Rating: 
Summary: Oh dear, Oh dear!
Review: A truly remarkable book and account of an SAS op that had the hand of fate and the weather against it. This is an exciting and gruelling account which highlights the bravery and spirit of the British SAS, and the lack of regard for the Geneva Convention shown by the Iraqi's they fought against.
It never ceases to amaze me at the number of American complaints about the language used within this book. Oh dear!
A British writer, writing about a highly specialised British unit, on a British mission, actually dares to use British slang!
What is the world coming to?
Maybe we should all just roll over and become as insular as the US? Drop our U's and tailor our own language accordingly?
Or perhaps not!
Read this book - disregard the vernacular. Admire the sheer guts and spirit of these brave men.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't be misled...
Review: Andy McNab has become a bestselling fiction author in the UK. But his first book, Bravo Two Zero, was supposed to be the nonfiction true story of the ill fated mission behind Iraqi lines that he commanded during the Gulf War. But the truth is that McNab was writing fiction from the very beginning! It has been proven that McNab exaggerated and blatantly lied about what happened during the mission. Those looking for a true account of a Special Forces mission should look elsewhere. All McNab does is tell fairytales to turn himself into a pop culture war hero. So many credible sources (including other surviving members of the BTZ patrol) have given reliable testimony that McNab's version of events was false that I find it hard to believe that he has not become a laughing stock to the general public (supposedly he is now regarded with "contempt and ridicule" within the SAS itself).
Basically, McNab took a real event that he was involved in and turned it into a pop culture Rambo fantasy of what an SAS mission is like. His lies and misrepresentations are so numerous that its embarassing. The squad's mission was NOT to hunt down and attack mobile SCUD launchers and destroy an all-important fibre optic communications line. Their mission was to man an observation post and report any significant activity on an Iraqi Main Supply Route. As for the SCUDs, they were to report any sightings of the mobile launchers so that those targets could be marked for airstrikes (not to attack the launchers themselves). This stuff may not sound as action-esque and sexy as the mission McNab describes, but it makes a lot more sense, and it is the way a small spec ops patrol alone behind enemy lines would really operate.
The patrol did NOT charge into an entire platoon of Iraqis, driving off or killing all of them and blowing up their Armored Personnel Carriers. When they were discovered by enemy forces, they actually did the smart thing and immediately broke contact and ran away into the desert, going into "escape and evasion" mode. Although they did return some fire to cover their retreat, they certainly did not kill any significant number of enemy troops let alone blow up any APCs.
Later, after the remaining members of McNab's group hijacked a taxicab in order to drive across the border to Syria, they did not assault a vehicle checkpoint and lay massive damage on the enemy troops garrisoned there. Again, they actually did the smart thing by getting out of the car before reaching the checkpoint and attempting to bypass the checkpoint covertly on foot. At this point their sole objective was to reach Syria and escape to safety. They were certainly not about to start any unnecessary fights to get themselves killed. McNab claims in his book that according to intel reports, the squad inflicted 250 casualties on the enemy throughout their ordeal. This is complete nonsense, as according to the official statements given to the SAS command during debriefing, there were no more than several confirmed kills mentioned. McNab has never bothered to produce the alleged "intelligence report" to confirm the statements in his book. Fellow surviving members of the mission have even testified in court that McNab lied about some of the more extreme instances of torture he described in his book. According to one of the men who was with him in captivity, instances in mcNab's book where he describes getting his tooth pulled out with pliers and having a burning hot spoon placed on his tongue never happened.
If you are looking for a more credible firsthand account of what happened during the mission, pick up "Soldier Five" by Mike Coburn. Coburn was with McNab during the mission and he gives an honest and rational view on what happened. His version does not support McNab's. He does not sensationalize the mission, nor does he glorify himself or his teammates. He surely doesn't even imply that the patrol had any significant number of confirmed kills, let alone 250. He himself never mentions personally witnessing or inflicting any confirmed kills at all. I'm sure that the team must have inflicted some degree of casualties but there is no way to be certain of the amount, and the fact remains that the actual number of confirmed kills were few. When compared with the reliable facts surrounding the mission, Coburn's account holds up but McNab's falls apart.
What the Bravo Two Zero business shows is that although Special forces soldiers have a very admirable and elite profession, they are not superhuman Rambos capable of taking out armies by themselves. They are only human. And just like in any group of humans, you will find dirtbags and opportunists among them. Andy McNab is one such opportunist. With his shamelessness, he has deceived the public and distorted the true nature of Special operations and modern warfare. He wanted fame and fortune. In order to get it he gave the public just the type of fantastic hero story they wanted to believe, rather than giving them a true insight into his real experiences that they could learn from. He and those like him are a disgrace to their proud profession. Don't buy his books, and don't let yourself be misled.
Rating: 
Summary: Good FICTION !
Review: Who do you believe? The author who actually was there and experienced all what occured, or a man who knows nothing about it, but got his information second hand? I know who I believe. Do you really think that this mission would go down in 'regimental history' and part of 'SAS legend' if it was all embelished. I think not. Let's not forget that all of McNab's books are screened by the Ministry Of Defence due to the content of his books. Do you think that they would allow him to include information in a true story that was untrue?The book is a gripping and breathtaking 'true' story of super human strength and endurance! Read it! I would also recommend reading Immediate Action for a greater insight into the Author. After doing so you might realise that he doesn't seem like a man who would stretch the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Decent
Review: The book is "okay". Many have pointed out some probable embellishments. I will read the "Real Bravo Two Zero" once I can get my hands on it, so I'll save those opionions for then. In any case, the book has its moments. It does a little bit of every thing, unfortunately it doesn't do them well enough to make an impression. The brief fire fights are handled hastily but his captivity is handled very well. I primarily read this book to get a non-American view point as I've read many US war books. So, in that sense, I feel like the author accomplished something. The writing is above average, it's just that the story seemed to lack substance. (I know easy to say, I wasn't there getting shot at and freezing my a$$ off) It's worth a read, but in all honestly "Black Hawk Down" is the way to go if you have to ration your reading time. I don't mean to say that BHD is a better book (It is, in any case) but it is definitely a better story and more importantly the story is captured magnificently by the author. It almost bothers me to have to recommend this book over Bravo Two Zero because for those who have not read BHD, you probably think it's some Hollywood flamed movie. In all honesty, it is one of the best books I've ever read. A second recommendation if you're looking for a "Ranger-ish" special forces type book, "Ghost Soldiers" is a must read. To those who gave Bravo Two Zero 5 stars and raved about the action, I'm just curios to know what you would give BHD? 30 stars???????
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