The Accidental Soldier cover art

The Accidental Soldier

'Deeply funny' RICHARD CURTIS

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Accidental Soldier

By: Owain Mulligan
Narrated by: Owain Mulligan
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 The Times / Sunday Times Audiobooks of the Year

'This mordantly funny everyman military memoir should appeal to fans of Adam Kay's This Is Going To Hurt. The author, the brother of the actress Carey Mulligan, is donating royalties to the charity War Child.'


THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'An instant classic' - RICHARD CURTIS
'A non-fiction Catch-22' - MATT HAIG
'Made me laugh more than any book in so many years' - MARINA HYDE

Readers are LOVING The Accidental Soldier:

'One of the funniest books you will ever read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I absolutely loved it - it's so very funny but also very poignant in parts. I can't recommend it enough' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Very funny, thought-provoking and a fantastic read. I thoroughly enjoyed it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'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' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

-------

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...

------

'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

------

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).©2025 Owain Mulligan Afghan & Iraq Wars Military Military & War Funny Witty Middle East Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking War Solider

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Pride and Fall cover art
SAS South Georgia Boating Club cover art
Brothers in Arms cover art
We Were Warriors cover art
First into Action cover art
First into Action Again cover art
Mountain Commandos in the Falklands cover art
Forged in Fire cover art
Task Force Black cover art
Apache at War cover art
Big Boys' Rules cover art
Operation Mayhem cover art
Regimental cover art
Fighting for Queen and Country cover art
Beyond the Drop Zone cover art
The Pilgrim cover art

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)
All stars
Most relevant
An amusing and thoughtful account of a young officers time in Iraq. His honesty is disarming and adds to the forcefulness of his recollections and his analysis of the merits of the conflict overall.

Unaffected telling of his time in Iraq

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a story that tickles the funny bone while simultaneously lodging a tiny, melancholic splinter in the heart.

painfully funny & poignant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am an avid reader of military books, from both US and UK soldiers in recent conflicts. This is quite different, but in a good way. Funny, poignant and exceptionally well written. A must read, or listen, if on Audible.

Very very good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Absolutely loved this book. Open and honest and absolutely correct with the military and the people at the top.
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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Having served in th Army for 22 years climbing up the ranks to WO1, I can now see from the other side what life and situations young men under trained and put in positions they should never have been in. The equipment they had and under supported the soldiers were. As usual nothing changes men put into imposible roles with too few men and equipment.

A view from the other side

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews