Bunch of Five

Bunch of Five is General Sir Frank Kitson's military autobiography. In it this expert in counter insurgency describes his experiences in Kenya 1953-55, Malaya 1957, Muscat and Oman 1958, as well as his peacekeeping activities during two stints in Cyprus, 1963-64 and 1967-68. He wanted to write about Northern Ireland also but at the time of first publication that was too sensitive. Instead, in keeping with the title, he wrote a fifth part summarizing his conclusions in all the zones he had fought in. This fifth part was used by the United States army for a long time on its own

Bunch of Five has been out of print for many years with second-hand copies commanding high prices. This reissue will be welcomed.

General Sir Frank Kitson GBE, KCB, MC and Bar was commissioned in the army soon after the end of the Second World War. In the course of his service he spent many years with armoured formations in Germany, culminating in command of an armoured division. He also took part in counter-insurgency and peace-keeping activities in Kenya, Malaya, Oman, Cyprus and Northern Ireland and held staff appointments in two of the most influential departments in the Ministry of Defence. He retired in 1985, having spent the final three years of his service as Commander-in-Chief United Kingdom Land Forces. His sometimes controversial writings on military subjects - notably Low Intensity Operations (reissued by Faber Finds in 2010, along with Directing Operations and Bunch of Five) - remain highly relevant and continue to be widely read and to provoke strong opinions. In retirement, he has given evidence to the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland. General Sir Frank Kitson GBE, KCB, MC and Bar was commissioned in the army soon after the end of the Second World War. In the course of his service he spent many years with armoured formations in Germany, culminating in command of an armoured division. He also took part in counter-insurgency and peace-keeping activities in Kenya, Malaya, Oman, Cyprus and Northern Ireland and held staff appointments in two of the most influential departments in the Ministry of Defence. He retired in 1985, having spent the final three years of his service as Commander-in-Chief United Kingdom Land Forces. His sometimes controversial writings on military subjects - notably Low Intensity Operations (reissued by Faber Finds in 2010, along with Directing Operations and Bunch of Five) - remain highly relevant and continue to be widely read and to provoke strong opinions. In retirement, he has given evidence to the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland.