Jan 6, 2009 - In Bravo Two Zero, however, its not knowing what happens or why it. Contrary to my husband's beliefs, I don't buy every Sean Bean movie. The BBC1 military miniseries Bravo Two Zero was based on the actual experiences of Sergeant Andy McNab, who adapted the teleplay from his own novel. Set during the 1991 Gulf War, the series' two 60-minute episodes follow an SAS Patrol as they burrow deep into Iraqui-held territory. Their mission: to destroy the scud missiles in.
In January 1991, eight members of the SAS regiment embarked upon a top secret mission that was to infiltrate them deep behind enemy lines. Under the command of Sergeant Andy McNab, they were to sever the underground communication link between Baghdad and north-west Iraq, and to seek and destroy mobile Scud launchers. Their call sign: BRAVO TWO ZERO. Each man laden with 15 s In January 1991, eight members of the SAS regiment embarked upon a top secret mission that was to infiltrate them deep behind enemy lines. Under the command of Sergeant Andy McNab, they were to sever the underground communication link between Baghdad and north-west Iraq, and to seek and destroy mobile Scud launchers. Their call sign: BRAVO TWO ZERO. Each man laden with 15 stone of equipment, they patrolled 20km across flat desert to reach their objective.
Within days, their location was compromised. After a fierce fire fight, they were forced to escape and evade on foot to the Syrian border. In the desperate action that followed, though stricken by hypothermia and other injuries, the patrol 'went ballistic'. Four men were captured. Only one escaped. For the survivors, however, the worst ordeals were to come.
Delivered to Baghdad, they were tortured with a savagery for which not even their intensive SAS training had prepared them. Bravo Two Zero is a breathtaking account of Special Forces soldiering: a chronicle of superhuman courage, endurance and dark humour in the face of overwhelming odds.
First of all, this review is concerned with the book and the book alone; forget the conspiracy, bad mouthing and follow-ups which have followed in the decade since this came out. Instead, I'm just focusing on Bravo Two Zero the book and the book alone. Of the various true-life war accounts written over the past century, it certainly stands out as a corker, chronicling the ill-fated 1991 mission from beginning to chaotic ending, beginning with the initial planning back at base, moving to behind e First of all, this review is concerned with the book and the book alone; forget the conspiracy, bad mouthing and follow-ups which have followed in the decade since this came out. Instead, I'm just focusing on Bravo Two Zero the book and the book alone. Of the various true-life war accounts written over the past century, it certainly stands out as a corker, chronicling the ill-fated 1991 mission from beginning to chaotic ending, beginning with the initial planning back at base, moving to behind enemy lines combat, and ending in the various mission members going their separate ways. McNab writes a believable, in-your-face account of what it’s like to be at the receiving end of brutal torture and the experience of taking part in a fierce firefight, his style alert and friendly, drawing you into the tale and refusing to let you go until the bitter end.
It certainly is a brutal story – at least a third is taken up with prolonged descriptions of torture and other barbarity, and death and dehydration abound. Other parts are exciting but tragic, such as the heroic shoot-outs which result in death and destruction, I couldn’t put the book down.
It stands as a testament to McNab’s skill that he propels you along energetically despite the subject matter, with entertainment being the keyword here, and it IS entertaining – I’m sure most readers have dreamed about what it would like to be a soldier, well this is your chance to face the savage truth and I guarantee it’ll put most off for life or give you a taste for similar non-fiction works. This is a great book. BTZ is one of the more famous SF operations (gone wrong) stories told in the modern era, made even more popular in a namesake movie with Ned Stark. It is told from the POV of the patrol leader Andy (pseudonym) leading his eight-man team on cable-cutting and Scud-hunting mission in Iraq just before the ground invasion phase of the 1991 Gulf War. They get discovered, they get captured.
Most of the focus is actually not on the fighting - even though the introduction and the brie This is a great book. BTZ is one of the more famous SF operations (gone wrong) stories told in the modern era, made even more popular in a namesake movie with Ned Stark. It is told from the POV of the patrol leader Andy (pseudonym) leading his eight-man team on cable-cutting and Scud-hunting mission in Iraq just before the ground invasion phase of the 1991 Gulf War. They get discovered, they get captured. Most of the focus is actually not on the fighting - even though the introduction and the brief combat elements are rather eganging - but it is on the evasion and escape, the difficult weather conditions, the separation of the team into two groups, the death of some of the patrol members, and then the eventual capture of Andy just 4 km from the Syrian border. The second half of the book is about his time in captivity - including interrogations and torture, and it's a somewhat difficult read, because it tells things the way they are - not like in the movies. It's gritty and sad.
