Background
Paul Leslie Moorcraft was born in 1948, in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
Fairwater Rd, Cardiff CF5 3JR, United Kingdom
Paul was educated at Cantonian High School.
Jerusalem, Israel
Paul attended Hebrew University.
630 Churchill Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe
Paul attended the University of Rhodesia (present-day University of Zimbabwe).
Singleton Park, Sketty, Swansea SA2 8PP, United Kingdom
Moorcraft received a Bachelor of Arts from Swansea University.
Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YW, United Kingdom
Moorcraft received a Master of Arts from Lancaster University.
Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
Moorcraft got a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy degree from Cardiff University as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
Photo of Paul Moorcraft
Photo of Paul Moorcraft
Photo of Paul Moorcraft
(A renegade academic-turned-journalist recounts his humoro...)
A renegade academic-turned-journalist recounts his humorous, amazing travels through the war zones and exotic places of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, reporting for the BBC, Time magazine, and major TV networks.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Hell-Doing-Here-Correspondent/dp/1857531213/ref=sr_1_24?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-24
1995
(The vicious conflict (1964-1979) that brought Robert Muga...)
The vicious conflict (1964-1979) that brought Robert Mugabe to power in Zimbabwe Expert coverage of the war, its historical context, and its aftermath Descriptions of guerrilla warfare, counterinsurgency operations, and actions by units like Grey's Scouts Amid the colonial upheaval of the 1960s, Britain urged its colony in Southern Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) to grant its black residents a greater role in governing the territory. The white-minority government refused and soon declared its independence, a move bitterly opposed by the black majority. The result was the Rhodesian Bush War, which pitted the government against black nationalist groups, one of which was led by Robert Mugabe. Marked by unspeakable atrocities, the war ended in favor of the nationalists.
https://www.amazon.com/Rhodesian-War-Military-History-Stackpole/dp/0811707253/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-3
2008
(Sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic, Inside the Danger ...)
Sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic, Inside the Danger Zones is the story of Paul Moorcraft'swork during the major wars of the last three decades. As a freelance war correspondent and military analyst for many of the top TV networks, Moorcraft has parachuted into countless war zones and worked at the heart of the British security establishment. He has the habit of being in the wrong place at the worst of times, from the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s to the siege of the West Bank town of Jenin in 2002. This book takes him to a series of conflict zones from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, covering coups and counter-coups across the globe. Along the way he encounters some of the most dangerous people in the world; in Afghanistan when the West was training bin Laden's Mujahedin fighters, interviewing Mugabe during the Rhodesian Bush War of the late 1970s, and traveling to meet Saddam on the eve of the 2003 allied invasion of Iraq.
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Danger-Zones-Travels-Arresting-ebook/dp/B006WV3BJS/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-20
2011
(In 2009, the Sri Lankan government forces literally eradi...)
In 2009, the Sri Lankan government forces literally eradicated the Tamil Tiger insurgency after 26 years of civil war. This was the first time that a government had defeated an indigenous insurgency by force of arms. It was as if the British army killed thousands of IRA cadres to end the war in Northern Ireland. The story of this war is fascinating in itself, besides the international repercussions for terrorism and insurgency worldwide. Many countries involved themselves in the war to arm the combatants (China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea) or to bring peace (US, France, UK, and Norway).
https://www.amazon.com/Total-Destruction-Tamil-Tigers-Victory-ebook/dp/B00GS8A3VY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-2
2012
(President Omar al-Bashir is Africa's and arguably Arabia'...)
President Omar al-Bashir is Africa's and arguably Arabia's most controversial leader. In power since 1989, he is the first sitting head of state to be issued with an arrest warrant, for war crimes, by International Criminal Court. He has been a central personality in Islamic and African politics, as well as a love-to-hate figure for the United States in the 'war on terror.' For military history readers, Al-Bashir is a field marshal who has fought possibly the world's longest conflict. Modern Sudan has been embroiled in war since 1955.No proper biography has been written on him before. Nor has there been a comprehensive military history of Sudan.
https://www.amazon.com/Omar-Al-Bashir-Africas-Longest-War-ebook/dp/B00WQ4QUCU/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-4
2015
(This timely and controversial book examines the internati...)
