Those Must Be The Guards: The Household Division in Peace and War, 1969–2023

The Household Division of the British Army is famously devoted to guarding the sovereign of Great Britain. The Guards are also known for their participation in a variety of public ceremonies. For example, the Guards did an outstanding job supporting the recent funeral services for the late Queen Elizabeth II, an event rightly covered in some detail in this new book. What readers may not know is that the Guards also routinely participate in the operational deployments of the British Army, wherever they may be.This book is the latest in an irregular series. It covers the Guards from the Cold War and the troubles in Northern Ireland to the more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These activities have included guarding the Inter-German border against the massed armies of the Soviet Union, and peacekeeping in Cyprus, among others.The narrative is somewhat anecdotal in nature, focusing on the role of the Guards under a variety of difficult circumstances, often very far from their home barracks in London and Windsor. What comes out of that narrative, apart from some often-wry commentary about political decision-making, is the enduring value of good training, discipline, and comradeship within the Guards. The text includes a nice selection of period photographs. Very well recommended.