Richard Lewis Clutterbuck was born in London 22 November 1917, the son of late Col L. St J. R. Clutterbuck, OBE, late RA, and late Mrs I. J. Clutterbuck. He was educated at Radley College then Pembroke College, Cambridge. In 1948 Clutterbuck married Angela Muriel Barford with whom he had three sons. Clutterbuck gained an MA in Mechanical Sciences from the University of Cambridge then a PhD in Economics and Politics from London University, 1971.

Clutterbuck's military career began with a command in the Royal Engineers, 1937. He served during World War II in France, 1940; Sudan and Ethiopia, 1941; the Western Desert, 1941–43 and in Italy, 1944. He subsequently served in Germany, 1946 and 1951–53; Italy, 1946; Palestine, 1947; Malaya [later part of Malaysia], 1956–58; Christmas Island (Nuclear Trials), 1958; USA, 1961–63; Singapore, 1966–68. His positions included Instructor, British Army Staff College, 1953–56; Instructor, US Army Staff College, 1961–63; Imperial Defence College 1965; Chief Engineer, Far East Land Forces, 1966–68; Engineer-in-Chief (Army), 1968–70; Chief Army Instructor, Royal College of Defence Studies, 1971–72, retired. Colonel Commandant, Royal Engineers, 1972–77. Senior Lecturer and Reader, Department of Politics, University of Exeter, 1972–83. In 1958 Clutterbuck was awarded an OBE, and in 1971 received a CB. He died in 1998.

His publications include: Across the River (as Richard Jocelyn), 1957; The Long Long War, 1966; Protest and the Urban Guerrilla, 1973; Riot and Revolution in Singapore and Malaya, 1973; Living with Terrorism, 1975; Guerrillas and Terrorists, 1977; Britain in Agony, 1978, (revised edition 1980); Kidnap and Ransom, 1978; The Media and Political Violence, 1981, (revised edition 1983); Industrial Conflict and Democracy, 1984; Conflict and Violence in Singapore and Malaysia, 1985; The Future of Political Violence, 1986; Kidnap, Hijack and Extortion, 1987; Terrorism and Guerrilla Warfare, 1990; Terrorism, Drugs and Crime in Europe after 1992, 1990; International Crisis and Conflict, 1993; Terrorism in an Unstable World, 1994; Drugs, Crime and Corruption, 1995, Public Safety and Civil Liberties, 1997 and Families, Drugs and Crime, 1998 (published posthumously).