Operation Insanity: The Dramatic True Story of the Mission That Saved Ten Thousand Lives

In the summer of 1995, the Bosnian town of Goražde came under attack from the Bosnian Serb Army, despite the UN designating it a Safe Area. Soldiers of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, sent as UN peacekeepers, were taken hostage. The author, then a 32-year-old major, knew he had to act quickly to have any chance of saving Goražde’s 45,000 inhabitants. He succeeded, saving the town from the fate of nearby Srebenica, where more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks were massacred. He was later awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and leadership. Colonel Westley’s reflections on a horrendous period of modern history are harrowing and unforgettable—yet very human, from the SAS teams' gallows humor to his friendship with a female Muslim interpreter whose courage and skill inspired him.

Colonel Richard Westley retired from the Army in 2010 after 27 years' experience. Mark Ryan is the author of The Hornet's Sting.