Paul Donovan contrasts the reality of the waste and futility of war with its glorification in so much of its coverage (War is a tragedy to be mourned, not celebrated, October 15).

He refers to the statues of wartime leaders around Whitehall, but does not mention the Cenotaph, with its inscription “To the glorious dead”. There is no “glory” in drowning in the mud of Flanders, or being shot to ribbons by machine-gun fire.

Wars do not just happen; they are the result of conscious decisions by (mis)leaders with the power and the means to conduct them. There have been many successful peace-keeping operations, by the UN or regional organisations such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, but these never get any publicity.

Frank Jackson

Kingsmoor Road, Harlow