Mark Urban
Encyclopedia
Mark Urban is a British
journalist, author, broadcaster and orientalist, and is currently the Diplomatic Editor for BBC
Two's Newsnight
.
, Urban continued his education at the London School of Economics
. After graduation, he served in the Army, for nine months as a regular officer in the Royal Tank Regiment
on a Short Service Limited Commission and four years in the Territorial Army.
, before rejoining the BBC as a general reporter on Newsnight. From 1993 to 1994 he was Middle East correspondent for BBC News, before becoming Newsnights diplomatic editor, a role he has held since 1995. He has at times been an embedded reporter, first with British and then U.S. troops. In his years on Newsnight, he has reported on many of the most compelling foreign news stories in the past two decades: the Gulf War
; the attempted coup d'état of 1991 in Moscow; 1993 events in Moscow; Bosnian War
; Middle East peace process; the War in Kosovo; and the recent US military campaigns in War in Afghanistan
and War in Iraq.
In 2009 Urban received a Peace Through Media Award from the International Council for Press and Broadcasting
.
, in The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes: The Story of George Scovell established him as a narrative historian who could effectively weave together first-hand accounts of the war without losing grip on the over-all story. His second narrative history, Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters, published in 2003, continues the story of the Iberian campaign, through the history of the famed 95th Rifles. His study of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
followed the same pattern as his earlier successes, combining first-hand accounts with an overarching narrative.
His most recent book, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the SAS and the Secret War in Iraq was published in February 2010 by Little, Brown, and is, according to early reviews, "a heart-stoppingly vivid account of the Iraq conflict," particularly the so-called "Black Ops" efforts at counter-terrorism.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist, author, broadcaster and orientalist, and is currently the Diplomatic Editor for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Two's Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
.
Education and early career
Educated at the independent day school King's College SchoolKing's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
, Urban continued his education at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. After graduation, he served in the Army, for nine months as a regular officer in the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
on a Short Service Limited Commission and four years in the Territorial Army.
Correspondent career
Urban joined the BBC in 1983 as an assistant producer, working on several BBC news programmes. From 1986 to 1990 he was the defence correspondent of The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, before rejoining the BBC as a general reporter on Newsnight. From 1993 to 1994 he was Middle East correspondent for BBC News, before becoming Newsnights diplomatic editor, a role he has held since 1995. He has at times been an embedded reporter, first with British and then U.S. troops. In his years on Newsnight, he has reported on many of the most compelling foreign news stories in the past two decades: the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
; the attempted coup d'état of 1991 in Moscow; 1993 events in Moscow; Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
; Middle East peace process; the War in Kosovo; and the recent US military campaigns in War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
and War in Iraq.
In 2009 Urban received a Peace Through Media Award from the International Council for Press and Broadcasting
International Council for Press and Broadcasting
The council is a subsidiary body of the Next Century Foundation, an organisation which deals primarily with conflict resolution issues and holds an annual International Media Awards in London...
.
Military historian
In 2001, Urban published his first book on the Napoleonic Wars in the Iberian Peninsula. His study of George ScovellGeorge Scovell
General Sir George Scovell was a member of the quartermaster's staff of the British Army in Iberia during the Peninsular War.-Military career:Scovell was commissioned as cornet and adjutant in the 4th Queen's Own Dragoons in 1798....
, in The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes: The Story of George Scovell established him as a narrative historian who could effectively weave together first-hand accounts of the war without losing grip on the over-all story. His second narrative history, Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters, published in 2003, continues the story of the Iberian campaign, through the history of the famed 95th Rifles. His study of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
followed the same pattern as his earlier successes, combining first-hand accounts with an overarching narrative.
His most recent book, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the SAS and the Secret War in Iraq was published in February 2010 by Little, Brown, and is, according to early reviews, "a heart-stoppingly vivid account of the Iraq conflict," particularly the so-called "Black Ops" efforts at counter-terrorism.
Books
- Soviet Land Power (1985)
- War in Afghanistan (1987)
- Big Boys' Rules: The SAS and the secret struggle against the IRA (1992)
- UK Eyes Alpha: Inside British Intelligence (1996)
- The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes: The Story of George Scovell (2001)
- Rifles: Six Years with Wellington's Legendary Sharpshooters (2003)
- Generals: Ten British Commanders Who Shaped the World (2005)
- Fusiliers: Eight Years with the Redcoats in America (2007)
External links
- Profile at BBC Newsnight
- Newsnight at war, 2 February 2005