Andy Mcnab
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I have read all of Andy Mcnab's books.
My favourite book is "Remote Control" with "Dark Winter" a close second, but i can't say i dislike any of his books, they are all great...
I found this board by doing a quick Google search for
"Andy McNab Chat"...
Do any of you guys read other special forces / Armed forces books
E.G.:-
Chris Ryan
Michael Asher
==========
If there are any other good authors that you recomend, Please let me know...
>>By Shoot-To-Kill (Wednesday, 28 Jan 2004 20:03)
Uh-oh, Shoot-To-Kill...
Loaded questions! (smack! sorry, lame joke...) ;o)
>> Do any of you guys read other special forces / Armed forces books <<
>> If there are any other good authors that you recomend <<
Yes, to both questions. For non-fiction, I particularly liked Sabre Squadron (Cameron Spence), CQB (Mike Curtis), and Baptism of Fire (Frank Collins). For me, fiction has been mainly limited to AM, but of CR's fictions, The Watchman is my current favourite. {whispered: btw, welcome to CR's board too}.
>>By am-i-binned (Wednesday, 28 Jan 2004 21:15)
Thank you...
I have had a few sugestions via flork also,
I will have to pay amazon a visit and stock up on some new reading material...
I just hope that they are worth it...
===========
Does anybody read Tom Clancy's Stuff, I havn't yet but i am sugesting getting a couple of them...
I recently started reading Chris Ryan's "GREED", but the 3rd person reading put me off... I like to read stories from 1st Person,
What do you think?
>>By Shoot-To-Kill (Wednesday, 28 Jan 2004 22:42)
Apparently there’s a search for the new James Bond, if you check this site
http://uk.geocities.com/thenext007uk/
contenders.html
you’ll find the contenders..And guess what – lots of our potential Nick Stones !! LOL. From Russell Crowe, to Colin Farrell, Clive Owen, Hugh Jackson.. (No Viggo though, mmmm, perhaps he's tight to another character?) Nick Stone defenitely has something in common with James Bond ;o))
Hi STK, 1st person seems a bit more 'intimite' - like it's a conversation between you and the writer. I like that.
>>By Lynn (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 09:10)
Ha, ha, AIB, the one ofvthe shared (!) who said they wouldn't Flork me, well I never said I wouldn't never post again, and your post. ""One of the most interesting findings by the Army was the difference found between Special Forces soldiers and other soldiers. Data from Army studies showed that Special Forces soldiers had higher levels of adrenaline during the SERE [survival, evasion, resistance, escape] training than regular Army soldiers.
When adrenaline was measured 24 hours after the SERE stress was over, the adrenaline levels of Special Forces soldiers returned to normal levels. But adrenaline levels in non-Special Forces soldiers were depleted. The data suggests that Special Forces have a biological profile of people who are 'cool under fire.' " "
is so funny, because there is a sinilar report regarding "Criminals" and levels of adrenaline!! Same instinct needed for selection to SAS, and why McNab made it through, in the end. He could run, bred into him when running from cops!!! Not so much a "gene" as well taught in evadng the law and why he's such a good liar!!
>>By readit (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 10:40)
Well-timed post STK. F'Troop were kicking their heels not enough agro to up adrenaline levels.
Your saying "I recently started reading Chris Ryan's "GREED", but the 3rd person reading put me off... I like to read stories from 1st Person,
What do you think?"
Where have we heard that before and how many times? That gets you top marks in F'Troop selection. He, foolish me. You's already in it by proxy, right?
Hello Lynn, sweety, tagging along with shared kit again. That's not good for morale of the rest of F'Troop.
>>By readit (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 10:48)
A warm welcome back Readit, I missed you.
< Hello Lynn, tagging along with shared kit again. That's not good for morale of the rest of F'Troop.
what do you mean by that ?
Have a question for you, what do the soldiers who fail SAS-selection usually do? Return to unit or are some so devasted they leave the army?
