In this edition of our General Talk podcast, host Harry Bucknall talks to Anthony Loyd, The Times’ senior foreign correspondent, about reporting wars and conflicts.

Anthony assesses the current situation in Gaza and prospects for the ongoing Ukraine conflict. On the British Army’s future role, he says that interventions on the scale of Kosovo, Iraq or Afghanistan are highly unlikely to happen again for a long time.

He shares vivid memories of reporting the Bosnian conflict and facing personal danger in Ukraine, Syria and other places. He speaks eloquently about the sorrow and grief that he has witnessed during a career largely motivated by “a great curiosity and sense of adventure”. Looking back on thirty years of war reporting, he recalls his “amazing and wild times” in Afghanistan just after 9/11 as a career highlight.

He also talks about his famous great grandfather and war hero, Lt Gen Adrian Carton de Wiart VC (1880-1963).

The ABF is grateful to Anthony for giving us his valuable time for our podcast.

Background

Anthony Loyd is a former British Army officer. In 1993, he began reporting for The Times from the Bosnian conflict and has worked in other conflict areas, including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya and Sierra Leone. He was named National Press Awards foreign correspondent of the year four times and won four Foreign Press Association awards, among others. He has published “My War Gone By, I Miss It So” (1999) and “Another Bloody Love Letter” (2007).