Andy Mcnab
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Excellent job, Swedish reader!
First off, please tell us the name(s) you used when asking your questions on each of the chats so we'll know which questions were yours! Then, please reveal your secret for being so successful at having your questions chosen!! (Very Big Grin, indeed, for you!)
>>By am-i-binned (Saturday, 22 Mar 2003 13:59)
Sweden 23/3 22.05 hrs
I´m not going to tell you otherwise it won´t stay secret... (big grin)
Get dressed in army-clothes
Buy yourself a package of cling-film
Line up his books in front of you
and
Concentrate
No, I´m just joking. It was pure luck I think but I tried ti stick to the subject (the first one about his writing and the other one about the wars in Iraq).
AND because of my crap English I have to ask simple questions, easy to translate quickly.
>>By Swedish reader (Sunday, 23 Mar 2003 22:09)
Nice one, Swedish reader - keep'em guessing here on list!
A little puzzle-play makes life more interesting...
-------
Can you belive the next little sample?!!
Mark Lucas is the literary agent who turned SAS sergeant Andy McNab into the multimillionaire author -- the swashbuckling hero of the Gulf conflict of 1991.
Lucas said (on the subject of book proposals offered by personnel who served in Afghanistan): 'What was Afghanistan? Guys storming caves. That doesn't make a book.'
Toby Buchan, managing editor of Michael O'Mara Books, publisher of a controversial memoir by a former SAS regimental sergeant-major, said: 'Afghanistan was a short, sharp fight. That's it.'
buddy says: bollocks! The war for peace and stability is still very much an ongoing situation/issue!!!!!!!!!!!
But both believe the Gulf in 2003 has *potential*. Neither wants a war but, if it happens, they think it could provide another crop of dynamic tales by SAS soldiers.
Lucas said: 'The great British public has an almost limitless enthusiasm for heroism in alien landscapes. But the story must have a beginning, a middle and an end and must involve moral certainties.'
------------
buddy says: Lucas seemingly has no moral conscience, middling he lacks discretion, ending with no integrity...
Talk about *sick commercialism/intended sensationalism* of war, at its worst...
You know something, gang, there's nothing worse than desk rats who get *fat* off scraps of war fodder!!!
>>By buddy (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 00:02)
meat to say: Boy, would I like to crack a whip behind Mark Lucas' ass in the Brecon Beacons: yelling abuse at him to run faster, be a real man, show us what he's made of!!!!!!!
Do you reckon Lucas would pass selection?
>>By buddy (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 00:14)
Su, 23/3 (7:20pm) US
Oh man, Buddy! My dentist is gonna make a fortune from all the gnashing, gritting and grinding you've started now! Say, may I join you on that chase up the hills? Crossed my mind, even if discretion is an alien concept for Lucas, hasn't he at least heard of being PC (politically correct)? Plus, one thing he obviously hasn't considered -- may not be too bright trivializing the actions of those involved in storming those Afghanistan caves. After all, I'd think houses would be a piece of cake by comparison!
Hey there, Swedish reader -- "I´m not going to tell you otherwise it won´t stay secret..." -- very nice paraphrasing, too!
>>By am-i-binned (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 01:46)
Mon-24/03/02 1725hrs
From the mouth of the armchair critic...I wonder if Lucas knows which is the dangerous end of the gun? Go get 'em Buddy.
And yeah, I don't think the "Afghan plan" will be over any time soon. Short, sharp my ........
take care, speak soon
>>By Paul R (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 08:28)
On present reports from Gulf War II it would seem things are not going according to American planned strategy, and it looks as though Iraq is about to turn into an Arab version of Vietnam.
On the publishing front:
I couldn't believe Mark Lucas would be so stupid as to voice any public viewpoint on Afghanistan, and worse, claim it as nothing more than a mild skirmish...I think a fair few members of Al Qaeda would object to that statement, in light of their having been subjected to massive blowout from high-altitude blitz bombing runs carried out by the U.S.Airforce. And yes, Paul, you're right, he needs to keep his head down!!!
After all, hunting down men who are hiding out in mountainous regions - (freedom fighters with hidden escape routes at their back, not to mention *strategically* superior vantage point for sniper fire) - calls for greater courage from assault teams sent after Osam bi Laden as opposed to those on hit and run objectives in Gulf War 1...The enemy you can see is far less daunting than one you can't...
The SAS is all about: stealth of unseen force = terrorist tactics of *hit* and *run* and *escape detection* if possible! Unfortunately, when SAS terrorist personnel are hunting down terrorists/freedom fighters (like in Afghanistan, like in Cyprus against Eoka, like in the Malayan Crisis, N Ireland etc) there are no rules of engagement, and *stealth* means no American Hollywood gungho "fire at will". In reality terms, stalking means every shot has to count...
Desk cowboys shooting off their mouths on what is termed a worthwhile fire-fight for publication, well, says it all really. Tabloid mentality by another name = book gold at any price...
In reality Mark Lucas needs AM far more than AM needs him, and if I were AM I'd give ML the boot!!! More so on reading the following:
Andy McNab was introduced to Mark Lucas, who advised him to *talk his story into a tape recorder.*...It was said: "McNab discovered he had a gift for dramatic narrative."
Gift? Is Mark Lucas saying he made AM what he is today on recorded tapes alone, that AM was too illiterate to write what he wanted to say? If so, then audio typists had their work cut out in getting Am's work into print...Mind you, AM did have a bit of thing about recording/listening devices...
Yet again, though, I cease to be amazed by the arrogance of literary agents who feed of the backs of writers...
>>By buddy (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 11:50)
M, 24/3 (12:00noon) US
Just some reading links....no particular order to these:
[Please remember, for the long links, you must remove the blank space that has been inserted to allow the link to wrap.]
www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12750663&method=full&siteid=50143
Per Andy... one of his newspaper articles...
www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10190270
A Reuters article/interview with AM
www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm? objectid=12738180&method=full&siteid=50143
If this AM article was already posted, sorry for repeat....
www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm? objectid=12755386&method=full&siteid=50143
Per Andy... another article...
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-621915,00.html
Sheep, sheep!
www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml? xml=/news/2003/03/23/wtv23.xml&sSheet= /news/2003/03/23/ixnewstop.html
Do-they-have-a-way-with-words-or-what comments. Andy's comment reminded me of what Chris Ryan said about him: "a Cockney Jack-the-Lad with such a gift of the gab that he could talk his way out of any situation and tie you in a knot ... words came out of him so fast that you never quite knew where you were."
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/ 0,11026,916528,00.html
Injustice prevails again -- poor Mike, poor us!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,906848,00.html
Very sad article about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome victims
>>By am-i-binned (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 18:16)
M, 24/3 (12:15pm) US
Sorry, don't know what happened! I inserted blank spaces so the links would wrap correctly -- some worked, some didn't. Please just be sure to remove any blank spaces that are within the link text....
>>By am-i-binned (Monday, 24 Mar 2003 18:19)
It would seem there may be some anti- American thoughts out their. Thanks for your wonderful insight. Keep it up. We like it.
>>By American (Tuesday, 25 Mar 2003 23:01)
Hi American...
There's a darn sight more over here in blighty who are anti French at the moment...
Having said that, American soldiers are about learn what it was like for British troops serving in Northern Ireland...Gulf War II is going to be street-fighting at its worst - soldiers back to back, edging forward inch by inch, never sure if a civilian is a so-called freedom fighter!!!
>>By buddy (Tuesday, 25 Mar 2003 23:46)
Wrong again. No street fighting. Bush will not let it happen. You know that. This is not the Nam or N. Ireland. Thanks for the support.
>>By American (Tuesday, 25 Mar 2003 23:50)
No street fighting? The only way that won't happen is if someone pushes a big red button hidden somewhere in a undisclosed military installation, and then a few moments later there's a big bright flash, and a large mushroom like cloud over the artist formerly known as Baghdad. I think urban warfare is not too far away at all.
Take care, speak soon
>>By Paul R (Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003 08:14)
Latest from the Gulf: "Umm Qasar" = Royal Marines were left to clean up streets as American Marines pushed north to "Basra". The taking of Umm Q was a joint RM/AM operation under command of British Control.
Royal Marines have secured MQ, pictures this morning of food and water rations (humanitarian aid) being handed out to civilians...
At Basra: American Marines came under heavy fire! British Tanks and heavy armour were called in to blast Iraqi positions! Basra city centre is still not secured - American Marines about to be backed up with British/Aus Special Forces for hand to hand fighting on streets of Basra...
American armoured columns meantime raced toward Baghdad bypassing other towns en route, hence US tanks are now just outside the city. Unfortunately, the American officers on battle command failed to see that by bypassing those provincial towns they were providing a superb opportunity to enemy forces: pockets of battle-hardened Iraqis able to strike at US backup supply columns, ie; (sadly) captured army 'cooks' et al...
