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Summary: A Special Operations soldier sounds off...
Review: I just read the review by "A reader from New York", dated November 30, 2000. This person needs to check his facts. I have been in the military over eight years, the whole time in Special Operations. It is indeed a fact that there were American Special Operations soldiers on identical missions to Sergeant McNab's (not his real name by the way). The Americans endured similar hardships, were not compromised, and accomplished their missions. I do not know where "A reader from New York" gained all his extensive insight into U.S. Special Operations, but I suspect none of it was from first hand knowledge. Regarding the book, I really enjoyed it, I highly recommend it!
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Summary: Good to know
Review: I heard about this book by accident, but i was very glad it happend. As a regular Officeguy, you know very little what's going on in the world. And i'm glad that peoples like McNab or Chris Ryan wrote down what happend. And it shows to my, what the will of a human being can to. Thank you very much Andy McNab.
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Summary: Harrowing, traumatic but incredible.
Review: Bravo Two Zero, in my opinion is perhaps one of the 20th Century's most definitive accounts of war. In his book which spans undauntingly over 400 pages, Andy McNab takes the reader back to January 1991 - The Gulf War. McNab's eight-man patrol is extracted into Western Iraq deep behind enemy lines to execute a covert operation to destroy Iraq's fiber optic communication system, only to be compromised before it beings - this is the story of one man's survival in the most exceptionally traumatic circumstances. Adhering totally to Murphyistic Philosophy i.e. anything that can go wrong will go wrong, the elite soldiers find themselves in a dire situation. Carrying over 200lbs of kit in adverse weather conditions, the victims of deplorable intelligence, and a useless radio frequency means the planned operation is over before it has begun. In ideal circumstances there would have just been a helicopter extraction but it was only when morning arrived that McNab and his men realise they are sitting right on top of an Iraqi anti-aircraft site. McNab examines the morality of war when he describes the discussion between the squad undecided about killing a young shephard herder who, upon stumbling across their wadi, raises the alarm. After a game of hide and seek with the "jundis" played across Iraq's dry and desolate desert landscape involving fierce, unabating firefights which result in the death of three S.A.S troops, and over 200 Iraqis, McNab finally finds himself cornered just as he is to reach freedom via the Syrian border. McNab recounts in great detail his tireless torture at the hands of his viscious Iraqi tormentors, memories which no doubt will linger with him for the rest of his life. McNab also illustrates the irrefutable cameradarie that is experienced not only with his buddy Dinger who he shares a cell with, but also with an Iraqi officer who, despite the cruelty of his collegues, shows genuine kindness and respect for the two Britons. The book is littered with humour which in most cases is black but nevertheless funny. It is this fine blend of comedy and tragedy which makes this a book which can't be put down. Perhaps "enjoyable" is the wrong word for a book which is so focused on death and loss. A tale which chronicles extraordinary human courage in the face of extreme adversity and inspirational in the sense that McNab pulls through something so incomprehensible that every day mishaps seem minor and totally insignificant in comparison, it is not to be missed. Having read this book twice, and watched the film more times than I care to remember, I can thoroughly recommend it. McNab is first and foremost a soldier and this is evident from his literary style, but he's not to be under-estimated. He may not possess the flair, and vocabulary of other authors and his use of expletives may appear overbearing but this is real life. Like it or not, McNab tells it how it is and if you are open-minded enough to give this book a go McNab will happily transport you back to this bleak chapter in recent world memoirs. A friend and I also found this a great way to while away the hours on-board laborious 5 hour + long Greek ferry journeys...
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Summary: Baghdad or bust!!
Review: I found this to be a compelling book. I was never bored while reading this book. This book chronicles the patrol of an SAS unit behind the lines in Iraq during the Persian Gulf war. Their mission was to locate and knock out the SCUDS as well as destroy communication lines. The patrol lead by Andy McNab had problems from the start and four members were captured by the Iraqis.Half the book deals with the patrol before the capture, and half with life as a prisoner of war. The entire book is a fascinating account and worth the read. The SAS is a secretive organization and this book is a look inside. Some of the story seems larger than life, but I guess the SAS is larger than life.
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Summary: A story about the SAS in the gulf war...Too bad its fake.
