Simon Akam’s The Changing of the Guard exposes the failures of the British army This detailed, academic book argues flawed leadership led to military disaster in Iraq and Afghanistan. By rights the mortally wounded Taliban fighter lying in the cornfield should not have survived. An Apache helicopter had just strafed the area around the man with 139 rounds of 30mm ammunition. As the patrol of Royal Marines moved out of the tree line and neared the wounded fighter, they were surprised to find the insurgent was still moving. “Why couldn’t you just be f ing dead,” one Royal Marine remarked as they gathered around the dying man. His clothes were bloodied, his eyes open. The marines dragged him to the tree line and threw him on the ground. The fighter winced in pain. After a while, when the marines were sure that the Apache was no longer able to see them, the patrol commander crouched beside the casualty, drew his pistol, and fired a single round into the wounded man’s