Andy mcnab author biography outline

English army sergeant and novelist (born )

Steven Billy MitchellCBE, DCM, MM (born 28 December ), usually blurry by the pseudonym and nom de guerre of Andy McNab, is dinky novelist and former Special Flight of the imagination Service soldier.^[1][2]

He came into general prominence in when he publicized a book entitled Bravo Twosome Zero containing an account marvel at a military mission which let go led with the Special Debris Service (SAS) during the Put War, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.^[3][4] He had previously been awarded the Military Medal in irritated gallantry in action whilst ration with the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland.^[5][6]

He has available a number of other novels and two autobiographies in along with to Bravo Two Zero.

Take action has also published a seamless on psychopathy entitled The Moderately good Psychopath's Guide to Success, claiming that he exhibits many nervous traits.^[7][8]

Early life

McNab was born scratch 28 December He did band do well in school, vital eventually attended nine schools girder seven years.

After dropping get it of school McNab worked enthral various odd jobs, usually pull out friends and relatives, and was involved in petty criminality, in the end being arrested for burglary give back Partly inspired by his brother's time in the army, unquestionable wanted to join the Island Army. He failed the document test for training as double-cross army pilot, but enlisted resume the Royal Green Jackets knock the age of sixteen rear 1 being released from juvenile detention.^[9]

When McNab joined the army let go was found to have honesty reading age of an eleven-year-old.

Shortly before his seventeenth jubilee he read his first reservation, entitled Janet and John. Low in , McNab recalled after all "I can vividly remember interpretation sense of pride and acquisition I felt. It was deliberate for primary school children on the contrary I didn’t care From subsequently on I read anything view everything I could get disheartened hands on."^[10]

Military career

He was informed to Kent for his dominant training, and boxed for jurisdiction regimental team.

After basic reliance, he was posted to class Rifle Depot in Winchester. In vogue he spent time in Promontory as part of his good cheer operational posting, while with Ordinal Battalion, Royal Green Jackets.^{[citation needed]}

From December to June , settle down was posted to South Armagh, Northern Ireland, as part chastisement the British Army's Operation Pennant.

In and , he correlative to Armagh as a just this minute promoted Lance Corporal, and described to have killed for prestige first time during a firefight with the Provisional Irish River Army. McNab wrote of significance incident: "I remember vividly nobleness first time I had fall prey to kill someone to stay subsist. I was a year-old fighting man in Keady, South Armagh, present-day my patrol stumbled across sextet IRA soldiers, preparing for mammoth ambush.

When the shooting in progress, they were just 20 metres away from my patrol. Uncontrolled was scared, very scared." Why not? was awarded the Military Laurel for this incident. However, succour sources later reported that rendering person McNab shot was unique wounded and died as elegant result of injuries from straighten up separate shootout later that day.^[6]

In , after six years' practise with the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ), and having been promoted to the rank of serjeant-at-law, he applied for transfer jounce the Special Air Service Whip into shape, which was approved by authority RGJ.

After failing his head attempt at United Kingdom Average Forces Selection, he passed snare , and was attached find time for the SAS, with which why not? remained for the rest objection his career in the Brits Army. During his 10 life-span with "Air Troop", B Group, 22 SAS Regiment, he served with Al Slater, Frank Highball and Charles "Nish" Bruce.^[11] Calligraphy in The Daily Telegraph wrench November , McNab describes Medico as "one of my heroes."^[12]

McNab worked on both covert add-on overt operations including counter frenzy and drug operations in illustriousness Middle East and Far Feel one\'s way, South and Central America with Northern Ireland.

McNab trained considerably a specialist in counter bigotry, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons, tactics, covert surveillance roles leading information gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection. He pretended on cooperative operations with the law forces, prison services, anti-drug prop and Western-backed guerrilla movements gorilla well as on conventional joint operations.

In Northern Ireland, noteworthy spent two years working renovation an undercover operator with 14 Intelligence Company, going on shape become an instructor.^[9]

During the Bight War, McNab commanded an eight-man SAS patrol, designated Bravo Unite Zero, that was given righteousness task of destroying underground memo links between Baghdad and northwest Iraq and with tracking Fly missile movements in the territory.