On his release, Andy was one of the few who did not suffer from PTSD, and he went back to his life without too many traumas, but still a changed man. However, the best piece is the last piece. Andy tells a story how an army captain changed his life - you're not thick, you're uneducated - and how he finally read his first book (something for 10-year-olds) when he was about 20, and that this was the proudest moment of his life. And from someone who could barely read to a bestseller, well that's quite a ride that transcends bullets and explosions. Andy's message to kids in schools (and those in trouble with the law) is that education should come first.
That this was the most important part of his SAS journey - not the missions. It's a very humble and emotional message. I also know some people who say they know Andy - and I've seen there's a lot of controversy around the book, and the follow up books (by Chris Ryan and another SAS fellow) sort of stir up a controversy, but I'm really not interested in the politics and the intrigue. I take BTZ for what it is, and it's a really good, engaging soldier's story, with some less than glamorous details you don't normally think about when you speak militarese. Quite recommended. I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons, but one was the way it was written.
I mean I believe I could actually see the method of writing, whether from taped interviews and transcriptions or from careful notes. The book was written the way McNab speaks and that voice is what comes through. You get the sense you are being told the story by a gifted story-teller, the kind of guy you want to hang out with and listen to his stories because, first and last, he tells a good story.
The narrative mov I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons, but one was the way it was written. I mean I believe I could actually see the method of writing, whether from taped interviews and transcriptions or from careful notes. The book was written the way McNab speaks and that voice is what comes through.
You get the sense you are being told the story by a gifted story-teller, the kind of guy you want to hang out with and listen to his stories because, first and last, he tells a good story. The narrative moves from dramatic descriptions and character interaction to explication smoothly, beautifully. If McNab wrote this without editorial help, he has a rare kind of genius. I am reminded of Joe Simpson's Touching the Void, a first-time book that has amazing vividness and pacing; and then there's Arabian Sands by Thesiger, which has similar vividness. Regardless of truth or fact or whether you like tales of men doing manly things, Brave Two Zero has literary merit in a number of ways lacking in most fiction today. Whether this is viewed as autobiography or fictionalized biography, it's a great read.
What do we pick up a book for, anyway? Isn't it to be entertained? Another pint, please.
'I can read you like a book, and not a very good book. Certainly not Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab. Which actually improves with every read.' Alan Partridge. As an Alan Partidge devotee, I thought it only proper I should read the great man's favourite book. It tells the story of an SAS misson during the first Gulf War.
As an insight into the functioning of a special forces unit, it's a great read. Although heavy on jargon and military slang, it's always fast paced and it never gets in the way of 'I can read you like a book, and not a very good book. Certainly not Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab. Which actually improves with every read.' Alan Partridge. As an Alan Partidge devotee, I thought it only proper I should read the great man's favourite book. It tells the story of an SAS misson during the first Gulf War.
As an insight into the functioning of a special forces unit, it's a great read. Although heavy on jargon and military slang, it's always fast paced and it never gets in the way of the story. For me one interesting thing was how the prose style was so different to what I normally read. I'm used to wooly liberal platitudes and quite waffly stuff. This was not that.
McNab's clear-cut, no-nonsense, military attitude comes through as it is writteen. It was very refreshing, a literary pallette cleanser, if you will.
It's an incredible adventure story, told with suprising humour and warmth at times. It was a lot better than I expected, although unlike Alan, I don't think I'll be re-reading it. What an exhilarating read! Different versions of the real-life mission notwithstanding I am compelled to say, this book's narrative sounded as close as one could get to being sincere. Only a man from the trenches could narrate so gruesome a story of interrogation and surviving it.
I was honestly surprised that a highly trained commando could write so well. Maybe he had help but not all that way I am hoping. A must-read for all action-thriller lovers.
However, I say that in reverence and deep res What an exhilarating read! Different versions of the real-life mission notwithstanding I am compelled to say, this book's narrative sounded as close as one could get to being sincere. Only a man from the trenches could narrate so gruesome a story of interrogation and surviving it. I was honestly surprised that a highly trained commando could write so well. Maybe he had help but not all that way I am hoping. A must-read for all action-thriller lovers. However, I say that in reverence and deep respect for the soldiers who made such unmatchable sacrifice.
I was looking for books covering the politics and upheavals in Middle East. This book is biography of a Special operations soldier - SAS from UK. The operation - Bravo Two Zero was carried out in 1st Gulf war in 1998, I picked thinking its from the 2003 Iraq war. But glad I did.
The mission was to survey the scuds, cable lines in Iraq and the operation was called Bravo Two Zero. When reading the risky operation, the responsibilities, the decisions to be taken on the fly, the physical and mental p I was looking for books covering the politics and upheavals in Middle East.
This book is biography of a Special operations soldier - SAS from UK. The operation - Bravo Two Zero was carried out in 1st Gulf war in 1998, I picked thinking its from the 2003 Iraq war. But glad I did. The mission was to survey the scuds, cable lines in Iraq and the operation was called Bravo Two Zero.
When reading the risky operation, the responsibilities, the decisions to be taken on the fly, the physical and mental pressure, stories of endurance of the soldiers from the patrol, one can't stop wondering if man really has the potential to endure so much pain. It is definitely extraordinary story of extraordinary people. (btw, there were accusations that McNab exaggerated, would be picking Soldier Five by another member from same team) The book was more from a soldier's point of view, and the opinions expressed over humanity were restricted to that of a prisoner i.e.
With the Iraqis seen in bad light. But this is a soldiers tale in the battlefield and is fair. I wonder if there are any books from the other side, a Iraqi civilian's view of foreign troops in their country. What must have been on the mind's of Iraqi people and soldiers when they saw foreign army enter their land and air - the great Iraqi Invasion. Though we agree that Saddam was a terror but we know that Iraq in his time was far better than what is now - ruled by Al Qaeda and ISIS. Looking back, we know that there were no weapons of mass destruction.
The lives of these brave soldiers were risked for what? Was it really for protection of civilians? The torture and deaths of soldiers, civilians. Was it all worth? A must read for all fans of true war stories.
I think most people in the UK, if not the western world, who was around at the time of the first Iraq war will have at least heard of this mission. This narrative takes us from the period when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait up until after the war had ended and the prisoners of the patrol code-named Bravo-Two-Zero returned home. I find that it is almost always worthwhile reading first-hand accounts alongside the 'official' histories as they tell you mu A must read for all fans of true war stories. I think most people in the UK, if not the western world, who was around at the time of the first Iraq war will have at least heard of this mission. This narrative takes us from the period when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait up until after the war had ended and the prisoners of the patrol code-named Bravo-Two-Zero returned home. I find that it is almost always worthwhile reading first-hand accounts alongside the 'official' histories as they tell you much more and also provide you with the small but ultimately what can be the important details.
Andy McNab does this, and provides an insight not only into what happened, but also what he was thinking and feeling at the time. His descriptions of his torture is brutal but not gratuitous, and includes his own perspective which surprisingly, is not 'these guys are evil' and in fact relates his surprise at points that he is not tortured as bad as the horror stories about what had happened to Iranian prisoners a decade earlier had led him to expect.
I will say that it is worth reading as well to provide the different interpretations of the same events by two different people with two different outlooks and attitudes. Iraq, January 1991. During the first war in Iraq, one team of 8 soldiers of the Royal Special Air Service, the elite special forces of the Royal Army, was sent to operate beyond the Iraqi lines, in the middle of the desert. The name of the team was BRAVO TWO ZERO and their mission was to cut off some phone lines and to destroy Scud missiles mobile launch stations of Suddam Hussein. After a huge fight against Iraqi troops they aborted the original mission and instead escaped toward the border wit Iraq, January 1991. During the first war in Iraq, one team of 8 soldiers of the Royal Special Air Service, the elite special forces of the Royal Army, was sent to operate beyond the Iraqi lines, in the middle of the desert.
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The name of the team was BRAVO TWO ZERO and their mission was to cut off some phone lines and to destroy Scud missiles mobile launch stations of Suddam Hussein. After a huge fight against Iraqi troops they aborted the original mission and instead escaped toward the border with Syria. Four of them were captured, just one was able to escape and the other three died. Andy McNab describes in this book step by step every single moment of those days in the desert, his and his team's feelings, worries and emotions.
This is a great book not just for the story itself but because the author describes in particular the special forces strategies, how to plan a mission, how to survive in a desert when you are not well equipped (because the intel info were not detailed enough) and how to conduct one enemy tactical interrogation. The book is so well written that you can see yourself in the room with Andy during an interrogation or in jail. However, my favorite part of the book is the fact that all his considerations and all his lessons learned and are still actual and still useful for military guys like me. Really great book. As a fan of military history, I do have a passing understanding the 22nd Special Air Service with our allies in England.
The boys at Hereford are a tough lot and we used the Regiment in establishing our own 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. If you find yourself in the mood to find out what tough really is, read this book. Bravo Two Zero is a harrowing story.
One that you may have heard about once or twice in passing. The story is not so much about the failure of a patrol to locate As a fan of military history, I do have a passing understanding the 22nd Special Air Service with our allies in England. The boys at Hereford are a tough lot and we used the Regiment in establishing our own 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. If you find yourself in the mood to find out what tough really is, read this book. Bravo Two Zero is a harrowing story. One that you may have heard about once or twice in passing.
The story is not so much about the failure of a patrol to locate and destroy Scud in Iraq, but about human perseverance and the chronicle of one man and his men and how they survived over a month of capture and torture at the enemy's hands. Andy McNab's writing style is sharp, concise, and reads more like a narrative story than anything else. It's a great read and at the end of it, you will have a greater appreciation of the men who go out there to do what they gotta get done. Another book, written by one of McNab's teammates, Chris Ryan, entitled 'The One That Got Away', chronicles Ryan's perspective through the ordeal and the actions he took that led him to have the longest Escape & Evasion period in SAS history (180 miles). I absolutely loved this book. I only began reading Andy McNabs books last year and have read a few of the Nick Stone series, some of which I have liked and others less so.
This book is completely different in that it is the true account of an SAS mission behind enemy lines. McNabs style of writing could be better however I think that this adds to the authencity of the account. After reading this, I am keen to read the Chris Ryan book 'The one that got away' which is by a member of the same missio I absolutely loved this book.
I only began reading Andy McNabs books last year and have read a few of the Nick Stone series, some of which I have liked and others less so. This book is completely different in that it is the true account of an SAS mission behind enemy lines. McNabs style of writing could be better however I think that this adds to the authencity of the account. After reading this, I am keen to read the Chris Ryan book 'The one that got away' which is by a member of the same mission and will give a different perspective. All in all I found the book utterly compelling and the fact that it is a true story makes it even more amazing. The author is a brave man. Not a book I would normally have gravitated to but I admit, I was curious because the year I worked in a bookshop, this was our top seller.
Also, this is the book I have bought most copies of ever, not for myself but from a variety of wholesale intermediaries as demand outstripped supply that year. So probably time to read it. I nearly did so about a decade ago but saw a bit of a TV version and found it unwatchable.
Then I got a free copy, can't remember why though. Anyway, at nearly 20 years la Not a book I would normally have gravitated to but I admit, I was curious because the year I worked in a bookshop, this was our top seller. Also, this is the book I have bought most copies of ever, not for myself but from a variety of wholesale intermediaries as demand outstripped supply that year. So probably time to read it. I nearly did so about a decade ago but saw a bit of a TV version and found it unwatchable. Then I got a free copy, can't remember why though.
Anyway, at nearly 20 years later, the time seemed overdue to read this. I can see why this was popular, it is a bit of a page turner. Though it could have been called 101 ways I was tortured and things do slow down as he is tortured for at least half the book and it is quite repetitive. Nonetheless, this is the best account of what it is like to suffer so that I've read and is hopefully the nearest I will ever come to suffering this myself. Reminds me of Orwell's account of being wounded in Spain a little, which is the perfect near death tale.
Andy's frankness is also remarkably disarming. He affects no graces whether talking about his failed relationships, SAS life or the torture and you have to congratulate him for that.
All-in-all, this left me with renewed gratitude that there are people out there doing this on our behalf. The explanation of the uses of explosives was discomforting (terrorists must have much the same attitude) but again you can't fault the honesty. The only thing that doesn't ring true is all the detail about their procdedures. You do have to wonder if he would really explain how the SAS work and their torture resistance techniques, as all the next enemy needs to do is read the book to understand them and develop effective counter measures.
In this sense, I think Andy may be being more discrete than he appears. The SAS must surely know of Che Guevara's work on revolution which was read by the CIA and used to develop counter-insurgency methods. The lesson of which is don't print how you do stuff as it is a gift to your foes in the future. This kept me from homesick reading Bravo Two Zero when I was in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. A very beautiful true story from the account of a British SAS who was really deep in Iraq.
From Amazon.com review 'Their mission: To take out the scuds. Eight went out. Five came back. Their story had been closed in secrecy. They were British Special Forces, trained to be the best.
In January 1991 a squad of eight men went behind the Iraqi lines on a top secret mission. It was called Bravo Two Zero. O This kept me from homesick reading Bravo Two Zero when I was in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. A very beautiful true story from the account of a British SAS who was really deep in Iraq.
From Amazon.com review 'Their mission: To take out the scuds. Eight went out. Five came back. Their story had been closed in secrecy.
They were British Special Forces, trained to be the best. In January 1991 a squad of eight men went behind the Iraqi lines on a top secret mission. It was called Bravo Two Zero.
On command was Sergeant Andy McNab. 'They are the true unsung heroes of the war.' Steven Turner, American F-15E commander. Dropped into 'scud alley' carrying 210-pound packs, McNab and his men found themselves surrounded by Saddam's army.
Their radios didn't work. The weather turned cold enough to freeze diesel fuel.
And they had been spotted. Their only chance at survival was to fight their way to the Syrian border seventy-five miles to the northwest and swim the Euphrates river to freedom.
Eight set out. Five came back.
'I'll tell you who destroyed the scuds - it was the British SAS. They were fabulous.' - John Major, British Prime Minister. This is their story.
