Firewall

Rating:
Summary: Pretty interesting story. Fascinating writing
Review: Andy Mcnab is the best writer I came across!
Here's what I don't like about this book though: It seems like somewhere along the lines he forgot that he's supposed to be playing the good guy, but some how ends up being worse than the rest of them. Oh, and he too suffers from the latest idiotic frenzy, to end the book somewhere in the middle of no where.
I still had to give him 4 starts for I immensely enjoy the witty way he writes. I enjoyed his other books, mainly Bravo Two Zero and Remote Control

Rating:
Summary: Andy, where have you been all my life?!
Review: Grisham. Follett. Forsythe. Been there, read it, had the t-shirt ripped. But let me tell you, this new kid on the block, McNab - he's something else. And he's not even a new kid on the block, I found out - he wrote two other novels already, which I've now gotta go buy. Believe me, this stuff is so thrilling you won't get to sleep. You really feel like you're there, like you ARE Nick Stone (McNab's hero). It can't be long before Hollywood are sniffing at the heels of this great writer.

Rating:
Summary: too many descriptions of snot, piss and vomit
Review: I have enjoyed the other Andy McNab books very much and was looking forward to reading this one. I read about two thirds of the book and had to put it down. His descriptions of the snot, piss, vomit and other types of filth was just unending. I wanted about 1/10 of that and much more story. I know our world isn't perfect but I don't need to wallow in the filth.

Rating:
Summary: His best novel yet
Review: I heard of this book on the TV, being a fan of McNabs previous novels I eagerly awaited it. This week I got hold of it and never before has any single book deprived me of such sleep. I could not put this down and in some way I'm glad the ordeal is over before I lose my job from being too tired!

This is a very gripping tale, very well set. Clearly McNabs 'regiment' (SAS) background gives much credibility to the storyline, but it hasn't stopped here and I can respect the lengths McNab must have gone to in his background research.

McNabs writing and storytelling is awesome. There is no point in being pretentious about this, it doesn't need it.

One thing I have to say...if you read McNabs Immediate Action (autobiography) he makes reference to not doing very well at school. It's clear Nick Stone, the character in Firewall IS McNab (or a McNab clone type) as similar references are made. I don't think McNab needs to concern himself about his success at school though. This guy has done more in life than most, as an SAS hero and as one of the best modern novelists around.

I hope the people in hollywood have picked up on McNab.

Rating:
Summary: If James Bond were a masochist...
Review: If James Bond were a masochist his name would be Nick Stone.

Nick Stone lives in an old dump of a house with a hole in the roof. He eats junk food and sleeps in seedy hotels and drives around in an old wreck of a car. He acts subservient to idiots and endures his boss who puts him on ice and insults him. He gets involved in one "mission impossible" after another, all of which end in fiasco. He gets beaten up repeatedly and eats aspirin like candy to keep the pain down. He trudges for hours through snowstorms and freezing weather and almost dies of exposure.

In other words, Nick Stone isn't just an anti-hero; he comes across as a total loser. And whenever he's given the choice he always chooses to do things the hardest way possible and suffer the consequences.

So why read a book starring Nick Stone? Because Nick Stone, despite everything I've just said about him, is the ultimate survivor. When the going gets tough (and this happens regularly) Nick Stone comes out of the confrontation alive and the bad guys are either dead or incapacitated.

Furthermore, you have the feeling that it's all real. Andy McNab was in the British SAS, and when he writes about Nick Stone you feel that everything is completely authentic. Everything that happens is described in detail and with a down-to-earth grittiness. The weapons and the explosives and the fights and the agent tradecraft are being written about by a man who really has the experience necessary to write about these things with authority.

Another plus factor is that Nick Stone, who tells the story in the first person, is not just taciturn, stoic and self-effacing; he's also sarcastic and good at poking fun at the world around him. It's a kind of black humor, but it suits the tone of the story and makes the book more enjoyable.

For non-British readers I feel the need to point out that this book is written in British English with a lot of British slang. This is something that I find appealing but that can result in difficulties occasionally. For example, "Winning the fight isn't important, it's having the bottle to get stuck in that is." (page 281) I had to query a message board frequented by British people to get a translation to ordinary English, which is roughly, "It's more important to have the right attitude, the toughness, when going into a fight than whether or not you win the fight."

This is the first Andy McNab novel that I've read, and I'll conclude this review by admitting that I have ambivalent feelings about the book. I love the authenticity of the story telling and the belief in himself that Nick Stone shows no matter what happens. But why the heck does a man with his abilities and talents always have to choose to do things the hard way and end up living like a bum and getting involved in jobs that always go terribly wrong?

Rennie Petersen

Rating:
Summary: A little realism for a change
Review: McNab writes with a directness that is both realistic and sarcastic. I found myself aching as Stone was mugged and shivering as he slogged through the snow.

One of the best things about McNab's stories is how he weaves in intricate descriptions of field techniques - preventing hypothermia, making a compass, forming explosive charges. I read this stuff to learn about what its like out there and he delivers.

Finally, I'm appreciative that he keeps to what he knows about and stays away from the "cyber" stuff...descriptions of computer/software/Internet topics are getting really ... Dont shy away from this cause you think (as the title suggests) that Firewall will be another one, its not.

If you like fieldcraft in a direct and sometimes sarcastic style, this is for you.

Rating:
Summary: The best one so far!
Review: The best one of the Nick Stone series I've read so far.
The author has enough first hand expirience to use for his books and the story is just great with this nice twist toward the end.
Very recognizeble when you read any of the other books writen by ex SAS members and still entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: My favourite so far
Review: The third work of fiction written by Andy McNab since his explosive true life debut "Bravo Two Zero". Firewall continues his tradition of setting the scene slowly, detailing all the preparation of the ex SAS "K".

This time Nick Stone is employed privately by a Russian Mafia boss on an exercise into the bleak cold of Finland and Estonia. Reading about being mugged and freezing in the snow of Estonia will make your own winter experience not seem quite so bad.

McNab never talks himself up to be any kind of hero, rather he's always preparing thoroughly to avoid the ever present possibility of something going wrong, as it often does in unexpected ways. This is another excellent first hand account of what it's like to be an ex SAS hired mercenary. All the events are totally believable and covered in great detail. There's plenty of pain, regrets, suspense, action and surprise as you would expect from someone who really has been there.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This book was great. Exciting all the way to the end. I stayed up way to late every night trying to finish this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read fiction books about special forces or covert operations.

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Nick Stone tale...
Review: This is the third of what is a great series of books written by Andy McNab. Each of the books so far has proved to be a fascinating insight into how these guys operate. Although the book is fiction, Nick Stone's actions are based on what a real SAS soldier would have been trained to do.

In this book, Nick Stone's life isn't going all that great, His adopted daughter Kelly needs full time medical care and that doesn't come cheap. Nick Stone is forced to take a lucrative freelance job that would pay for Kelly to get the treatment she needs. As always the plot constantly keeps you guessing and maintains your interest right through to the end.

As far as the series goes this book gets 4 stars, my favourite is the first book, remote control, but this book is fantastic none the less.