Nobody forgets Sandhurst.

The perception from outside is of matchless professionalism, organisation and military efficiency. Sandhurst embodies all these qualities. But they aren't the whole story. Nor are they what makes it unique.

Hurry Up and Wait provides a captivating peek behind the curtain of the 44-week course that shapes the future officers of the British Army. It's the story of overachieving instructors meeting underperforming cadets. There's the stuff you'd expect: parades, marching, making beds, shouting, shooting and standing up straight, all in the name of serving your country.

But the book is also about the people, relationships, laughter, contradictions, chaos and frantic reality that exists below the serene surface. It's Hogwarts with guns, 140-hour weeks, endless acronyms and half-smoked cigarettes. It is, above all, about playing the game.

Welcome to the finest military academy in the world.