Filled with no-holds-barred detail about McNab's capture and excruciating torture, it tells of men tested beyond the limits of human endurance. And of the war you didn't see on CNN. Dirty, deadly, and fought outside the rules.' After taking a breather from military books with Fevre Dream, i got back to the elite warriors scene with the SAS for a change. It's always refreshing to read army action from the British point of view. Different jargon, lingo, lifestyle.
It was after watching The Unit tv series that I got into Eric Haney's IDF. And then I was recommended by my brother to watch Strike Back, the Brits' own Unit-like tv series, found out it was based on a book as well, by Chris Ryan.
Who was with the Bravo Zero Tea After taking a breather from military books with Fevre Dream, i got back to the elite warriors scene with the SAS for a change. It's always refreshing to read army action from the British point of view. Different jargon, lingo, lifestyle. It was after watching The Unit tv series that I got into Eric Haney's IDF. And then I was recommended by my brother to watch Strike Back, the Brits' own Unit-like tv series, found out it was based on a book as well, by Chris Ryan. Who was with the Bravo Zero Team in Desert Storm.
And had his own account as well with The One That Got Away. But instead of going straight into that, I opted to start with Andy McNab's account as it was the first from a series, yes there was a succession of books that told the account. It turned out to be a pissing contest for all the members, each on disputing the other.
Although dragging in the middle on all the torture scenes, this was good in a way that it was a break from the american military speak. Especially that the style rendered here is a straightforward, voice-from-the writer approach you'd actually feel like the author is just plain speaking the narrative. Found out halfway through the book that it was Sean Bean who played the two-part tv episode, so it sort of sounded like Sean Bean who was this virtual storyteller in my head. 22 SAS carried out a long-range deep interdiction/surveillance mission during the First Gulf War and ended up being placed between two regiments of the Iraqi Army. One eight-man element ended up being engaged in a 100-mile dash for freedom / running gun-fight that has generated no less than five separate books, starting with this one, by the element's commanding NCO, 'Andy McNab.' The resulting furore generated accusations and counter-accusations, with even the original assignment of the combat 22 SAS carried out a long-range deep interdiction/surveillance mission during the First Gulf War and ended up being placed between two regiments of the Iraqi Army. One eight-man element ended up being engaged in a 100-mile dash for freedom / running gun-fight that has generated no less than five separate books, starting with this one, by the element's commanding NCO, 'Andy McNab.'
The resulting furore generated accusations and counter-accusations, with even the original assignment of the combat team contradicted by various accounts. Possibly one of the most argued over small-team missions in military writing history: like, much of the work's literary prominence is because it was among the first military actions since the fall of the Soviet Union and quite some time before the major wars of the 2000s. With little overall US/UK military action during the 1990s, the events of just a few men became heavily examined, discussed, and written about.
A solidly written story 4/5; learning all the controversey post-reading probably to some degree weakens the overall experience. Andy McNab an ex SAS infantryman tells the story of his mission in the first gulf war. Their call sign: Bravo Two Zero. Dropped into the middle of Iraq, an eight man SAS squad is given orders to sever a main communications line that ran from north-west Iraq to Baghdad and to destroy any Scud missiles they find being launched along the way. But on the second day, they are compromised. They are forced to run from the entire Iraqi army and flee to the Syrian border, along the way they are subject to Andy McNab an ex SAS infantryman tells the story of his mission in the first gulf war.
Their call sign: Bravo Two Zero. Dropped into the middle of Iraq, an eight man SAS squad is given orders to sever a main communications line that ran from north-west Iraq to Baghdad and to destroy any Scud missiles they find being launched along the way.
But on the second day, they are compromised. They are forced to run from the entire Iraqi army and flee to the Syrian border, along the way they are subject to very bad weather conditions which conclude in hypothermia among the men, but on the last leg they find themselves in a massive firefight near the Syrian border. Three men are killed, one man escapes and the remaining four are captured and subject to unbelievable torture while the war still rages around them. This is an amazing book not just because of the things that happen or the way it's written but also because you read it and just know it's all real too. This book ticks off my 'Book made into a film' box on my bingo board.
I'd heard good things about this book and that it contained the amazing (true) story of an SAS patrol operating in Iraq. I had no idea nearly half of the book was about the author's experiences as a POW after his patrol was discovered. What he and others were forced to endure was truly horrible. The writing wasn't perhaps as polished as a professional writer's, but I thought it added more to the story. It sounded like how a hard-working, professional soldier would describe what was happening to h I'd heard good things about this book and that it contained the amazing (true) story of an SAS patrol operating in Iraq. I had no idea nearly half of the book was about the author's experiences as a POW after his patrol was discovered.
What he and others were forced to endure was truly horrible. The writing wasn't perhaps as polished as a professional writer's, but I thought it added more to the story. It sounded like how a hard-working, professional soldier would describe what was happening to him. As such, the language was coarse at times. On the negative side, it tended to drag on during some sections and the flow of events (esp. When he was telling what happened from others' points of view) could have been better. Being an American, I had to guess sometimes what the (British) author meant by some of the terms he used, but the brief glossary in the back helped with most of them.
