Ken Wharton (born 21 June 1950) is an English writer and former British soldier who has written a series of non-fictional books on the conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.
The books are based on first-hand accounts by soldiers of all ranks who served in the Operation Banner campaign as well as Wharton's own personal experiences from his two tours of Northern Ireland.
Born in Leeds, Yorkshire, Wharton, having left school at 15, joined the British Army in 1967 aged 17.
Receiving favourable reviews from critics and described as "compelling",[2] Wharton's books feature narratives of ambushes, bombings and shootings that, according to a journalist from The Express, "capture the brutality of the conflict".
[1][3] Wharton's decision to write the collection of books stems in part from his anger at what he perceives to be the poor treatment meted out to his former comrades as a "forgotten army" and an overwhelming desire to tell their stories.