This timely and controversial book examines the international and domestic threats to the West from Jihadism. It joins the dots in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa and explains what it means for the home front, mainly Britain but also continental Europe and the United States. More Brits are trying to join the Islamic State than the reserve forces. Why? It puts the whole complex jigsaw together without pulling any punches. After briefly tracing the origins of Jihadism from the time of the Prophet, The Jihadist Threat analyses the fall-out from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and how far these fuelled the rise of the self-styled Islamic State and other terror groups and the extent these pose to European society.
https://www.amazon.com/Jihadist-Threat-Re-conquest-west-ebook/dp/B0189PTX3C/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-5
2015
(The role of war correspondents is crucial to democracy an...)
The role of war correspondents is crucial to democracy and the public discovery of the truth. Without them, the temptation to manipulate events with propaganda would be irresistible to politicians of all hues. It starts by examining how journalists have plied their trade over the years most particularly from the Crimean War onwards. Their impact on the conduct of the war has been profound and the author, an experienced journalist, explains in his frank and readable manner how this influence has shaped the actions of politicians and military commanders. By the same token, the media is a potentially valuable tool to those in authority and this two-way relationship is examined.
https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Truth-Concise-Frontline-Reporting-ebook/dp/B01NCJ602N/ref=sr_1_21?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-21
2016
(Numerous books have attempted to assess the generational ...)
Numerous books have attempted to assess the generational threat from jihadist-inspired terrorism but few offer any positive advice on solutions. Islamist terrorism is today a fact of life and its potency is vividly illustrated by outrages in otherwise secure Western democracies not to mention overt ISIL aggression in the Middle East and the many African States. Without a far better understanding of the Islamic religion, its beliefs, value, hierarchy (or lack of), and different sects, countering the existential threat will be greatly hindered, not to say nearly impossible. In this thoughtful book the author, who combines scholarship with gritty on-the-ground experience, examines numerous options to counter the insidious threat that faces not only Western civilization but the wider world. These range from the extremes such as deportation and internment, through the multifaceted combined actions against hate preachers, intensified intelligence work, and border security to comprehensive and inclusive joint action programs. This is an important and timely book on what is today the greatest security threat, written by an acknowledged expert.
https://www.amazon.com/Superpowers-Rogue-States-Terrorism-Countering-ebook/dp/B076PKYD3N/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-18
2017
(The end of the Second World War may have heralded peace i...)
The end of the Second World War may have heralded peace in Europe but conflicts in Southern Africa were about to begin. The imperial powers were weakened by the cost of war and a string of wars challenged colonial rule in countries such as Namibia, Angola, and Rhodesia. Once independence was achieved, civil wars between rival factions unfamiliar with democratic principles resulted. Liberation movements such as those in South Africa demanded self-rule and an end to Apartheid. Tribal feuds, corruption, and the ambitions of dictators led to more conflicts such as the protracted fighting in the Congo. These were wars that ran on until both sides were exhausted often only to be re-kindled after short periods of uneasy peace. The cost in human and material terms has been devastating and in too many cases remains so. Economic development has been frustrated and the result is often poverty, abuse, and genocide. The Author who knows Southern Africa as a native is superbly equipped to tell this fascinating if tragic record.
https://www.amazon.com/Total-Onslaught-Revolution-Southern-Africa-ebook/dp/B07GLML1CR/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-13
2018
(The author of this gritty memoir has lived life to the fu...)
