kchisholm's review against another edition
3.0
BRAVO TWO ZERO is the identifying sign given to an eight-man British Special Air Service patrol that was sent into Iraq to find and destroy a major land-line telecommunications link and Iraqi Scud missile launchers during the Gulf War.
Andy McNab is the leader of the ill-fated, and some would say doomed from the start patrol, which is landed right into the middle of a major Iraqi troop staging area, on foot, backed up with radio frequencies that wouldn't work and up against it from the start. When they are seen by a local child who reports them to the Iraqi army then their attempts to escape are mostly unsuccessful. They did manage to reach a designated emergency pickup point, but rescue aircraft never arrive. They then attempt to follow a 300km long escape route to Syria but after getting separated, and suffering from hypothermia and severe weather (including snow), four members of the team are captured, three die and only one makes it into Syria. The captured team members are then repeatedly tortured and interrogated by Iraqi authorities until being repatriated out of Iraq in a series of prisoner exchanges.
The Regiment (as the SAS is known) is made up of a certain style of soldier - they are tough, rough and trained to expect anything and handle everything. They call a spade a shovel and take their roles as soldiers very very seriously. Andy McNab has a certain style in his writing of BRAVO TWO ZERO that is very no-holds barred, to the point and graphic. Much like, one would expect, they would talk amongst themselves.
This is a true war story - there's no room for moral consideration of who or what is right in any of this - it's very brutal on all sides. The SAS team are tortured mercilessly and the descriptions of that are extremely graphic - but on the other side, killing people is something that they regard quite matter of factly as part of their own plans.
Definitely a book for those who like their war stories unspun.
Andy McNab is the leader of the ill-fated, and some would say doomed from the start patrol, which is landed right into the middle of a major Iraqi troop staging area, on foot, backed up with radio frequencies that wouldn't work and up against it from the start. When they are seen by a local child who reports them to the Iraqi army then their attempts to escape are mostly unsuccessful. They did manage to reach a designated emergency pickup point, but rescue aircraft never arrive. They then attempt to follow a 300km long escape route to Syria but after getting separated, and suffering from hypothermia and severe weather (including snow), four members of the team are captured, three die and only one makes it into Syria. The captured team members are then repeatedly tortured and interrogated by Iraqi authorities until being repatriated out of Iraq in a series of prisoner exchanges.
The Regiment (as the SAS is known) is made up of a certain style of soldier - they are tough, rough and trained to expect anything and handle everything. They call a spade a shovel and take their roles as soldiers very very seriously. Andy McNab has a certain style in his writing of BRAVO TWO ZERO that is very no-holds barred, to the point and graphic. Much like, one would expect, they would talk amongst themselves.
This is a true war story - there's no room for moral consideration of who or what is right in any of this - it's very brutal on all sides. The SAS team are tortured mercilessly and the descriptions of that are extremely graphic - but on the other side, killing people is something that they regard quite matter of factly as part of their own plans.
Definitely a book for those who like their war stories unspun.
bethlwalker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
bfreeman0's review against another edition
4.0
Bravo Two Zero is a non fiction title about the events that happened in Iraq during an infiltration by the SAS squad Brave Two Zero. Their aim was to disrupt communication and also disable various SCUD launchers in the area. Within a few hours they are compromised and have to fight for survival.
The author Andy McNab is the sergeant of the squad and they are his responsibility. He tells the story from his point of view, but also shifts the viewpoint when he meets up with other members of the squad.
You can tell the author is from a military background as he doesn't waffle on about the scenery too much, he just tells you what he needs to know to make a good review of the situation. He goes into good detail about the important things such as the planning process, the operation procedure, weapons and also the pain from the torture. This is my type of book telling none of that added fat that does nothing for the story.
This version of the book comes with photographs of weapons, vehicles and some of the members of the team who passed away. It also includes sketches of the various areas that the author was put into and also includes maps of Iraq and a detailed map of where they were located which adds interest to the book.
This is my 5th Andy McNab book and I loved it, I can't wait to get hold of the sequel and will be reading through that very soon...
...and McNab welcome to being my favourite author.
The author Andy McNab is the sergeant of the squad and they are his responsibility. He tells the story from his point of view, but also shifts the viewpoint when he meets up with other members of the squad.
You can tell the author is from a military background as he doesn't waffle on about the scenery too much, he just tells you what he needs to know to make a good review of the situation. He goes into good detail about the important things such as the planning process, the operation procedure, weapons and also the pain from the torture. This is my type of book telling none of that added fat that does nothing for the story.
This version of the book comes with photographs of weapons, vehicles and some of the members of the team who passed away. It also includes sketches of the various areas that the author was put into and also includes maps of Iraq and a detailed map of where they were located which adds interest to the book.
This is my 5th Andy McNab book and I loved it, I can't wait to get hold of the sequel and will be reading through that very soon...
...and McNab welcome to being my favourite author.
barberbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been on my shelf for about 15 years and I finally got around to reading it, I’m glad I did.
Well written and thought provoking, highlighting the risks (and misfortunes) our military go through.
Probably about 50 pages longer than it needed to be and slightly repetitive hence only the 4* rating.
But a great book.
Well written and thought provoking, highlighting the risks (and misfortunes) our military go through.
Probably about 50 pages longer than it needed to be and slightly repetitive hence only the 4* rating.
But a great book.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
5.0
A really informative book about what it's like to be in the sas. The levels of torture that Andy and the other men had to go through is just horrific. Certainly not a job that many could do.
silverthane's review against another edition
2.0
I was lent this book by a friend and thought I would love it as he often raved about it and said he'd read it 30 times. Also I love reading about military history.
Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book very much. I was able to finish reading it which means I don't hate it but it wasn't my cup of tea.
I expect realism in books about real military operations however Mr McNab was unable to convince me. The book was full of alot of macho nonsense such as a lack of fear and a calm acceptance of death. I am not sure any human being could go through what they did and not be afraid SAS or otherwise.
I guess I was hoping for a more human honest experience. All the other books on war I have read have been open in admitting the horrific crippling fear soldiers face every day. No-one wants to die at the end of the day.
One thing that is made clear in the book was that the operation was a complete mess. The British military really let those guys down and were responsible for their deaths.
Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book very much. I was able to finish reading it which means I don't hate it but it wasn't my cup of tea.
I expect realism in books about real military operations however Mr McNab was unable to convince me. The book was full of alot of macho nonsense such as a lack of fear and a calm acceptance of death. I am not sure any human being could go through what they did and not be afraid SAS or otherwise.
I guess I was hoping for a more human honest experience. All the other books on war I have read have been open in admitting the horrific crippling fear soldiers face every day. No-one wants to die at the end of the day.
One thing that is made clear in the book was that the operation was a complete mess. The British military really let those guys down and were responsible for their deaths.
mitvan's review against another edition
4.0
Some have claimed it's not all true but, whatever, it's still an amazing story.
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