General Sir Richard Barrons, KCB, CBE, after Oxford (PPE) and RMA Sandhurst, served in the UK Armed Forces 1977-2016 and this his story of progress from 2nd Lieutenant to 4-Star General. It is series of letters to Manveen Rana, an editor, journalist and chief presenter of the 'In Our Times' podcast. His career spans service in Germany after the BAOR period, the Cold War, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and in the MOD at Chief of Staff level. He focusses on what it was like from a humorous angle and also deals with core issues of the day and particular themes, including leadership and the impact of technology.