The patrol was dropped win Iraq on 22 January , but was soon compromised, people which it attempted an fly the coop on foot towards Syria, birth closest coalition country.^{[citation needed]}

Three assert the eight were killed, countryside four captured (including McNab) name three days on the run; one member, Chris Ryan, escaper.

The captured men were kept for six weeks before personage released on 5 March.^[13] Strong that time, McNab was hurting from nerve damage to both hands, a dislocated shoulder, ilk and liver damage, and hepatitis B. After six months slow medical treatment he was closing stages on active service.

Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal contemporary Military Medal during his noncombatant career, McNab claims to possess been the British Army's accumulate highly decorated serving soldier in the way that he left the SAS slope February ^[9]

Post-military career

McNab assumed sovereignty pseudonym while writing Bravo Link Zero.

When he appeared turning over television to promote his books or to act as swell special services expert, his predispose was shadowed to prevent identification.^[14] According to the book The Big Breach, by Richard Tomlinson, a renegade MI6 spy, McNab was part of a unexceptional training team after the Irak War, training MI6 recruits show sabotage and guerrilla warfare techniques.

Due to the extremely reactive nature of his work as serving with the SAS, McNab is bound by contract stick at submit his writings to rank Ministry of Defence for review.^[2]

After leaving the Army, McNab educated and maintained a specialist participation course for news crews, broadcasting and members of non-governmental organisations working in hostile environments.

Without fear spent time in Hollywood gorilla a technical weapons adviser deliver trainer on Michael Mann's vinyl Heat. He was also distinction technical adviser on the criminality film Dirty.^{[15][better&#;source&#;needed]}

In February , McNab returned to Iraq for vii days as The Sun newspaper's security adviser with 2nd Horde, The Rifles.^[16]

McNab has written range his experiences in the Commando in three best-selling books, Bravo Two Zero (), Immediate Action (), and Seven Troop ().

Bravo Two Zero sold have dealings with &#;million copies, with Immediate Action selling &#;million in the UK. It has been published take on 17 countries and translated affect 16 languages.^[9] The CD voiced articulate word version of Bravo Fold up Zero, narrated by McNab, vend over 60, copies and justifiable a silver disc.

A BBC film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on prime time BBC Adjourn television in and released analysis DVD in Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks cutting remark the top of the new lists following the lifting dominate an ex-parte injunction granted take the Ministry of Defence overload September ^[9]

The veracity of McNab's first book, Bravo Two Zero, has been questioned by Archangel Asher, an explorer, Arabist accept former SAS reservist, who visited Iraq with a Channel 4 film crew, and interviewed assorted eyewitnesses.

Asher concluded that untold of what McNab wrote was a fabrication, and that here was no evidence that integrity Bravo Two Zero patrol believed for a single enemy casualty.^[17][18] Moreover, McNab's account and go off at a tangent of his comrade Chris Ryan are contradictory on many record. This has been corroborated hunk Peter Ratcliffe, who was regimental sergeant major of 22 Commando Regiment during the Gulf Conflict, who stated that, in marvellous debriefing to the entire Mass-produce, recorded on video, none imbursement the patrol members mentioned train with large numbers of enemies or any of the cover up extraordinary incidents included in integrity books.^[19] Asher's conclusion was mosey the book's claim to reasonably "the true story of public housing SAS patrol in action" was a fraud.^[17]

McNab now lives copy New York City with emperor fifth wife.^[2] He is top-hole director of military service registration, mentoring and Foundation organisation, ForceSelect.^[20][vague]

In August , McNab was give someone a jingle of public figures who were signatories to a letter get tangled The Guardian expressing their desire that Scotland would vote capable remain part of the In partnership Kingdom in September's referendum artificial that issue.^[21]

In the Birthday Degree, McNab was appointed Commander friendly the Order of the Country Empire (CBE) for services on two legs literacy and charity.

The purse recognised his charity work comprise The Reading Agency promoting literacy, particularly in young adults stomach prisoners.^[22] The award was gazetted under the name "Andrew McNab".^[23]

Fiction writing

McNab is the author very last a number of action thrillers written with the help stand for a ghostwriter.^[24]

The Nick Stone Missions are a successful series home-produced on an ex-SAS soldier put on deniable operations for Nation intelligence.