The author of this gritty memoir has lived life to the full and fortunately has the ability to recall his experiences in a graphic and entertaining manner. As a war correspondent and paramilitary policeman, Moorcraft was a magnet for drama and action. His descriptions of sometimes tragic and often hilarious escapades in war-torn countries literally from A (Afghanistan) to Z (Zimbabwe) are self-effacingly entertaining. His light-hearted approach disguises a thoroughly perceptive and analytical mind. The reader will never be bored while accompanying Moorcraft reporting on wars in over thirty combat zones in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. This is his book of hazardous travels to strange, often little-known places meeting even stranger people who were often all too keen to lock him up or try and kill him. Deadlines on the Frontline is a delightful and invigorating read which offers intelligent insight into the turbulent world of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
https://www.amazon.com/Deadlines-Front-Line-Travels-Correspondent-ebook/dp/B07QGKH1B6/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-15
2018
(Created in 1945 when Korea was partitioned, North Korea o...)
Created in 1945 when Korea was partitioned, North Korea or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remains the world’s most secretive nation. Even the few permitted visitors are tightly monitored by minders, so accounts of those who have escaped are the main source of information on conditions within the country. What is not in doubt is the totalitarian control over the population exercised by the ruling dynasty. Kim Jong-un is the grandson of the first dictator Kim Il-sung. Until the development of a credible nuclear arsenal, it was possible to ignore North Korean posturing.
https://www.amazon.com/North-Korea-Warring-Paul-Moorcraft/dp/1526759462/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Paul+Moorcraft&qid=1610358680&sr=8-6
2020
Paul Leslie Moorcraft was born in 1948, in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
Paul was educated at Cantonian High School. He also attended Hebrew University and the University of Rhodesia (present-day University of Zimbabwe). He received a Bachelor of Arts from Swansea University, a Master of Arts from Lancaster University, a Doctor of Literature and Philosophy degree from Cardiff University as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
Paul Moorcraft served as a senior instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst from 1973 to 1975. In 1997 he became a senior instructor at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. He served there till 2000.
He was the editor of Defence Procurement Agency in 2000 as well as a former correspondent at Defence Review. He also worked for Time magazine, the BBC, and most of the Western TV networks as a former television, radio producer, and war correspondent. Moorcraft was a visiting distinguished Radford Professor of Journalism at Baylor University.
Since 2004 he is the Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Analysis, London, and a visiting professor at the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University. He served in the Rhodesian/Zimbabwean Police and worked closely with the British armed forces for many years.
Moorcraft has written over 25 books of fiction and non-fiction. Among his many books on military subjects is African Nemesis: War and Revolution in Southern Africa, 1945-2010, a study of the major wars, civil wars, and uprisings in the countries of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, as well as a predictive look forward at possible future conflicts.
Moorcraft turns to fiction with his novel Anchoress of Shere, the story of a Catholic priest who is asked to write the biography of Christine Carpenter, a real-life woman who asked to be walled-up in a church in rural England in 1329 so she could spend the rest of her days in meditation and prayer. Father Michael Duval's research into the odd decision unhinges his mind and causes him to obsess about the self-imprisoned Christine. He kidnaps, imprisons, and kills young women whom he believes are similar to the medieval saint. When Duval kidnaps Marda Stewart, however, she cleverly realizes the nature of his obsession and begins an intellectual game with him to delay his murderous intentions.
(The vicious conflict (1964-1979) that brought Robert Muga...)
2008(A renegade academic-turned-journalist recounts his humoro...)
1995(The author of this gritty memoir has lived life to the fu...)
2018(Sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic, Inside the Danger ...)
2011(Numerous books have attempted to assess the generational ...)
2017(Created in 1945 when Korea was partitioned, North Korea o...)
2020(The end of the Second World War may have heralded peace i...)
2018(In 2009, the Sri Lankan government forces literally eradi...)
2012(This timely and controversial book examines the internati...)
2015(The role of war correspondents is crucial to democracy an...)
2016(President Omar al-Bashir is Africa's and arguably Arabia'...)
2015Moorcraft was a critic of the Robert Mugabe regime. He also supported the war against Saddam Hussein but later changed his views in light of his failure to find weapons of mass destruction. He supported the complete withdrawal of Western troops from Muslim countries in 2006.
In 1987 Paul married Susan van den Brink. The couple divorced in 1993.