Overall, I liked it. 'I can read you like a book, and not a very good book. Certainly not Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab. Which actually improves with every read.' Alan Partridge. I have a soft spot for military memoirs, but reading this publishing phenomena 20 years+ after it came out, you really have to wonder what all the fuss was about. There's not a lot of literary merit to be found here.
It's a clunky piece of writing and McNab's inability to reflect on anything in a more this-is-what-happened-next narrative offe 'I can read you like a book, and not a very good book. Certainly not Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab. Which actually improves with every read.' Alan Partridge.
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I have a soft spot for military memoirs, but reading this publishing phenomena 20 years+ after it came out, you really have to wonder what all the fuss was about. There's not a lot of literary merit to be found here. It's a clunky piece of writing and McNab's inability to reflect on anything in a more this-is-what-happened-next narrative offers little insight. It's a compelling narrative and I suppose there is a directness to the writing, but describing killing people and being tortured with the same tone as opening a ration pack gets you ticking off an awful lot of the Hare checklist. It ends up being unintentionally insightful and unattractive look at special forces.
Bravo Two Zero was the call sign of an eight-man British Army SAS patrol, inserted behind enemy lines into Iraq during the First Gulf War in January 1991 as part of the prelude to the Coalition ground invasion of Iraq. This top secret mission was commanded by Sergeant Steven Mitchell and this is the entertaining tale written under Mitchell’s pseudonym Andy McNab. Soon after being dropped the patrol found themselves surrounded by Saddam's army without working radios and with brutally cold weather Bravo Two Zero was the call sign of an eight-man British Army SAS patrol, inserted behind enemy lines into Iraq during the First Gulf War in January 1991 as part of the prelude to the Coalition ground invasion of Iraq. This top secret mission was commanded by Sergeant Steven Mitchell and this is the entertaining tale written under Mitchell’s pseudonym Andy McNab. Soon after being dropped the patrol found themselves surrounded by Saddam's army without working radios and with brutally cold weather. Filled with no-holds-barred detail about excruciating torture, it tells of men tested beyond the limits of human endurance. Of the eight who went out, only five returned and this is the story of this mission, one of the most highly decorated British patrols in over 100 years.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, Bravo-Two-Zero is a book based on the adventures of the SAS patrol lead by Sgt Andy McNab. The Soldiers in the patrol call signed Bravo-Two-Zero(that's where the title comes from,lol) are Sergeant 'Andy McNab' Sergeant Vincent (Vince) David Phillips Corporal 'Chris 'Geordie' Ryan' Lance Corporal11 Ian Robert 'Dinger' Pring Trooper Robert (Bob) Gaspare Consiglio, Trooper Steven John 'Legs' Lane, Trooper Malcolm (Mal) Graham MacGown, Trooper 'Mike 'Kiwi'Coburn' The book is based in Iraq and the UK. Overall Bravo-Two-Zero is a book based on the adventures of the SAS patrol lead by Sgt Andy McNab. The Soldiers in the patrol call signed Bravo-Two-Zero(that's where the title comes from,lol) are Sergeant 'Andy McNab' Sergeant Vincent (Vince) David Phillips Corporal 'Chris 'Geordie' Ryan' Lance Corporal11 Ian Robert 'Dinger' Pring Trooper Robert (Bob) Gaspare Consiglio, Trooper Steven John 'Legs' Lane, Trooper Malcolm (Mal) Graham MacGown, Trooper 'Mike 'Kiwi'Coburn' The book is based in Iraq and the UK. Overall the book is based on how there lives where in hell and beyond. I think this i a great book and would recommend it to anyone that is interested in history, warfare, military defense or just plain old Andy McNab.
I really enjoyed this book. Apparently there's some controversy about it? I haven't heard any of it, but I see it in some of the other reviews. Anywho, the book itself is very good. McNab tells his story very matter-of-factly.
It doesn't sound impossible or even improbable really. A very readable account of Special Forces procedure and a capture and torture. He doesn't dwell too much on the mental state, but you get the feeling that mental state, as long as you're sane, isn't something you worry I really enjoyed this book. Apparently there's some controversy about it?
I haven't heard any of it, but I see it in some of the other reviews. Anywho, the book itself is very good. McNab tells his story very matter-of-factly. It doesn't sound impossible or even improbable really. A very readable account of Special Forces procedure and a capture and torture. He doesn't dwell too much on the mental state, but you get the feeling that mental state, as long as you're sane, isn't something you worry too much about when you're trapped and a prisoner in a foreign country. You just worry about staying alive and not being broken by interrogators, and this book really conveys that, I feel.
