the book in the UK & Commonwealth will be given to War Child (a registered charity, charity number 1071659) and its wholly owned subsidiary War Child Trading Limited (a registered company, company number 05100189).
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The Accidental Soldier published as an instant Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller in the w/c 2025-04-14.©2025 Owain Mulligan
Critic reviews
This book is absolutely incredible. It made me laugh more than any book in so many years. I found the writing just so unbelievably brilliant and hilarious and affecting. I realised it was brilliant within three or four pages. I am crazy about it as you can see!
I loved it . . . relentlessly funny and really well written
Authentic and compulsive
A fascinating insight into the often farcical chaos and catastrophe of war. Reads like a non-fiction Catch-22. Compelling, enlightening and bleakly funny. A jaw-dropping read.
An instant classic - a deeply funny and mordant book about war.
In a time of global conflict, The Accidental Soldier catapults you into the heart of active duty. Terrifying, exhilarating, life-shattering and profoundly sobering, Mulligan takes you through the clumsy brutality and "raging bin-fire" of war, witnessing the quiet heroism of its foot soldiers. This book is a fitting and vital memorial to all those lost. I could not put it down. (Abi Morgan)
Unaffected telling of his time in Iraq
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A view from the other side
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painfully funny & poignant
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Very very good
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Nice to see someone be as honest and open, even admitting their own mistakes.
A very enjoyable book.
What a brilliant read. So honest and correct about the British Military.
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