The Clandestine Lives of Colonel David Smiley

Clive Jones has written a fascinating account of a regular/irregular soldier who was involved with some of the key British special operations in the Balkans and Arabia from 1943 to 1968. Smiley, with his obvious code-name ‘Grin’, was a no-nonsense man, who was modest about his remarkable exploits in the best tradition of the British Army. -- Saul Kelly, King’s College, London * Middle Eastern Studies *
Clive Jones’ life and times of David Smiley is a wonderful book. It is hugely entertaining and engaging, as well as an impressive piece of scholarship and historical detective work. A fitting biography for one of the true legends of British covert military operations during the 20th century. * Rory Miller, Georgetown University Qatar *
This brilliant and highly readable biography portrays a man, who despite his modesty, achieved so much, not least in Oman, a country he frequently visited in his later years. -- Noel Brehony * The Anglo-Omani Society Review 2020 *
The book has been meticulously researched; there is not a superfluous word. It is weighty without being ponderous. The author did have quality source material with twenty hours of interview with Smiley and his family. It is a ripping yarn from start to finish about a genuine one hundred per cent Boys' Own hero. -- Peter Sichel * The Journal of the Sultan’s of Oman Armed Forces Journal *