Paul R is right on the mushroom cloud angle. Heavy casualties will be incurred if US forces move on Baghdad as they did on Basra...
The war is only just beginning, and unless thousands of civilians are killed in Iraq, which they will be if heavy bombing is the only means of ousting Saddam and his henchmen, then street-fighting will be the only way in!!!! Worse, Saddam's little tanks can turn on a sixpence and negotiate tiny back streets...If American tanks go in all guns firing then civilian house will be demolished....
Do you, as an American, want a worse terrorist backlash than 911 (?), because if this war gets too dirty that is what will happen...Already, other Muslim nations are beginning to see this war as American Imperialism....
It is not going to be a short sharp Shock/Awe war, not unless American bombers blow the guts out of Iraq, and the guts happens to be innocent Iraqis, not all loyal to Saddam, the majority unable at present to voice an opinion...They are being used as a human shield, hence no sign of vast columns of refugees leaving the country.
A refugee camp comprising thousands of tents on the Jordanian border remain empty, bar for a few Sudani' and Somali' women and children. Guess where their men are?
>>By buddy (Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003 10:34)
Latest from BBC correspondent on Iranian side of the border to Iraq.
Iraqi civilians trying to flee the War (small column of carts) were fired upon by Iraqi troops. They didn't make it to the border or to the safety of a refugee camp on the Iranian side...
The Middle East is becoming somewhat unstable: Iranian Forces are armed and ready as British troops move to secure Irak border with Iran. Turkish troops are also massing along the Kurdish border...
>>By buddy (Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003 12:42)
W, 26/3 (11:30am) US
Articles to point:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,921987,00.html
"Ulster experience may help - but only up to a point"
Filed 9 hrs ago
Wednesday March 26, 2003
Owen Bowcott, The Guardian
http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml? type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2438031 (remove space after ? )
"Northern Ireland Conflict Helps UK Troops in Iraq"
Filed Mon March 24, 2003
Andrew Cawthorne LONDON/BELFAST (Reuters)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm? objectid=12777015&method=full&siteid=50143 (remove space after ? )
"USA Has the Gear, But We've Had the Practice"
Filed 7 hrs ago
March 26, 2003
Andy McNab
... But the Brits have something no amount of computer chips or satellites can compensate for. These brave young men have hard-earned experience passed down from generation to generation in basic and bloody fighting. ...
... It could very soon be a war against a guerilla force that has no computers - just assault rifles, grenade launchers and tanks - in a town full of civilians that our troops are trying to convince are their friends. ...
>>By am-i-binned (Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003 17:33)
Above posting should have included this article also:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/26/1048653750463.html
"Saddam Can't Be Shocked or Awed"
March 27 2003
Ralph Peters - Reuters
>>By am-i-binned (Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003 19:22)
Holland, May 27th
Boy, have I been taking a long nap ! Ah no, it was a sweet dream, about the chats, no wonder I didn’t want to wake up.
Re: Swedish R. I´m not going to tell you otherwise it won´t stay secret... (big grin)
That was my answer! Just kidding! You did great, 5 answers in 3 chats!
Re: Get dressed in army-clothes (…)Concentrate
LOL, you are definitely member of F troop Swedish Reader !!
Re: Buddy: Lucas/Buchan , believe the Gulf in 2003 has *potential*.= sick commercialism
Agree. But what about the writers ánd readers. Those people get what they want because the writers provide them what readers are asking.
I know, everyone has their reason, for writing, for reading, for commercial attitude, it’s not all black and white. And don’t forget manipulation of the writing press. Who knows what Lucas/Buchan said is torn out of its context…. P-p-pour me another one James!!
Re: Do you reckon Lucas would pass selection?
With your whip at his ass?? He’ll beat anyone’s reckord!
Re: Am-I-Binned: Just some reading links
Just some?? You’ve been busy !! Lot of homework teacher!
Kidding, thanx !
Re: It would seem there may be some anti- American thoughts out their.
Sorry, did I miss something? Speaking for myself I am only pro-Andy on this board.
Re: "USA Has the Gear, But We've Had the Practice" - Andy McNab
Hey, there the man is again!
In the History Channel chat Andy made this remark about the B20 documentary:
“The History Channel in America think it's such a realistic portrayal they're going to put it in for their TV awards for best documentary”
Do you think we can vote for this? This would do great things for promotion in the US.
Another thing I found:
Question: “Do you base your lead characters in your books on a real person or persons and if so who?”
