Book excerpt: In 1952 Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne. In the sixty years of her reign so far, there have been thousands of conscripts and regular service personnel who have served under the Queen’s Colours. This book celebrates their incredible achievement, covering the period from 1952 to the Queen’s diamond jubilee year 2012. Service men and women recall their experiences from post-WW2 to the Falklands War in 1982, through to modern military service at the end of a millennium and into the first years of the twenty-first century. The book looks at life in barracks at home, and overseas in a variety of hot and not-so-hot spots, and major conflicts worldwide. Male and female service personnel talk candidly about their experiences, opening their world to an interested audience and allowing glimpses into military life. This book is not just about war, but the everyday lives of service men and women on land, sea and in the air, in celebration of a diamond jubilee.