Rating: 
Summary: Why can't I give four-and-a-half stars?
Review: Immediate Action is the follow up to Andy McNab's incredible Bravo Two Zero, the story of a British SAS patrol in Iraq during the Gulf Conflict. The British Government did their damndest to block the publication of Bravo Two Zero. They tried even harder to block Immediate Action. In this book, Andy McNab recounts many of the 'secrets' of the training and operation of the SAS. Not that he places any lives at risk by doing so, he is careful to only release information that could not cause damage to current members of the regiment.Immediate Action starts with young McNab's desire to join the elite force. It details the boot camps, the beatings, the life or death training. Then it moves on through several operations in which McNab was involved, including a raid on a jungle drugs operation in Belize (where the SAS helps to 'train' local forces). As the book ends, Andy McNab is the most decorated serving soldier in Britain - and still something of a rebel. Maybe that's what interested me - the mentality of the men of the SAS. McNab was no exception. The black humour (as in his torture in Iraq when, after a particularly vicious beating, he observes to his friend, 'Ah well, at least they can't make me pregnant!') It's spirit like McNab's that has made the SAS the world's number one elite fighting force. The motto - 'Who dares wins' says it all. My only reason for a deduction of half a star is because, in places, Immediate Action seems disjointed. It would have benefited from a few link paragraphs here and there. Otherwise, an exception book from an exceptional man.
Rating:
Summary: Not "Bravo Two Zero," but a good read nonetheless.
Review: In "Immediate Action," Andy McNab details his life prior to the events of his best-selling "Bravo Two Zero." McNab started as a punk in London, then became a boy soldier, and eventually an infantryman in the Royal Green Jackets. But life in the Green Jackets was too dull for him, so he tried out for "Selection," the rigorous screening process for Britain's elite Special Air Service Regiment. He failed. But that just gave him the drive to get tougher and pass. He gets "badged" as a member of the SAS after his second try at Selection. This book details McNab's journeys with the SAS throughout the world: from the jungles of Malaysia and Colombia to the back alleys of Northern Ireland to the savannas of Botswana. If you're looking for "Bravo Two Zero"-style constant pulse-pounding tension, you're going to be disappointed. That said, this book is also highly readable. It's a great look inside arguably the world most elite military unit. The little gems of "B-2-0," like the interplay between the soldiers and the little absurdities of life in the army, are here as well. But military professionals, and those interested in military tactics, are the people who would enjoy this book the most. "B-2-0" could be read by anyone who likes a thriller, but "Immediate Action" is slower in places. I found it very enjoyable, but it's a bunch of little stories strung together, rather than one single operation, like "B-2-0." If you'd like to know what life is like for the men inside the Regiment, then this book will fit the bill to a T.
Rating:
Summary: Good Life Stories
Review: My first encounter with Mr. McNab was with "Bravo Two Zero" about being imprisoned by Iraq during the Gulf War. This is a great follow up book that looks into his entire life from childhood through his service with the SAS. The book as a whole is very entertaining because of the tone Mr. McNab takes (dry British humor). He talks in great length about 'selection' in the SAS and his battles with the IRA and also how he ended up on the path to a military career. Mr. McNab has great life experiences and he does not dissappoint in delivering them to the reader in this book. This is a must-read for those interested in reading about the personalities and individual experiences of those in elite fighting forces.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Very entertaining. I could not let it go. Reads very powerfully and realistic. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Well written, but lacks political context
Review: While an excellent introduction to the SAS and the life of a professional soldier, I found it somewhat annoying that McNab totally ignores the political context of his tours in Northern Ireland: it's as simple as "us vs. them". But perhaps that is a major point of the book: when you're a soldier, you're given orders from above, and you do the best you can to meet your mission objectives and get home safely. What I really liked about this book was how McNab contrasted his failing family life and marriages with his need to be totally dedicated to the SAS. Being in a family with military ties, I totally related. Save for the lack of political context, "Immediate Action" was a great read. I'm currently reading "Bravo Two Zero" (there's a BBC movie starring Sean Bean of this out by the way) and look forward to "Remote Control".
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