Overview

Learning from history helps states to create foreign and security policy that builds upon successes and avoids past mistakes. Louise Kettle's insightful analysis drawing on a wealth of previously unseen documents, sourced by Freedom of Information requests, together with interviews with government and intelligence agency officials questions whether the British government actually learns from history. This is achieved through an extended commentary on military interventions in the Middle East since the 1950s, including a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Whitehall decision-making and a critical examination of the 2016 Iraq Inquiry report.

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9781474437967

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Failing to learn historical lessons is not new. As Louise Kettle demonstrates in this absorbing account history is full of enough tantalising clues about the future that government should take heed, but it rarely has in the past and probably won't in the future. As Kettle ably shows, this is a serious mistake and until someone sits up and takes notice, the mistakes of the past will become the mistakes of the future.--Michael Goodman, King's College London

Author Information

Louise Kettle is Assistant Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham. She has won several awards for her work including from the British International History Group, the Royal Historical Society and the British Library.

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