The War Diaries

Antonio Garcia served as a combat engineer in the SANDF. He is now a civil servant with experience as a researcher at Stellenbosch University, lecturer at Durham University, and tutor at the Open University.

Max Lauker served in the Swedish Armed Forces from 2002 to 2018, including roles in special operations and intelligence. He led numerous covert missions in Africa and the former Eastern Bloc. Now, he works in the private security sector, focusing on intelligence.

Both of them, the authors of the book Number 788 bring you their War Diaries, a column where they explore contemporary warfare, reflect on past conflicts, ask questions related to the future of war, and discuss many other aspects of war and warfare. Read their stories, leave comments, and join the discussion.

News Past, Present & Future The War Diaries

Ukraine: Managing in Times of War

‘What is next for you Tony’, Kostia asks. Almost an impossible question, he opens up an unending possibility of answers.

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Past, Present & Future The War Diaries

A Snap Shot of War from the Diaries and Letters of Generals and Soldiers 

Our reflections on war are captured in different ways. The diaries of generals often read like the works of ancient Greek heroes. Brimming with purpose and almost unconscious of the human cost, they sometimes win and often lose, crushed by the Herculean weight that they try to lift. 

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Past, Present & Future The War Diaries

Why Veterans Should Write for Themselves?

Continuing from where we left off in War Diaries Issue 5, we want to reiterate the importance of veterans writing for themselves. 

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Past, Present & Future The War Diaries

Writing Military Biography/Autobiography

The book is an autobiography, and as a historian and biographer, I was given a front-row seat to a firsthand account of the Swedish military experience in the 2000s.

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Past, Present & Future The War Diaries

Veterans and Generals

This idea of the great general who could command and solve every issue through the use of force is perhaps something well suited for ancient history.

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