>>By Lynn (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 11:56)
Hey Lynn, you missed a clue some where way back when. I weren't SAS. In the SBS we looks after our own. Higher loyalty factor too, bar for the odd shite who didn't cut the mustard.
This is old news but I'd say tells it how it is on difference between SAS and SBS and why we were always better at getting things done and why we keep our mouths shut tighter and get more appointments in SIS than ex SAS wallers. refs to 007 tickle me pink because 077 Commander Bond was Naval Personnel/Naval Intelligence.
http://money.guardian.co.uk/
work/wageslaves/story/
0,11996,714934,00.html
To answer your "Have a question for you, what do the soldiers who fail SAS-selection usually do? Return to unit or are some so devasted they leave the army?"
Well yeh some do get RTU'd others left and told tales on the service when things didn't go their way.
>>By readit (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 13:48)
I didn't miss that clue - seconded sbs?? What does that mean?
And I figured you might know the answer anyway.
How's SBS selection different from SAS - and since I think the SAS guys will think that THEY are the best, who's telling the truth?
There are some books from ex-SBS too right? Is that more excepted in your (ex) quarters? Does anyone ever switch from SBS to SAS or the other way around (or are those the odd shite?)
>>By Lynn (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 14:20)
I always thought that a soldier had to pass SAS selection first, before being allowed to try for the SBS, because it's much harder and has a bigger failure rate. Don't they recruit for SBS only from the Royal Marines? I'm sure I read that in one of those naughty SBS non-fiction books, or maybe I'm just making things up.
>>By Bethan (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 14:36)
Couldn't resist...in light of the SBS comments above...
40 Regt RA opt for DIY mud therapy spa treatment?
http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/docs/Mirror/
0005BCD9-B47E-1FC4-846980BFB6FA0000.mpg
I don't see the lads down here lookin' too worried about that effort...
I've been in mud like that.
(But that's not a story for on here...ha ha ha)
It's a big file. Hope you've got a fast connection (or had it in the mail last year...some)
>>By bikergirl (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 15:56)
Thanx, Readit, see in the article that Bethan is right ‘drawn from the Royal marines’ and ‘they regard themselves as even fitter than the SAS’. Strenght of character – NO kidding Readit :o))
Handling of powerful kit is important – ouch – guess you don’t share kit then??
“Some used to pick up the pen on retirement - there have been at least 30 books on the squadron”
30?? Can’t tell from the article if that is SBS or SBS/SAS ???
“A merger (SAS/SBS) is seen as inevitable by some” I take it you don’t share that view? And this article is from 2002, any progress in 2004??
And there was our friend DF too in the article. “Some of these self-generated operations (NI) were nothing more than job-creation schemes.' No kidding ?? (must sound naive, sorry.. I am)
Oh another article - gonna read that now BG :o))
>>By Lynn (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 16:31)
Nice one BG!! (we didn't have mud wrestling yet did we ??)
I was wondering about the 20 seconds of black screen after they got out of the mud - censored shots?? ;o))
>>By Lynn (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 16:48)
Ohmigod, Bikergirl...
That 40 Regt RA link you just posted -- totally incapacitated me, couldn't see past the tears or even breathe.... And then their life-jackets inflate...!
LOL!!!! Hahahahahaha! Thunk! Ooops! Darn, there goes my head.... ROFL!
>>By am-i-binned (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 17:14)
gawd luv a duck you women takes some educating and too slow on uptake, happen that accounts for SAS sauce on your tongues.
Yeh, right on Royal Marines SBS and I were officer class RN seconded SBS on Specialist Duties. Now if I said 007 had a lot in common with where I ended up you can see why I got no beef at McNab, ha, ha, coming from the Senior Service and outranking sergeant and much more intel minded than your average Rupert . Remember the little Devon birdie well I gave her that nic, and that's another clue if you can pick it up.