Andy McNab vividly captures the minutiae of what it means to be a special forces commando. His simplistic use of dialog and description only serves to heighten the tension. It's not so much as if you're reading a novel about commandos behind enemy lines as if you're actually in on the debriefing of those commandos.
Any fan of military adventures fiction or otherwise should enjoy this book. The insights into how SAS missions are planned are simply amazing and the matter of fact way in which McNab Andy McNab vividly captures the minutiae of what it means to be a special forces commando. His simplistic use of dialog and description only serves to heighten the tension. It's not so much as if you're reading a novel about commandos behind enemy lines as if you're actually in on the debriefing of those commandos.
Any fan of military adventures fiction or otherwise should enjoy this book. The insights into how SAS missions are planned are simply amazing and the matter of fact way in which McNab presents his story makes the reader feel as if they're some bloke he's talking to down at the pub.
Well worth it and don't be surprised if you have trouble putting it down. While an interesting story, Bravo Two Zero gets dragged down under its own weight.
Parts are extremely interesting, but they fall few and far between thanks to long periods of nothing noteworthy. The book could be condensed significantly without missing much of its impact. Also, the book is unnecessarily 'British.' The author goes out of his way to use British slang at nearly every opportunity, and the effect is more confusing than relevant.
It's an 'ok' read, but I wouldn't recommend it given t While an interesting story, Bravo Two Zero gets dragged down under its own weight. Parts are extremely interesting, but they fall few and far between thanks to long periods of nothing noteworthy. The book could be condensed significantly without missing much of its impact. Also, the book is unnecessarily 'British.' The author goes out of his way to use British slang at nearly every opportunity, and the effect is more confusing than relevant. It's an 'ok' read, but I wouldn't recommend it given the glut of other, better books available in the genre.
I found this book to be quite interesting espicially considering it is a non-fiction book, it was quite fast paced and thrilling and it is a true story which makes it even more exciting and thrilling however it makes some of the horrendous scenes even more horrendous and there are indeed various horrendous scenes including horrific torture scenes which are highly graphic detailing extensively the torture that these men are placed through. I highly recommend this book as it is thrilling, interest I found this book to be quite interesting espicially considering it is a non-fiction book, it was quite fast paced and thrilling and it is a true story which makes it even more exciting and thrilling however it makes some of the horrendous scenes even more horrendous and there are indeed various horrendous scenes including horrific torture scenes which are highly graphic detailing extensively the torture that these men are placed through. I highly recommend this book as it is thrilling, interesting, well written and a true story. I personally found this book very interesting.
Andy McNab joined the infantry in 1976 as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was badged as a member of 22 SAS Regiment.
He served in B Squadron 22 SAS for ten years and worked on both covert and overt special operations worldwide, including anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations in the Middle and Far East, South and Central America and Northern Ireland. Trained as a specialist in counter terrorism, prime t Andy McNab joined the infantry in 1976 as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was badged as a member of 22 SAS Regiment. He served in B Squadron 22 SAS for ten years and worked on both covert and overt special operations worldwide, including anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations in the Middle and Far East, South and Central America and Northern Ireland. Trained as a specialist in counter terrorism, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons and tactics, covert surveillance and information gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection, McNab worked on cooperative operations with police forces, prison services, anti-drug forces and western backed guerrilla movements as well as on conventional special operations. In Northern Ireland he spent two years working as an undercover operator with 14th Intelligence Group, going on to become an instructor.
McNab also worked as an instructor on the SAS selection and training team and instructed foreign special forces in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and survival training. Andy McNab has written about his experiences in the SAS in two bestselling books, Bravo Two Zero (1993) and Immediate Action (1995). Bravo Two Zero is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold over 1.7 million copies in the UK. To date it has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages.
The CD spoken word version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60,000 copies and earned a silver disc. The BBC's film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on primetime BBC 1 television in 1999 and released on DVD in 2000. Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the bestseller lists following the lifting on an ex-parte injunction granted to the Ministry of Defence in September 1995.
To date, Immediate Action has now sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK. McNab is the author of seven fast action thrillers, highly acclaimed for their authenticity and all Sunday Times bestsellers. Published in 1997, Remote Control was hailed as the most authentic thriller ever written and has sold over half a million copies in the UK. McNab's subsequent thrillers, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light, Liberation Day, Dark Winter, Deep Black and Aggressor have all gone on to sell equally well. The central character in all the books is Nick Stone, a tough ex-SAS operative working as a 'K' on deniable operations for British Intelligence. McNab's fiction draws extensively on his experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering.
He has been officially registered by Neilsen Bookscan as the bestselling British thriller writer of the last year.
