Andy mcnab author biography page

English army sergeant and essayist (born 1959)

Steven Billy MitchellCBE, DCM, MM (born 28 December 1959), usually lay by the pseudonym and stage name of Andy McNab, is a-okay novelist and former Special Atmosphere Service soldier.^[1][2]

He came into disclose prominence in 1993 when fair enough published a book entitled Bravo Two Zero containing an tally of a military mission which he led with the Uncommon Air Service (SAS) during decency Gulf War, for which oversight was awarded the Distinguished Behaviour Medal.^[3][4] He had previously archaic awarded the Military Medal thrill 1979 for gallantry in relish whilst serving with the Queenly Green Jackets in Northern Ireland.^[5][6]

He has published a number company other novels and two autobiographies in addition to Bravo Pair Zero.

He has also obtainable a book on psychopathy favoured The Good Psychopath's Guide around Success, claiming that he exhibits many psychopathic traits.^[7][8]

Early life

McNab was born on 28 December 1959. He did not do lob in school, and eventually guileful nine schools in seven geezerhood.

After dropping out of academy McNab worked at various extraordinary jobs, usually for friends trip relatives, and was involved unexciting petty criminality, finally being collar for burglary in 1976. Nominal inspired by his brother's period in the army, he lacked to join the British Flock. He failed the entry call for training as an soldiers pilot, but enlisted with rectitude Royal Green Jackets at leadership age of sixteen after state released from juvenile detention.^[9]

When McNab joined the army he was found to have the connection age of an eleven-year-old.

Soon before his seventeenth birthday pacify read his first book, privileged Janet and John. Speaking herbaceous border 2019, McNab recalled how "I can vividly remember the infer of pride and achievement Unrestrained felt. It was meant promotion primary school children but Unrestrainable didn’t care ... From accordingly on I read anything playing field everything I could get slump hands on."^[10]

Military career

He was apprised to Kent for his main training, and boxed for her highness regimental team.

After basic grooming, he was posted to illustriousness Rifle Depot in Winchester. Coerce 1977 he spent time hutch Gibraltar as part of culminate first operational posting, while letter 2nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets.^{[citation needed]}

From December 1977 to June 1978, he was posted run into South Armagh, Northern Ireland, style part of the British Army's Operation Banner.

In 1978 extra 1979, he returned to Armagh as a newly promoted Distressed Corporal, and claimed to be endowed with killed for the first patch during a firefight with class Provisional Irish Republican Army. McNab wrote of the incident: "I remember vividly the first put on ice I had to kill accommodating to stay alive.

I was a 19-year-old soldier in Keady, South Armagh, and my investigate stumbled across six IRA private soldiers, preparing for an ambush. Considering that the shooting started, they were just 20 metres away depart from my patrol. I was shocked, very scared." He was awarded the Military Medal for that incident.

However, security sources adjacent reported that the person McNab shot was only wounded contemporary died as a result carp injuries from a separate emit later that day.^[6]

In 1982, aft six years' service with loftiness Royal Green Jackets (RGJ), final having been promoted to loftiness rank of sergeant, he optimistic for transfer into the Particular Air Service Regiment, which was approved by the RGJ.

Tail end failing his first attempt rest United Kingdom Special Forces Choice, he passed in 1984, tube was attached to the Commando, with which he remained fulfill the rest of his occupation in the British Army. Mid his 10 years with "Air Troop", B Squadron, 22 Commando Regiment, he served with Superfluous Slater, Frank Collins and Physicist "Nish" Bruce.^[11] Writing in The Daily Telegraph in November 2008, McNab describes Bruce as "one of my heroes."^[12]

McNab worked have both covert and overt nerve center including counter terrorism and palliative operations in the Middle Eastern and Far East, South unthinkable Central America and Northern Eire.

McNab trained as a harmony in counter terrorism, prime improve elimination, demolitions, weapons, tactics, furtive surveillance roles and information congress in hostile environments, and Celeb protection. He worked on perverse operations with police forces, oubliette services, anti-drug forces and Western-backed guerrilla movements as well renovation on conventional special operations.

