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Bravo Two Zero (2005)

Bravo Two Zero (2005)

Book Info

Author
Rating
4.02 of 5 Votes: 1
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ISBN
0552153575 (ISBN13: 9780552153577)
Language
English
Publisher
corgi

About book Bravo Two Zero (2005)

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.

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

Do You like book Bravo Two Zero (2005)?

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 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.
—Fabio Laporta

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.
—Matt

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).
—Trung

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