>>By readit (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 17:27)
readit: (if you say that really fast, it sounds like the sound Road Runner makes when he (she?) passes by.....
> Now if I said 007 had a lot in common with where I ended up you can see why I got no beef at McNab (...)
So you ended up as a POW (deniable as such) in Korea?
> [ The SBS lads being better at keeping their mouths shut than their buddies in the Regiment ]
Andy McNab started the avalance. The MoD (and AM himself) expected only people within the military community to find the book interesting. Had they known what publicity it would get, I'm the sure the MoD would pour the script with gasoline and fetch a Zippo lighter ASAP.
Ken Connor didn't seem all that impressed with the efforts of SBS (Ghost Force).....
To the general public:
The discussion of "who's the best elite Special Forces unit in the world" is as tiresome as it is old.
All members of their own unit of course claims that they either are
A) the best in the world (typically the Regiment lads say this -- Ken Connor being one) or
B) has a capability that is solely unique to them and only them.
This has a lot to do with "ésprit de corps" of course (which is a very important in any case), but I personally think that every unit has its specific role. Delta Force in the US claims to be the hottest stuff, although it was the Regiment who trained them. (The story if Delta Force's birth can be read in (yep, you guessed it) -- Ghost Force.
Regarding SAS vs SBS I think the obvious question is this (if one should choose to go further into that particular dispute):
1) Does the SAS do maritime jobs as well as the SBS?
2) Does the SBS do land-based jobs as well as the SAS?
Or rather... how does the Regiment's Boat-troops compare to the SBS?
>>By ortlieb (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 21:47)
Readit: << that's another clue if you can pick it up >>
Oooh, oooh! Readit, I got it, I got it! (I think)... Only problem is -- if I tell you, you'll have to kill me, right? ;o)
>>By am-i-binned (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 22:07)
Can i just ask, without being killed (preferably), what all of this clue giving and stuff is all about, is it something that happened in the previous 133 pages or is it a private joke between AIB and READIT...
>>By Shoot-To-Kill (Thursday, 29 Jan 2004 23:12)
Readit, since there’s supposed to be so much competition between SBS and SAS we have to make a bit of a switch here concerning education so "a bit slow" is to be expected, well - from me anyway :o)
Read that during selection they have “grueling underwater exercises” Do officers have to do (some) of that too?
Working on the clues but I’m not used to working so hard.
< Or rather... how does the Regiment's Boat-troops compare to the SBS?
Found somewhere that SBS is Boat Troops ‘sister’ unit. Mmmm, would SBS consider that to be true?
>>By Lynn (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 00:01)
Hey Shoot-to-kill,
Welcome to the board. I've been here since page 122 and I still don't understand all the clue business. I guess that makes me clueless!
You asked about Tom Clancy's stuff. I read most of his early stuff and it was quite good, though now its all a bit dated. Recently I read Rainbow Six and was a little disappointed. My biggest complaint is that the heros in Clancy's books are all incredibly virtuous and unbelievably good. A bit boring, in my opinion. I think Nick Stone's character is much more interesting because he has so much dimension. He doesn't always do the "right" thing and his plans don't always work. He's a human, whereas Clancy's characters are Superhuman.
What made you start reading McNab?
>>By Majorette (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 01:29)
At first i didn't know that AM had made the Nick Stone books, I read TOTGA (CR) and decided to read B2O but when i went to the library to get it, it was on loan so i got Remote Control instead and started from there...
>>By Shoot-To-Kill (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 11:10)
here are some other interesting links to understand the difference between SAS/SBS
www.globalspecialforces.com/news
http://members.lycos.co.uk/
ultimateforce/newspage2.html
Plus a link to see where these guys go after joining the Reg, and earning big $$$$
www.3cgi.com
>>By borisette (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 13:15)
Thanks for the links, Borisette!
