Roderick Bailey is a historian at the University of Oxford where he specialises in the history of medicine and the study of war and conflict. His previous books include the Sunday Times bestseller Forgotten Voices of the Secret War and, as an official SOE historian appointed by the Prime Minister, Target: Italy – The Secret War against Mussolini. Away from academia he has worked widely as an official observer of international elections in post-conflict and post-communist countries. In 2011 he deployed to Afghanistan as a British Army reservist and was awarded a Queen’s Commendation.

Roderick Bailey's assembly of tales deserves a warm welcome, both for readability - there is not a dull page - and for surprise: a great deal of it is unknown to [the] general public

Roderick Bailey is a historian at the University of Oxford where he specialises in the history of medicine and the study of war and conflict. His previous books include the Sunday Times bestseller Forgotten Voices of the Secret War and, as an official SOE historian appointed by the Prime Minister, Target: Italy – The Secret War against Mussolini. Away from academia he has worked widely as an official observer of international elections in post-conflict and post-communist countries. In 2011 he deployed to Afghanistan as a British Army reservist and was awarded a Queen’s Commendation.

Roderick Bailey's assembly of tales deserves a warm welcome, both for readability - there is not a dull page - and for surprise: a great deal of it is unknown to [the] general public