Answer: “Well all the good bits of Nick Stone are obviously me! And all the bad bits are a mixture of people I've known. And what I try to do with the incidents he gets involved in is take real life incidents that either I or people I know have been involved in, and take them out of their environment and put them into the book. So when something goes wrong in the book, it did go wrong in real life, and everything that went right is all the stuff that I done!”
Great humour but not my point:
Colophon of his books says:
“All of the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental”
Coincidental???
Well, it’s of course a standard remark to exclude any lawsuits.. Not a big deal, but I thought it’s funny.
Take care, till soon
Lynn
>>By Lynn (Thursday, 27 Mar 2003 00:03)
Th, 27/3 (8:25am) US
Still in reading mode....
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12780121&method=full&siteid=50143 (remove space after ? )
IT'S VITAL TO WIN HEARTS AND MINDS QUICKLY
Filed 7 hrs ago - Mar 27 2003
Andy McNab, The Mirror
>>By am-i-binned (Thursday, 27 Mar 2003 14:24)
Hearts & Minds policy, as AM said: didn't work in Nam, but it did work in Malaya in the latter half of that particular crisis...Troops fed, watered, and doctored their way to the hearts of the Malay'...
Unfortunately for the present attempt to portray a 'hearts and mind' policy is being defeated by the Al-Jezeera' television network, who beamed pictures of captive Al Qaeda fighters at Gauntanamo Bay as a reminder (threat) to Iraqi civilians if they welcome Americans with open arms!!!...
Sorry folks, but those very pictures of caged men, shackled, blindfolded, and humiliated in front of cameras is wholly accountable for the murder of two British soldiers in Iraq...I dread to think what is going to happen to U.S. troops - man or woman - as this war progresses toward its goal of getting Saddam at any price!!!
Blair and Bush are heading toward a squabble, (very soon) and quite frankly no American or Brit will be safe in Iraq after this is all over...A United Nations force devoid of either "aggressor" will need to be allowed to do what will need to be done, otherwise BUSH is heading the USA into serious problems worldwide....
It was reported yesterday that Iraq has the second largest fighting force (in the world) to that of the US, so unless technology and superior weapons can beat Saddy the allied soldiers just as well pack their bags and go home, now!!! It's going to take one hell of big bomb to blow up Saddy's regime...100,000 children in Basra alone according to aid agencies, how many are teenagers able to fire a gun?
>>By buddy (Thursday, 27 Mar 2003 22:17)
F, 28/3 (11:15am) US
Daily reads:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L27169553.htm
Special Forces could take out Saddam - McNab
Filed 15 hrs ago - 27 Mar 2003 23:55:41GMT
Paul Majendie - Reuters
>>By am-i-binned (Friday, 28 Mar 2003 17:16)
Am-I-binned: you's a cuttin' 'n' runnin' so fast we ain't seein' hide nor hair of your tail in the dust!!
Keep it up...I just love it when other people are dashing around like mad things...
Winterwolf: thoroughly enjoying our offboard War discussion and bush wacking talk...
Lynn: all writer's reveal details about friends/acquaintances, and enemies within their written work...AM is my next book along with other military personnel, he he, but am I talking about a mainstream or erotic novel?
La de da de da, de de de de, dum ((giggle)) de dum ((hic))...
>>By buddy (Friday, 28 Mar 2003 21:02)
two messages moved here: www.gnooks.com/discussion/message+archive.html (Saturday, 29 Mar 2003 01:40)
Australia 1713hrs, 29/03/03
Hey guys.
Just a thought....what do you say about leaving Gulf War II talk to everywhere but here? It would be nice to get a break from it occasionally & keep on with the AM/NS chats.
take care, speak soon
>>By Paul R (Saturday, 29 Mar 2003 08:15)
At last, someone else fed up with War talk on board (news flashes), albeit most of them by AM...
Haven't we all had enough of speculation, military theorising/strategy etc...(?)...What will be will be, and none too pleasant at that...
Thinking more on Lynn's little black number!! AM freely admitting usage of persona' of people he's known/met - it'll be interesting to sort the puzzle pieces in Dark Winter = who's who? After all, it's going to be a rush-finish book written/audio recorded on the run while dashing from one TV studio to another...He's met so many TV broadcasters and backroom news boys/girls that some are more than likely to glue themselves to his memory stick!!