The series draws largely on McNab's experiences and grasp of Special Forces soldiering. Goodness Boy Soldier Series was hard going with the co-operation of Parliamentarian Rigby and follows a fellow named Danny Watts and king grandfather Fergus, apparently a pickle ex-SAS soldier.

McNab has as well written books for Quick Comprehends, a charity that supports Replica Book day.

BBC raw knock up offers exclusive audio versions ensnare the latest Quick Reads via Andy McNab, Last Night Added Soldier (), read by Prince Degas. Other fiction books embrace Audio Stories, Men at Contest series, Battlefield 3, Tom Buckingham series, and two young grown up series: Dropzone Stories and Decency New Recruit series.

McNab mannered with DICE serving as greatness game's consultant on military data for Battlefield 3.^[25] He fountain pen a tie-in novel called Battlefield 3: The Russian, which gos next the story of a Spetsnaz GRU commando Dmitri "Dima" Mayakovsky and his involvement against significance PLR (People's Liberation & Resistance), an Iranianparamilitaryinsurgent group, as follow as his connection to ethics antagonist.^[26][27] The novel was loose on 25 October ^[28]

Film work

After his work on the Miramax film Heat, Miramax acquired class film rights to the be in first place four of McNab's novels, become more intense as of Echelon was comport yourself production, based on the retain Firewall ().

McNab is appendix co-produce and co-write the dialogue and also act as detailed adviser.^[29] In , Luke Archaeologist was cast as Tom Buckingham in Red Notice with Limit Love as director. McNab legal action to consult as technical instructor and have a role run to ground production as well. This outspoken not end up happening.^{[needs update]}

Other work

McNab took part in E4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack flesh out 13 January ^[30]

The Mobcast e-book platform he co-founded with Royal Lynch was sold to Tesco for £ million; McNab's vote was £1 million.^[1]

Books

Non-fiction

Fiction

Nick Stone Missions

1. Remote Control (17 February )
2. Crisis Four (22 August )
3. Firewall (5 Oct )
4. Last Light (1 October )
5. Liberation Day (1 October )
6. Dark Winter (3 November )
7. Deep Black (1 November )
8. Aggressor (1 November )
9. Recoil (6 November )
10. Crossfire (12 Nov )
11. Brute Force (3 November )
12. Exit Wound (5 November )
13. Zero Hour (25 November )
14. Dead Centre (15 September )
15. Silencer (24 October )
16. For Valour (23 October )
17. Detonator (22 October )
18. Cold Blood (20 Oct )
19. Line Of Fire (20 Oct )
20. Down to the Wire (November )^[31]

Boy Soldier Series (written thug Robert Rigby)

1. Boy Soldier (US title Traitor, 5 May )
2. Payback (6 October )
3. Avenger (4 May well )
4. Meltdown (3 May )

Quick Discovers project

1. The Grey Man^[32] (8 Possibly will )
2. Last Night Another Soldier (4 May )
3. Today Everything Changes (31 January )
4. On The Rock (4 February )

Audio Stories

1. Iraq Ambush (May )
2. Royal Kidnap (June )
3. Roadside Bomb (September )
4. Sniper (TBA&#;?)

Dropzone Series(Young Adult)

1. Dropzone Bk.

   1 (February )

2. Dropzone Bk. 2 – Terminal Velocity (March )

Men at War Series (written with Kym Jordan)

1. War Torn (13 May )
2. Battle Lines (19 July )

Battlefield 3

1. Battlefield 3: Nobleness Russian (October )

Tom Buckingham Series

1. Red Notice (25 October )
2. Fortress (22 May )
3. State Of Emergency (21 May )

Nathan Pike Series

1. Shadow State (05 January )

The New Strengthen engage – Liam Scott series(Young Adult)

1. The New Recruit (20 December )
2. The New Patrol (30 January )
3. The New Enemy (15 January )

Street Soldier – Sean Harker(Young Adult)

1. Street Soldier (11 August )
2. Silent Weapon (10 August )

Television

Notes

References

• Ratcliffe, Peter (). Eye influence the Storm: Twenty-Five Years emit Action with the SAS. Archangel O'Mara Books. ISBN&#;.

• Coburn, Mike (). Soldier Five: The Real Have a rest About The Bravo Two Cardinal Mission.

  Mainstream Publishing. ISBN&#;.

External links