Cage up Northern Ireland, he spent unite years working as an confidential operator with 14 Intelligence Troupe, going on to become disentangle instructor.^[9]

During the Gulf War, McNab commanded an eight-man SAS sentinel, designated Bravo Two Zero, digress was given the task good deal destroying underground communication links among Baghdad and north-west Iraq reprove with tracking Scud missile movements in the region.

The explore was dropped into Iraq reading 22 January 1991, but was soon compromised, following which dull attempted an escape on mounting towards Syria, the closest fusion country.^{[citation needed]}

Three of the quantity were killed, and four captured (including McNab) after three period on the run; one associate, Chris Ryan, escaped.

The captured men were held for scandalize weeks before being released engorge 5 March.^[13] By that ahead, McNab was suffering from daring damage to both hands, trim dislocated shoulder, kidney and food damage, and hepatitis B. Associate six months of medical running he was back on in a deep sleep service.

Awarded both the Festive Conduct Medal and Military Ornamentation during his military career, McNab claims to have been representation British Army's most highly adorned serving soldier when he lefthand the SAS in February 1993.^[9]

Post-military career

McNab assumed his pseudonym space fully writing Bravo Two Zero.

What because he appeared on television acquiesce promote his books or plan act as a special serve expert, his face was shadow to prevent identification.^[14] According coalesce the book The Big Breach, by Richard Tomlinson, a judas MI6 spy, McNab was eat away of a special training line-up after the Iraq War, knowledge MI6 recruits in sabotage suffer guerrilla warfare techniques.

Due interest the extremely sensitive nature set in motion his work while serving knapsack the SAS, McNab is wiped out by contract to submit queen writings to the Ministry pray to Defence for review.^[2]

After leaving rendering Army, McNab developed and retained a specialist training course rationalize news crews, journalists and staff of non-governmental organisations working plug hostile environments.

He spent purpose in Hollywood as a complex weapons adviser and trainer in the bag Michael Mann's film Heat. Appease was also the technical exponent on the 2005 crime skin Dirty.^{[15][better source needed]}

In February 2007, McNab joint to Iraq for seven years as The Sun newspaper's sanctuary adviser with 2nd Battalion, Integrity Rifles.^[16]

McNab has written about king experiences in the SAS dynasty three best-selling books, Bravo Bend in half Zero (1993), Immediate Action (1995), and Seven Troop (2008).

Bravo Two Zero sold over 1.7 million copies, with Immediate Action promotion 1.4 million in the UK. Middle-of-the-road has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages.^[9] The CD spoken locution version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold go bad 60,000 copies and earned spick silver disc.

A BBC fell of Bravo Two Zero, president Sean Bean, was shown requisition prime time BBC One prod in 1999 and released point of view DVD in 2000. Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of leadership best-seller lists following the appropriating of an ex-parte injunction conj albeit to the Ministry of Exoneration in September 1995.^[9]

The veracity chastisement McNab's first book, Bravo Several Zero, has been questioned soak Michael Asher, an explorer, Student and former SAS reservist, who visited Iraq with a Thorough 4 film crew, and interviewed many eyewitnesses.

Asher concluded go wool-gathering much of what McNab wrote was a fabrication, and roam there was no evidence turn this way the Bravo Two Zero recce accounted for a single incompatible casualty.^[17][18] Moreover, McNab's account topmost that of his comrade Chris Ryan are contradictory on multitudinous points.

This has been substantiated by Peter Ratcliffe, who was regimental sergeant major of 22 SAS Regiment during the Locate War, who stated that, importance a debriefing to the comprehensive Regiment, recorded on video, nil of the patrol members catch on to contacts with large numbers confront enemies or any of nobleness other extraordinary incidents included unswervingly the books.^[19] Asher's conclusion was that the book's claim inhibit be "the true story time off an SAS patrol in action" was a fraud.^[17]

McNab now lives in New York City accord with his fifth wife.^[2] He assignment a director of military attack recruitment, mentoring and Foundation disposal, ForceSelect.^[20][vague]

In August 2014, McNab was one of 200 public census who were signatories to capital letter to The Guardian eloquent their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part allround the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.^[21]

In distinction 2017 Birthday Honours, McNab was appointed Commander of the Command of the British Empire (CBE) for services to literacy captivated charity.

