Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth Archives

Author: Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth

Author

Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth

After eight years as a barrister I was called up and served as a military intelligence officer in the Balkans and Iraq. In civilian life I worked for seven years with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe as a Human Rights officer and eventually as the Organisation's lead on torture prevention. After stints as UK government advisor in Helmand and Libya I completed my PhD at Kings College London and began work lecturing as part of Portsmouth University's team at RAF Cranwell, delivering the academic component of training to RAF Officers and NCOs. I am the author of several books on contemporary conflict, including 'Losing Small Wars' (Yale 2011/18), Investment in Blood Yale 2013) , Rebel Law (2018) and Aerial Warfare, a Very Short introduction (OUP 2020).
View all posts University of Portsmouth

Featured Story, Ukraine

Kharkiv: What I Saw in Ukraine’s ‘Unbreakable’ Eastern Capital

by Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth August 20, 2025

I visited Ukraine last week to update my knowledge of the military situation there. I was privileged to be invited to visit Kharkiv by a friend – and spent several... Read more.

Trump to Workers: Drop Dead

Playing the Budget Spin Game

Efficiency − or Empire? How Elon Musk’s Hostile Takeover Could End Government as We Know It

Parsing the USAID Shutdown

This EPA Research Office Safeguarded Americans’ Health. Trump Just Eliminated It.

More States Push to Make Big Oil Pay for Climate Change

Bees, Fish, and Plants Reveal the Toll of Climate Change

Is America Ready to Tackle a Nationwide Drought?

Shading the Damage Assessment

Trump’s Military Obsessions

Trump’s Firings Challenge Military Tradition

Breach in Live War Plans

Trump Is Fast-Tracking New Coal Mines — Even When They Don’t Make Economic Sense

Trump’s Coal Fetish

EV Batteries and the LA Fires

DTE Profits Soar as Customers Face Shutoffs, Rising Rates and Fossil Fuel Expansion

A War With Iran that Feels Upside-Down

No Plan, No Vote: Trump’s War with Iran Raises Global Alarm

Missing from Trump’s Iran Bravado

Trump’s Desire to ‘Un-Unite’ Russia and China Is Unlikely To Work – In Fact, It Could Well Backfire

Before Trump’s Efforts To Make Kids Healthier, There Was Michelle Obama

A Promising Path to Breast Cancer Treatment Just Hit a Political Roadblock

Blowing Up Health Care

Why We Fall For Fake Health Information

Kharkiv: What I Saw in Ukraine’s ‘Unbreakable’ Eastern Capital

Trump’s Impatient Grab for Medals

Redefining Readiness: What the AFT Signals About the Future of Soldier Fitness

Missed Deadlines and Lost Cases? Not If You Hire a Document Retrieval Expert

Author: Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth

Author

Kharkiv: What I Saw in Ukraine’s ‘Unbreakable’ Eastern Capital