The Pursuit of Peace Science, Law, and Art

About the Book

2022-2023 witnessed tragedies on a huge scale precipitated by human weakness, folly, and wickedness, exacerbated by nature that caused catastrophic earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and destruction and loss of life on enormous scales. Dominating this era of destruction was the February, 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine followed in October, 2023 by a Middle East crisis and war of enormous proportions. These events brought into sharp focus the precipitous, reckless, and thoroughly evil actions of a relatively very small number of human beings that led and instigated actions that have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings, caught up in events not of their choosing. The sum of the parts make the whole, and each of us, each individual can make a difference. We can collectively change the world for the better, countering the evil worst intentions and actions of those who precipitate death, destruction, and human suffering on enormous scales. History is replete with those who made a difference and showed and led the way to peace and harmony. This story is about how two individuals, in totally widely different ways, can make a difference. To these two lives is added the dimension of a crucial human endeavor that has marked our progress and development since the earliest times, the role of art as a human virtue, a creative life form that underlies humankind’s ability to come to terms with our existence and our progress through time. The art aspect is very different, seen through the lens of good and bad, and unified in the theme of achieving peace and that which is right after turmoil, and downright evil. The story challenges us to review our world, and what each of us may do to enhance peace, to look beyond the daily routine that most of us follow by the sheer nature of our circumstances and find ways and means by which we may all contribute, albeit perhaps in small, maybe insignificant ways in the greater scheme of things, though nonetheless significant. The reason is simple. Each of us can make a difference in our own individual way, and together, collectively, the sum of us all can truly make a huge difference. The pursuit of peace is not an imagery ideal. It is a fundamental necessity that behooves us all to help maintain for the sake of our world, children, grandchildren and all those whom we love and care about. This story is about hope and how peace can be shaped by positive and courageous human endeavor.

About the Author

Anthony Wells is unique insofar as he is the only living person to have worked for British intelligence as a British citizen and US intelligence as a US citizen, and to have also served in uniform at sea and ashore with both the Royal Navy and the US Navy. He is a 50-year veteran of the Five Eyes intelligence community. In 2017 he was the Keynote Speaker on board HMS Victory in Portsmouth, England, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the famous Zimmermann Telegram intelligence coup by “Blinker Hall” and his Room 40 team in British Naval Intelligence. The guest of honor was Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, with the Five Eyes community, past and present, represented from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Dr. Wells, or Commander Wells, was trained and mentored in the late 1960s by the very best of the World War II intelligence community, including Sir Harry Hinsley, the famous Bletchley Park code breaker, official historian of British Intelligence in the Second World War, Master of St. John’s College, Cambridge, and Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University. Sir Harry Hinsley introduced Dr. Wells to the Enigma data before it became public knowledge. Dr. Wells received his PhD in War Studies from King’s College, University of London, in 1972. He holds Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Durham, and a Masters degree from the London School of Economics. He was trained at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and received his advanced training at the School of Maritime Operations. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in November, 1980. Anthony Wells has four children and eight grandchildren, and lives on his farm in Virginia. He is a Member of the Naval Order of the United States and was appointed an Honorary Crew Member of USS Liberty by the USS Liberty Veterans Association. USS Liberty is the most highly decorated warship in the history of the US Navy for a single action, attacked by Israeli air and surface forces on August 8, 1967 in the eastern Mediterranean. Dr Wells is the third Chairman of the USS Liberty Alliance, succeeding the late Admiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chief of Naval Operations, and the late Rear Admiral Clarence “Mark” Hill, former distinguished US naval aviator and battle group commander. He is a retired US National Ski Patroller and Instructor, and a Life Member and former President of The Plains, Virginia, Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company. Wells is an FAA Commercial pilot with single and multi engine, land and sea, instrument, and flight instructor Ratings. He is a Senior Member of Number 60 Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. Dr. Wells was the Technical Director of Fleet Battle Experiments ALPHA and BRAVO in the Third Fleet, United States Pacific Fleet. He was the Chief Executive Officer of TKC International LLC, a specialist company supporting the US Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, for twenty-five years. He held Top Secret SCI and Special Access Clearances.