Born in 1940 in Quetta, former British India. Educated at Cheltenham College, the Sorbonne and St Edmund Hall Oxford (Politics Philosophy and Economics). He is an honorary fellow of his College and a Senior Associate Research Fellow at King's College, London (International Policy Institute). In 1999 he was awarded an Hon D Litt by Nottingham University.

He joined the Reserve in 1957 and was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1964. He subsequently served with 22nd SAS Regiment in the Middle and Far East. Following attendance at the Staff College in 1973, he commanded 22nd SAS Regiment during the Falkland Islands conflict. He commanded 39 Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland and attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1986. He became Commandant of the Staff College in 1991. He was Commander of the UK Field Army, and Inspector General Territorial Army from April 1993 to January 1994 when he took command of the UN Protection Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In January 1995, he was appointed to the Army Board as Adjutant General. He served as 28th Colonel of the Coldstream Guards on his retirement from 1999 - 2009.

Since leaving the Army, he has written and lectured extensively on peacekeeping and leadership to a audiences around the world which have included The Aspen Institute, The Wharton Business School, and The Council for Foreign Relations. He also lectured at the National Security Course at the Maxwell School Syracuse University for nine years. Earlier this month he addressed the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency at CENTCOM in Tampa Florida. His book about the UN in Bosnia, 'Fighting for Peace, was published in Nov 1998. His second book ‘Washington’s War’, which compares the American War of Independence with the US led war in Iraq, was published in UK April 2007 and in America in April 08. He is married with two children.

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