Eerily Disturbing and Necessary Bravo Two Zero By Kristin Battestella Alright I confess, I was initially interested in the 1999 war drama Bravo Two Zero because of its star Sean Bean. This disturbing Gulf War film-based on the book by Andy McNab- however, transcends star power with its grit and scary realism. SAS Sergeant Andy McNab (Bean) must take his team into Iraq to locate the crucial launchers and communication lines of Baghdad. When the mission is disastrously compromised, McNab and his men race to the Syrian border in hopes of rescue and safety. Unfortunately, McNab and two of his men are captured and sent to the bowels of an Iraqi prison. There’s really no way around spoilers this time I suppose. Since he wrote a book based on his experiences, we know McNab survives his ordeal, and if we know he gets captured, then we also know the happy go luckily opening of the film will soon turn grim.
In Bravo Two Zero, however, its not knowing what happens or why it happens, but the arduous getting there is how this film gets you. Knowing the mission will go downhill, knowing the team doesn’t make it to safety, knowing the torture McNab endures-these things are disturbing and so gut wrenching to us because these aren’t things we civilians are supposed to know. War is grand and heroic! Pretty uniforms and lots of medals, right? Bravo Two Zero begs to differ. Well known in print and on screen across the pond, I’m surprised Bravo Two Zero has received so little attention in the US. The supporting cast is in fine fashion, even though I have no idea who most of them are.
This support behind Bean looks the part of the banged up career soldier. None of them start off pretty, and they certainly don’t end up pretty. Likewise, McNab’s captors look and sound authentically Middle East, but their uniforms and dark prison tactics take on a Nazi-esque feeling.
The look and feel of Bravo Two Zero looks authentic enough to me. Experienced viewers or modern veterans might be able to spot errors in tactics or technology, but the guns, desert gear, and drab locations work.
Compared to big budget productions, Bravo Two Zero may seem dirty or small scale, but I imagine things aren’t prim and proper in the trenches. Some Americans might be confused by the dialogue or Bean’s narration as McNab, but the wondrous subtitles solve these quirks. Naturally, this film is not for the faint of heart. While perhaps worthwhile in high school classrooms for viewing and discussion, Bravo Two Zero has extensive torture scenes that should not be viewed by the squeamish, children, or anyone with post traumatic stress disorder. Shedding light on the underground of war is important, yes, but no less easy to stomach.
Of course if you don’t like Sean Bean, you might not like Bravo Two Zero-although any naysayer of the oft villain from Patriot Games and Goldeneye might be pleasantly surprised at the tour de force portrayal given here. He’s popular for his rugged good looks and bad ass personas, but its very easy to root for Bean during this two hours of abuse and dirty shame endured by McNab. It’s astonishing the pain McNab endures-mentally and physically. The things done to him; the things he made to do.
Bean displays the strength and courage that the real life McNab clung to in order to survive. In my viewings, there are times I’m amazed McNab survived all he did. Bean’s by no means a glamorous actor, but I can’t see Orlando Bloom being hosed down in a torture scene. There’s nudity yes and veiled sexual content, but if you’re looking for the sexy loverboy Bean, you won’t find him here. I’m surprised Bean received no accolades or awards for Bravo Two Zero. Indeed die hard fans of the Beanster may find this simulated torture too tough to watch, but his acting chops shine through.
Contrary to my husband’s beliefs, I don’t buy every Sean Bean movie. I do have to be interested in the subject matter, you know. What struck me about Bravo Two Zero was its real life story stemming from the First Gulf War. Not many Gulf War pictures seem to be made.
Three Kings with George Clooney’s side war story of gold? Courage Under Fire’s brief segments of female war action? Black Hawk Down captures the military mistakes of the time with clarity not seen since Platoon, but it’s about the US’s ill fated plans in Somalia, not Iraq. Bravo Two Zero is unique in that it gives us a realistic portrayal of the first Gulf War and it gives it to us with some SAS flair. Sometimes us Americas forget that our allies don’t exactly have it easy when they join us.
Bravo Two Zero is on the one hand very nineties. The music, the style, the clothes; and very British as well, in slang and feel.
Viewing director Tom Clegg’s ( Sharpe) vision today is, however, eerie and all too familiar at the same time. If Saddam Hussein was not referred to in the present tense during the film’s news footage, the audience could swear this is a tale from our contemporary action in the Gulf. It’s a little frightening to realize these things happened then, they are most likely still happening now, and since these last two wars have not shown us the error of our ways, it will probably happen again. Despite its ruthlessness, Sean Bean fans will no doubt tune in to Bravo Two Zero.
Action and war movies fans should also take a gander. There’s plenty of background material and debate on McNab to follow up with as well. It certainly isn’t pretty but Bravo Two Zero tells an important tale of grit and modern warfare. Pick up this necessary and affordable today. Thanks for stopping by the virtual Reviews Archive Home of Author Kristin Battestella!
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