Bravo Two Zero: the classic true story from an SAS hero
£0.90
Sergeant Andy McNab recounts the story of the top secret mission that would reveal the secrets of the SAS to the world for the first time.
Their location: Iraq
Their mission: to sever a vital enemy underground communication link, to find and destroy mobile Scud launchers
Their call sign: Bravo Two Zero
When eight members of the elite SAS regiment embark on a highly covert operation, they are each laden with 15 stones of equipment, needing to tab 20km across the desert to reach their objective. But within days, their location is compromised. They engage in a fierce battle. They escape on foot to the Syrian border. Three men die. One escapes.
But four men are captured. For them, the worst is yet to come. Delivered to Baghdad, they are tortured with a savagery for which not even their intensive SAS training has prepared them…
This is a story of superhuman courage, strength, endurance and dark humour in the face of overwhelming odds. It shows just how much it takes to be a member of the SAS.
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‘The best account yet of the SAS in action.’ Sunday Times
‘A gripping account of special forces at work…a tremendous adventure story.’ Daily Telegraph
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Additional information
| Publisher | Special edition (23 May 2013), Transworld Digital |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 8434 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 468 pages |
by Anita Herbert
Having not picked up a book for 28 years, I was in my local pub, and they had a small bookshelf with many different books of all genres inside it.
The barman told me they were making room for new ones, and would I like to choose a few.
I thought well, why not, if I don’t read them I’ve made room for some more, if I read them then I’ve started reading again!!!
So, the 3 books I chose were 2 Andy McNab books, and one other, a similar genre book.
The first two I read were Nick Stone books.
Thrilling, absorbing and totally addictive.
Having read them both within a week I was hooked not only on the Genre, but on Andy Mcnabs portrayal of life, and how things happened.
Then, last week, I bought Bravo Two Zero!!!!
Well, in fact I bought it on my wife’s account, thanks my love.
And to say I was hooked was an understatement.
I lived and breathed every twist, every turn, every punch, every kick, the highs, the feeling of being out of sight, running for your life, the freezing cold, the feeling of losing control, gaining control, not knowing where Andy’s colleagues were, I felt like I was there, as the 9th member, willing them on.
I could go on and on, and keep gushing about how incredibly awe inspiring this man is, but his books do that for me.
To end this i will say thank you Andy McNab, for doing what you did, for queen and country, keeping us all safe, and above all, for telling us all about it in such detail.
Not only have you started me reading again after so many years, you’ve opened my eyes (And after I’ve told my family over and over about this chapter, that chapter) to just now lucky we are to have you hidden heroes amongst us!
God bless you, and God bless those dear friends you lost, to make us all feel safe!!!!!
by Tim McSweeney
B2Z enabled me to appreciate the full extent of the dedication, professionalism and bravery shown by SAS and wider military personnel in conflict zones around the world. Andy did a great job in documenting what happened to him and the members of the B2Z patrol. He deserves massive credit, praise and admiration for doing so. Thank you Andy. Well done ????
by R. Brown
So…. I first read this book in 1998/1999 as an impressionable teenager who one day wanted to join the military. I did join the military and 20 or so years later with all this Covid lock down malarkey, thought I would pick it up again to read. I did read it, then The One That Got Away followed by Soldier Five. The Real Bravo Two Zero will be next….
I have to say, after reading Mike Coburn’s book, it pains me to say that McNab has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes, and also Chris Ryan to a certain extent. Sure the main meat of it is true, but there was no need to be generous with the truth when it came to contacts with the enemy, vilifying Vince Philips and the taxi hijack. I am starting to think McNab never really did have to eat his own faeces or drink pond water. Perhaps it was he who sold the patrol out early during capture, revealing their names and that they were all SAS. The pages of torture merely act as a smoke screen….. I will still give the book three stars. I can now see why there is so much animosity between McNab and the SAS……
by Amazon Customer
The greatest story, fact or fiction, I have ever read, this book details a SAS patrol of 8 men, during numerous excersions, finally culminating in a trip to Iraq during the Gulf War to disable a vital supply route to the Iraqi army.
This book does a remarkable job of building up your feelings towards the individual team members, and since it was actually written by one of the survivors, Andy McNab (an assumed name), his true feelings of friendship toward the other men comes across strongly, leading to a even more heightened sense of reality for us, the readers, which immerses us even more into the story.
Writing this review is difficult, since I am trying to give a sense of how gripping the storyline and report of events as they unfolded are, without trying to give it away. It’s probably safe to say that the relatively simple task of disabling the supply route goes wrong, and the 8-strong patrol are stranded in a desert in Iraq with limited ammo, and with no means of secure communication.
The story tells of extraordinary bravery and resilience, as well as tragedy for several members, leading up to an extremely hard hitting sequence of events at the end.
Awe-inspiring to say the least, this book should be read by everyone, although the army language (after all, this is being written by a SAS veteran) and depictions of violence won’t be to certain people’s tastes. Behind all of that, there is a gripping, real story of human survival beyond all the odds, or true friendship, and of amazing professionalism and loyalty.
You cannot read this book without getting a deep sense of respect for McNab. This book inspired me to buy other books written by him, and all are excellent stories, although this one still stands out as the best, simply because it actually happened. That simple fact struck a very strong cord with me.
Several subsequent books have been written, especially by co-SAS member Chris Ryan (who was a member of this Bravo Two Zero patrol), and Michael Asher, which challenge McNab’s reporting of events, and both people have released their own version of events, but, to be honest, there isn’t a huge difference between any of them. Do not be put off this book by the other books around criticising or challenging it. In my opinion, McNab’s book is the best book written about this famous patrol, and stands out as the most gripping of the lot.
Buy this book. I now see it as my responsibility to ensure everyone reads this, and everyone learns of the sacrifices and courage these people demonstrated, for, in the end, the security of the British nation.