Found the following which relates back to Bethan's earlier SBS selection post (source: http://members.lycos.co.uk/ultimateforce/):
"SBS Selection
To start off you can't even try for Selection unless you are a Royal Marine Commando and have at least 3 years service. Those wishing to join the SBS must first go through a 2 week aptitude test, which consists of the following:
BOAT WEEK
Candidates must pass a CFT, pass the SBS swimming test, which demands a 50m swim with clothes, 25m underwater and 600m in 15 mins. You also have to complete CANOE TRIALS which include a 5KM march with canoe and a 30KM canoe paddle. The student also has to complete a number of dives just to show confidence in the water.
If you pass this you will go onto do the joint SAS/SBS Selection.
SBS students then go on a 8 week Boating and Diving course which includes 55KM canoe course, Submarine infiltration, Underwater Navigation and Demolitions."
>>By am-i-binned (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 14:23)
Shoot-to-kill,
So, did you eventually read Bravo Two Zero? I'm curious what you thought of it, having read Ryan's account first.
>>By Majorette (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 14:25)
Okay, throwing credibility to the wind....
Here's a stupid niggling question I've had for ages:
"Lieutenant" -- Why do Brits say LEF-tenant as opposed to LOO-tenant (uhm... excluding any obvious toilet jokes, okay)?
>>By am-i-binned (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 17:21)
Even though i read TOTGA first i found B2O a bit better (more detail) and more believable.
I still enjoy TOTGA and have read it again sinse... What about you?
"Bravo Two Zero" Vs "The One That Got Away"
"Andy McNab" Vs "Chris Ryan"
>>By Shoot-To-Kill (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 17:54)
I enjoyed them both (as much as you can enjoy reading about human suffering and despair, that is).
I read McNab's account first and quite honestly it was the most intense reading experience I have ever had. At first, the British euphemisms were a little tough to crack, but the operational details were amazing and very much appreciated by somebody who has never held a gun, much less "given the good news" to somebody.
Ryan's book floored me as well because of his amazing journey. After reading his account, I find I don't complain as much about things like being cold or slightly hungry; nothing I will ever experience can compare to what he and the rest of the patrol went through.
I think that's a sign of a pretty good book if you notice your life has been changed because of it.
Having said that, I think I prefer McNab's writing style over Ryan's. Ryan seemed to point fingers a bit more agressively at the rest of his mates and I got the feeling that he thought more highly of himself than the rest. McNab, on the other hand, struck me as more easy-going. I got the feeling he could laugh at himself and not take himself so seriously.
>>By Majorette (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 18:29)
Ref AIB's "SBS students then go on a 8 week Boating and Diving course which includes 55KM canoe course, Submarine infiltration, Underwater Navigation and Demolitions."
This is where Navy Personnel i.e, diving instructors, come into play, more especially on Submarine exercises of SBS/Naval saboteurs being deployed covertly via torpedo tubes.
AIB, Did you mean to say Infiltration? Submarines have one way control inner hatches, a submarine commander never leaves his vessel open to attack from outside by unknown divers. Outer hatches are closed by remote, if necessary in malfunction a Naval diver will enter tubes and close manually from the inside. That is the scariest procedure of the lot, fear for some of getting stuck in the torpedo chamber, though there are other ways in and out, same procedure for those. Don't recall any SAS chaps doing this particular exercise.
>>By readit (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 22:13)
refs SAS regiment in line with Army regimental order ranks.
refs SBS squadron in line with Naval ships/marine oder of ranks
Ref SAS recall of SBS Sister Squadron to SAS regiment i.e, ships referred to as She/fem, even those with titles Sheffield, Hood [admiral], as were the Titanic [she slowly slipped beneath thhe surface]. Strange phenomina but that's how it is, SHE.
>>By readit (Friday, 30 Jan 2004 22:25)
"Strange phenomina but that's how it is, SHE."
Possible defensive response? I didn't think the original query was so much about gender as about parity.
>>By bikergirl (Saturday, 31 Jan 2004 10:25)
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