Review: Yes your heard me. I havn't read this book, but I *have* read "Eye of the Storm" by Peter Ratcliffe. Peter says that in this book, alot of the stuff is made up. For example, according to McNab if the dogs approached the patrol, he and his men would use their "fighting knives" to kill the creature. As Ratcliffe writes, he says that no man in his right mind would attack the dogs anywhere in the middle east because they are probably rabid, and the chances of anyone killing a dog with a knife is very slight indeed. That and the fact the only knives the SAS carry on them are "clasp knives" which is apparantly the same as a swiss army knife. You can read it, but don't take it seriously.
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Summary: Bravo Two Zero
Review: It's a great story. The writer is good considering his poor upbringing in England. If you ever wondered about what it's like to be in an elite unit, McNab explains it well as he does British Army life. Also it covers the English involvment in the Gulf War.
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Summary: =Do not pass this book up!
Review: A story of true courage of the special ops the SAS of Britain.A very exciting book .If you only read one book on warfare this year you owe it to yourself to read this book.I have lent mine out so many times and my friends were just so thankful that they got the chance to read it.Andy McNab is a great writer and best of all it is all true.I also reccomend "Blackhawk Down" as a five star read.
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Summary: Can't put it down
Review: Here's all I can add about this book: a) You get a first-hand account of what it's like to be on one of these Special Forces teams in actual combat. I know a bit about SEALS, etc., but here you get an insider look as we ride along on the actual mission. Fascinating. b) How they get "discovered" in Iraq you're not gonna believe. Right out of a movie. c) What they had to endure on the run is unimaginable, even with this account. I had no idea the weather in Iraq was so extreme. In the end, arguably, that's what did them in. d) The torture some of the endured is almost unimaginable as well. It makes the scene in "Three Kings" look like child's play. e) All that said, McNab is pretty damn funny. This book is worth it for the loads of British slang alone--I have now added, LOL, "giving them the good news" to my permanent vocabulary. Couldn't put this book down.
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Summary: Can do no wrong...
Review: Interesting look at Special Operations during the Gulf War gone bad as well as Prisoner of War experiences. It's a very fast and easy read but once you're finished it leaves the reader feeling as if the author can do no wrong. Entertaining none the less and hard to put down once you begin. RECOMMENDED.
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Summary: Tells it like it was
Review: Bravo Two Zero tells the secret story of what went on during the Gulf War - never mind the all-American hero bit. Sorry, guys, I know you were there doing your high-tech thing, and I acknowledge that you played a VERY major part in the rapid sucess of the skirmish, but a lot of what went on - intelligence reporting and deep penetration hits - was undertaken by a few very brave men of the British SAS. On the night of 22nd January 1991, at a remote airfield in Saudi Arabia, under cover of darkness and in conditions of the utmost secrecy, eight members of the SAS regiment boarded a helicopter that was to infiltrate them deep behind enemy lines. Their call-sign was "Bravo Two-Zero", and their mission, under the command of Sergeant Andy McNab, was to sever the underground communication link between Baghdad and north-west Iraq, and to seek and destroy mobile Scud launchers before Israel was provoked into entering the war. Unfortunately they were discovered and had to try to fight their way out - eight men versus large chunks of the Iraq army. The gun fights in which, despite being massively outnumbered, they still wreaked havoc - the distances they had to walk causing their feet almost to fall of - the hypothermia - the hunger and thirst they suffered - can only be summarized by the word IMPRESSIVE. And then, worst of all, the extensive torturing some had to go through when they were caught. At the same time, they remained humane, not killing one single Iraqi civilian, even when that might have significantly improved their chances of survival A few people have read the book and think it's a bit far-fetched (some even think it's a work of fiction), but they don't realise that during the Gulf War, patrols like that did go out and if you were found by the enemy, you were tortured until you gave the answers they wanted. The fact that, against the odds, some of McNab's patrol survived, and mostly with morale intact, shows what the human spirit is capable of and how much punishment the body can take without the mind giving up. A lot of authors can talk the talk but only McNab can walk the walk. Having read the book, I have nothing but respect for a man who has gone through hell and come out the side to tell the tale. And a nice ending to the tale is that Andy McNab is now making a living as a successful writer. Check out his other books too. (Immediate Action, The One that got Away, and Remote Control)
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