I caught a glimpse of him sat with his face blurred for security reasons, and wouldn't you know it, Star Trek The New Generation came to mind. I expected to see him dissolve/vapourise before my very eyes and appear somewhere else on set...Another camera then zoomed in on him side angle no blur and boy was he clearly visible: if but for a split second in time!!! Whoopsy (BBC) or may be not such whoopsy...Dimbleby has such a happy reassuring face, and there have been a few comments in the broadsheet press about AM's (ludicrous) appearances (blacked out face or subdued lighting). I can see their point, why do TV at all, and in reality we don't want AM to become a laughing stock (!) do we? I mean, it's bad enough that immature news reporters/journos keep saying he was the Most Highly Decorated soldier in the *British Army*....One hell of a lot of soldiers and wives (posthumous awards) are fuming on the subject...In truth: Andy McNab was the Most Highly Decorated soldier in the SAS!!!!!!!!!!! Meaning number of medals issued, but he was never awarded the highest honour, the Victoria Cross. That said, medals are issued for each campaign undeertaken and a desk bod can get just as many medals as a fighting man, even if the desk bod is relatively safe at base station same as most high ranking officers. So long as they are involved in the campaign they gets a medal...
Some people say he should have been awarded a VC, others not...Usually though, the VC goes to a man who performed a personal and extreme feat of valour against the odds = one man holding a position to save his men, or a man going forward under heavy fire to retrieve a wounded man...3 VCs (to date) awarded to SAS men...
>>By buddy (Saturday, 29 Mar 2003 09:23)
About discussing the war in this forum or not...
Not sure if I my vote counts, since I'm only a bystander here. But I'd like to mention that I found the talk about the war here rather interesting during the last days. It gives some insight about how the whole thing is perceived in different countries. This is something that is hard to find out by watching local news or reading other forums. This small international family here is somewhat less anonymous, so reading your posts gives me a more direct impression about what other nations think about the war.
I see a lot of other discussions on the net drowning in polemics. Since we are a rather manageable number of people here, we might have the opportunity to keep this talk more serious.
Paul R, in case you are referring to the two messages posted before your post: I will disable these two messages now, since the first one looks like someone has just thrown in his slogan without being interested in a discussion and the second one reffers to it I think. I moved these messages here: www.gnooks.com/discussion/message+archive.html
If anybody thinks, these messages should be moved back to this forum, let me know.
>>By mg (Saturday, 29 Mar 2003 10:14)
Holland, May 29th
Like I said before: on this board I'm just pro-Andy. I'd like to talk about his books (Gulf War I is a part of that, Gulf War II only as far as he gives his opinion in newspapers or tv), about his life (or what we know about that) and any activities he's involved with.
I'm far from an expert on any war and I cannot give a grounded opinion so I keep my opinions to myself. That doesn't mean I don't care, it's just not something I care to discuss.
Anyone who feels the need to discuss the war on board, please feel free, it's not my board, it's our board, very carefully watched by MG, who does an excellent job at that if I may say.
take care, Lynn
>>By Lynn (Saturday, 29 Mar 2003 22:50)
Sa, 29/3 (6:00pm) US
I, too, agree that war discussions would be better in a different forum or on a different message board. I, however, have been guilty of posting recent items as shortcuts to articles either written by Andy or in which he is referenced or quoted. There are many more which I've personally found informative but since they have no AM connection, I've not posted them here. That said, I have deliberately chosen not to "discuss" only to provide the shortcuts. I will do as the majority here would like -- I can either continue to post AM-related articles or not -- let me know your preferences -- or I can email them offboard if anyone wants what I find.... no probs one way or the other for me....
(Well, wait, that's not completely true -- I may very well have probs one way or the other! I'm currently involved in a very heated battle of wills with my PC and Mr. Gate's monstrously evil Windows program dragon! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! How this battle will turn out, I don't know, but I may be hampered in posting or emailing anything until I slay this dragon! -- or it kills me in the trying! Only reason I'm here right now is that I think the dragon is sleeping under a temporary Ctrl+Alt+Del spell. If that spell lifts, however, I'm in a frame of mind to resort to the ever-persuasive smack-upside-its-head-with-a-two-pound-hammer technique....)
>>By am-i-binned (Sunday, 30 Mar 2003 00:13)
you're doing a good job MG
>>By Paul R (Sunday, 30 Mar 2003 03:46)
Seeing as most of my postings were, perhaps, SAS related as opposed to Andy McNab related per se, I'll take it I've been well out of line!
Sorry folks...
>>By Whoopsy (Sunday, 30 Mar 2003 10:47)
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