What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cyanide War: Tamil Insurrection in Sri Lanka, 1973-88
- GenresHistory
175 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1989
20 people want to read
About the author
Edgar O'Ballance
43 books7 followersMajor Edgar O'Ballance was a British military journalist, researcher, defence commentator and academic lecturer specialising in international relations and defence problems.
He was emergency commissioned a Second Lieutenant from Sergeant in the Sherwood Foresters on 19 January 1941. As a temporary Major he was mentioned in dispatches for service in Palestine between 27 March and 30 June 1948.
He served in the army until 1948.
In April 1953 he was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Captain, serving with the Sherwood Foresters. He was promoted Major in March 1955. In June 1963 he transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the General List. In July 1965 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration.
In 1968 he transferred from the General List (Territorial Army) to the General List (Regular Army Reserve of Officers) and having achieved the age limit on 17 July 1968 (his 50th birthday) retired retaining the rank of Major.
He worked as a journalist for a US Wire Agency from 1948 to 1962, and was thereafter a freelance journalist. He covered over twenty wars and insurgencies and wrote extensively on international relations, defence and strategic problems. He was a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Chairman of the London-based Military Commentators' Circle. He wrote many articles for military journals and was the author of over forty books.
He was emergency commissioned a Second Lieutenant from Sergeant in the Sherwood Foresters on 19 January 1941. As a temporary Major he was mentioned in dispatches for service in Palestine between 27 March and 30 June 1948.
He served in the army until 1948.
In April 1953 he was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Captain, serving with the Sherwood Foresters. He was promoted Major in March 1955. In June 1963 he transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the General List. In July 1965 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration.
In 1968 he transferred from the General List (Territorial Army) to the General List (Regular Army Reserve of Officers) and having achieved the age limit on 17 July 1968 (his 50th birthday) retired retaining the rank of Major.
He worked as a journalist for a US Wire Agency from 1948 to 1962, and was thereafter a freelance journalist. He covered over twenty wars and insurgencies and wrote extensively on international relations, defence and strategic problems. He was a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Chairman of the London-based Military Commentators' Circle. He wrote many articles for military journals and was the author of over forty books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 10, 2016
Repetitive at times and overall not that well written, but a good source of information on the Eelam War I and II. One thing that I didn't know anything about was that the Indian peacekeeping forces in Sri Lanka launched a full-scale invasion of the Tamil populated northern portion of Sri Lanka. There was something like 50,000 Indian troops in Sri Lanka at one point.
Displaying 1 of 1 review