Bravo Two Zero: The Harrowing True Story of a Special Forces Patrol Behind the Lines in Iraq by Andy McNab Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Bravo Two Zero: The Harrowing True Story of a Special Forces Patrol Behind the Lines in Iraq
Book Review: Bravo Two Zero
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read Bravo Two Zero numerous times. Its not just a book on Special Forces or the Special Air Serivce (SAS). Its a story about human survival and emotion. Andy McNab, Dinger, Stan, and the others are heros of human spirit, along with heros of a war. My hats off to the survivors, my sympathies to the ones who did not returnBook Review: Bravo Two Zero
Summary: 5 Stars
This book an excellent example of the true history/war genre. I am not usually into nonfiction, but I think that this would be the exception. This tells of a British SAS team dropped deep within Iraqi territory to destroy SCUDS and the hardships they hard to endure before returning home. After reading this book I have a lot more respect for the British Special Forces, and feel that it is a good read even with the British slang.Book Review: Bravo Two Zero
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is one of the most gripping books I have ever read. I've read quite a few military based books, from the history of the SAS to Rainbow Six, but I have to say this was the best. Right from the start, McNab's character shines through, along with the feelingn that he has for the rest of his team. The story is a mix of sadness, 8 went out, 5 came back, one shot through the head the other two dieing of exposure in a river, from humour and elation when the team first learn that they are to be dropped into "scud alley". The team, although only 8 of them, kill or put out of action over 250 Iraquis during the war after having to make a run for the Syrian border after a Shepherd boy discovers them and alerts the military. Chris Ryan, a member of the team makes the 100 mile walk, while the rest are captured and tortured, however they still do not let up their true identities, and are beaten for being suspected Israeli. This book also reaffirms the belief among many that the SAS is truly the ultimate fighting force in the world. A good all round book, a must have for any military literature fan!Book Review: Bravo two Zero - not for the weak-stomached
Summary: 5 Stars
A good book. Here's hoping that the movie isn't as vivid as my imagination. The worst thing about it is that someone had to suffer through many horrible things for it to be written. If you enjoy this, try Andy McNab's fiction - 'Remote Control' is great and I can't wait to read more.Book Review: Breathtaking and gritty...
Summary: 5 Stars
Even though the Bravo Two Zero mission was a failure, it brought to the world what goes on 'behind the scenes'. As another reviewer said, war in the media is nothing more than glorious explosions and hi-tech missile 'cams'. Only with the likes of Andy McNab writing a book about the doomed mission do we grasp the horror and reality of combat, and the appendages that go with war - misinformation, confusion, lack of equipment, and geological errors (the surprising fact that the Iraq desert at night is freezing).
The most damning thing was luck - i.e., the lack of. Most operations gather that some things will inevitably go wrong, but with this mission nothing went right, from no communication on the radios, to the fearsome weather and the splitting of the patrol into two groups.
McNab's adventure resembles something that was last seen during the Second World War - secrecy, hand-to-hand combat, and the reality and horror of captivity in an alien world.
It is sad and regrettable that three of the men die, especially as two of them perished by hypothermia (which could have been easily prevented if intelligence knew the reality of the harshnest of the Iraqi wastelands at night).
Despite the pain and brutality that the SAS patrol go through, this is a ripping story of adventure. Even if you are not interested in the mysterious mechanisms of Special Forces and their operations, you will still find the book exciting, as it journeys to the very edge of what human beings can endure.
I also suggest reading Chris Ryan's "The One That Got Away". He was the only member of the patrol to escape and his incredible journey of 200 miles on foot to the Syrian border is a story on its own (he drank poisoned water, had very little food, lost all his toe nails, and was nearly lynched at the very end of his epic journey).
There are accusations that some parts of the book are ficticious, especially in regards to the combat situations. However, I bought this book - and Ryan's book, because of the endurance that they both went through (McNab's torture and Ryan's horrific walk). Both NcNab's torture and Ryan's escape are true - and its these two brutal senarios that make the book a thrilling, and chilling, read.