BOTH FEET IN: A Soldier and MP’S Story of Duty, Loyalty and Staying True To Your Word

From the bestselling author of Broken Lives comes an extraordinary memoir of war, politics, leadership, and survival — the story of a man who spent his life at the sharp end of history and never once chose the easy path.

In Both Feet In, Bob Stewart recounts a life lived across battlefields, terrorist campaigns, humanitarian disasters, command posts, television studios, and the House of Commons itself. It is a deeply personal, often dramatic, and remarkably candid account of more than seven decades of service, conflict, and public life.

Stewart first came to public attention as commanding officer of British forces in Bosnia during the Balkan Wars, where his moral courage, plain speaking, and compassion under fire made him one of the most recognisable British soldiers of his generation. But Both Feet In goes much further — revealing the full story of the man behind the headlines.

From post-war Britain to the Middle East, Sandhurst, Cold War Germany, and Northern Ireland during the Troubles, his career was shaped by danger, leadership, and responsibility. At the emotional heart of the book lies the Ballykelly bombing of 1982, when IRA terrorists murdered soldiers and civilians at the Droppin Well disco. His account of leading the rescue and living with the aftermath is one of the most powerful passages ever written by a British officer about the cost of terrorism.

After the Army came an unlikely second career in Parliament, serving fourteen years as an MP before becoming a Privy Councillor and respected broadcaster. With honesty and humour, he lifts the curtain on Westminster and reflects on Thatcher, Cameron, McCain, Bush, and King Charles III.

Filled with heroism, tragedy, and unmistakably British humour, Both Feet In is the story of a generation shaped by duty — and of a man who believed leadership means accepting responsibility when things go wrong as much as when they go right.

Gripping, heartbreaking, and deeply human.

© 2026 Quentin Drummond Anderson (Lydbog): 9780466919399

Udgivelsesdato

Lydbog: 31. maj 2026