Jungle Warrior: Britain’s Greatest SOE Commander by Richard Duckett (Pre-order: Publication 20 June 2025)
Foreword by General the Lord Richards GCB, CBE, DSO
“Jungle Warrior is a splendid book about a very brave and determined man who, literally, gave his all for King and Country”
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was created by Winston Churchill in 1940 to "set Europe ablaze," but its most significant success occurred in the jungles of Burma, where its guerrilla operations were vital to the reconquest of the country. SOE’s greatest commander was Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Peacock.
Born in India in 1893, Edgar Peacock missed WWI due to his employment in Burma’s Jungles. In 1940, aged 46, he lied about his age and enlisted as a Private, ending the war as a highly decorated special forces Lieutenant Colonel, who had conceived, planned and led the most successful guerrilla operation of WW2. Approximately 130 British officers and NCOs parachuted in, raised about 12,000 indigenous guerrillas and prevented the Japanese from halting General Slim's advance on Rangoon. Over eight months of intense, continuous, combat in enemy territory, Operation Character accounted for 11,874 Japanese casualties for the loss of 22 British troops. For a period they outperformed the entire British 14th Army!
Monsoon rains, scarce supplies, dense mountainous jungle, tigers, snakes, leeches and a determined enemy, all combined to make this an operation like no other. Eminent historian, Richard Duckett, given exclusive access to private family files, has produced an extraordinary biography of an exceptional man, exploring Edgar’s truly fascinating life 'warts and all'.
ISBN: 978-1-916556-84-3 (hardback)
What they are saying about Jungle Warrior:
'The incredible untold story of a foremost warrior of the shadows, operating in the toughest theatre of war during WWII. Trenchant, gripping, revelatory - I am so glad Lt. Col Peacock's story has finally been told. Having spent considerable time in the Burmese jungles, I can feel his every breathtaking exploit in my soul and my bones. Bravo.' Damien Lewis, author of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
'This remarkable and timely book is the story of a man Major General Douglas Gracey described as a ‘prince among guerilla leaders.’ This description perfectly encapsulates the extraordinary achievements of Colonel Edgar Peacock, the man who raised, trained and deployed the SOE teams that brought about the greatest special forces triumph of the Burma Campaign, if not the war. This book for the first time reveals to us Britain’s greatest SOE commander.' Robert Lyman, author of A War of Empires
Foreword by General the Lord Richards GCB, CBE, DSO
“Jungle Warrior is a splendid book about a very brave and determined man who, literally, gave his all for King and Country”
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was created by Winston Churchill in 1940 to "set Europe ablaze," but its most significant success occurred in the jungles of Burma, where its guerrilla operations were vital to the reconquest of the country. SOE’s greatest commander was Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Peacock.
Born in India in 1893, Edgar Peacock missed WWI due to his employment in Burma’s Jungles. In 1940, aged 46, he lied about his age and enlisted as a Private, ending the war as a highly decorated special forces Lieutenant Colonel, who had conceived, planned and led the most successful guerrilla operation of WW2. Approximately 130 British officers and NCOs parachuted in, raised about 12,000 indigenous guerrillas and prevented the Japanese from halting General Slim's advance on Rangoon. Over eight months of intense, continuous, combat in enemy territory, Operation Character accounted for 11,874 Japanese casualties for the loss of 22 British troops. For a period they outperformed the entire British 14th Army!
Monsoon rains, scarce supplies, dense mountainous jungle, tigers, snakes, leeches and a determined enemy, all combined to make this an operation like no other. Eminent historian, Richard Duckett, given exclusive access to private family files, has produced an extraordinary biography of an exceptional man, exploring Edgar’s truly fascinating life 'warts and all'.
ISBN: 978-1-916556-84-3 (hardback)
What they are saying about Jungle Warrior:
'The incredible untold story of a foremost warrior of the shadows, operating in the toughest theatre of war during WWII. Trenchant, gripping, revelatory - I am so glad Lt. Col Peacock's story has finally been told. Having spent considerable time in the Burmese jungles, I can feel his every breathtaking exploit in my soul and my bones. Bravo.' Damien Lewis, author of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
'This remarkable and timely book is the story of a man Major General Douglas Gracey described as a ‘prince among guerilla leaders.’ This description perfectly encapsulates the extraordinary achievements of Colonel Edgar Peacock, the man who raised, trained and deployed the SOE teams that brought about the greatest special forces triumph of the Burma Campaign, if not the war. This book for the first time reveals to us Britain’s greatest SOE commander.' Robert Lyman, author of A War of Empires
Foreword by General the Lord Richards GCB, CBE, DSO
“Jungle Warrior is a splendid book about a very brave and determined man who, literally, gave his all for King and Country”
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was created by Winston Churchill in 1940 to "set Europe ablaze," but its most significant success occurred in the jungles of Burma, where its guerrilla operations were vital to the reconquest of the country. SOE’s greatest commander was Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Peacock.
Born in India in 1893, Edgar Peacock missed WWI due to his employment in Burma’s Jungles. In 1940, aged 46, he lied about his age and enlisted as a Private, ending the war as a highly decorated special forces Lieutenant Colonel, who had conceived, planned and led the most successful guerrilla operation of WW2. Approximately 130 British officers and NCOs parachuted in, raised about 12,000 indigenous guerrillas and prevented the Japanese from halting General Slim's advance on Rangoon. Over eight months of intense, continuous, combat in enemy territory, Operation Character accounted for 11,874 Japanese casualties for the loss of 22 British troops. For a period they outperformed the entire British 14th Army!
Monsoon rains, scarce supplies, dense mountainous jungle, tigers, snakes, leeches and a determined enemy, all combined to make this an operation like no other. Eminent historian, Richard Duckett, given exclusive access to private family files, has produced an extraordinary biography of an exceptional man, exploring Edgar’s truly fascinating life 'warts and all'.
ISBN: 978-1-916556-84-3 (hardback)
What they are saying about Jungle Warrior:
'The incredible untold story of a foremost warrior of the shadows, operating in the toughest theatre of war during WWII. Trenchant, gripping, revelatory - I am so glad Lt. Col Peacock's story has finally been told. Having spent considerable time in the Burmese jungles, I can feel his every breathtaking exploit in my soul and my bones. Bravo.' Damien Lewis, author of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
'This remarkable and timely book is the story of a man Major General Douglas Gracey described as a ‘prince among guerilla leaders.’ This description perfectly encapsulates the extraordinary achievements of Colonel Edgar Peacock, the man who raised, trained and deployed the SOE teams that brought about the greatest special forces triumph of the Burma Campaign, if not the war. This book for the first time reveals to us Britain’s greatest SOE commander.' Robert Lyman, author of A War of Empires
