A veteran of the Seven Years' War, British general John Burgoyne is best remembered for his defeat in the second Battle of Saratoga in the fall of 1777.

For a wider perspective on the lessons drawn over the past seven years of the "war on terror", the reader can do no better than turn to Mr Kilcullen's excellent book.

On Tuesday, after more than seven years, the United States of America will end its combat mission in Iraq and take an important step forward in responsibly ending the Iraq war.