The award recognised charity work with The Measure Agency promoting literacy, particularly riposte young adults and prisoners.^[22] Greatness award was gazetted under illustriousness name "Andrew McNab".^[23]

Fiction writing

McNab shambles the author of a delivery of action thrillers written condemn the help of a ghostwriter.^[24]

The Nick Stone Missions are orderly successful series based on air ex-SAS soldier working on questionable operations for British intelligence.

Integrity series draws extensively on McNab's experiences and knowledge of Momentous Forces soldiering. The Boy Fighter Series was written with glory co-operation of Robert Rigby see follows a boy named Danny Watts and his grandfather Fergus, apparently a rogue ex-SAS fighter.

McNab has also written books for Quick Reads, a tolerance that supports World Book interval.

BBC raw words offers thorough audio versions of the original Quick Reads by Andy McNab, Last Night Another Soldier (2010), read by Rupert Degas. Fear fiction books include Audio Made-up, Men at War series, Combat zone 3, Tom Buckingham series, limit two young adult series: Dropzone Stories and The New Draft series.

McNab worked with Divide serving as the game's adviser on military tactics for Battlefield 3.^[25] He penned a coupling novel called Battlefield 3: Authority Russian, which follows the unique of a Spetsnaz GRU man Dmitri "Dima" Mayakovsky and diadem involvement against the PLR (People's Liberation & Resistance), an Iranianparamilitaryinsurgent group, as well as climax connection to the antagonist.^[26][27] Grandeur novel was released on 25 October 2011.^[28]

Film work

After his crack on the Miramax film Heat, Miramax acquired the film seek to the first four look upon McNab's novels, and as human 2011 Echelon was in bargain, based on the book Firewall (2000).

McNab is to co-produce and co-write the script status also act as technical adviser.^[29] In 2014, Luke Evans was cast as Tom Buckingham joy Red Notice with Nick Like as director. McNab is single out for punishment consult as technical adviser remarkable have a role in run as well. This did shout end up happening.^{[needs update]}

Other work

McNab took part in E4's Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack on 13 January 2008.^[30]

The Mobcast e-book territory he co-founded with Tony Be united was sold to Tesco apply for £4.5 million; McNab's share was £1 million.^[1]

Books

Non-fiction

Fiction

Nick Stone Missions

1. Remote Control (17 February 1998)
2. Crisis Four (22 August 2000)
3. Firewall (5 October 2000)
4. Last Light (1 October 2001)
5. Liberation Day (1 October 2002)
6. Dark Winter (3 November 2003)
7. Deep Black (1 Nov 2004)
8. Aggressor (1 November 2005)
9. Recoil (6 November 2006)
10. Crossfire (12 November 2007)
11. Brute Force (3 November 2008)
12. Exit Wound (5 November 2009)
13. Zero Hour (25 November 2010)
14. Dead Centre (15 Sept 2011)
15. Silencer (24 October 2013)
16. For Valour (23 October 2014)
17. Detonator (22 Oct 2015)
18. Cold Blood (20 October 2016)
19. Line Of Fire (20 October 2017)
20. Down to the Wire (November 2022)^[31]

Boy Soldier Series (written with Parliamentarian Rigby)

1. Boy Soldier (US fame Traitor, 5 May 2005)
2. Payback (6 October 2005)
3. Avenger (4 May 2006)
4. Meltdown (3 May 2007)

Quick Reads project

1. The Grey Man^[32] (8 May 2006)
2. Last Night Another Soldier (4 Might 2010)
3. Today Everything Changes (31 Jan 2013)
4. On The Rock (4 Feb 2016)

Audio Stories

1. Iraq Ambush (May 2007)
2. Royal Kidnap (June 2007)
3. Roadside Bomb (September 2007)
4. Sniper (TBA ?)

Dropzone Series(Young Adult)

1. Dropzone Bk.

   1 (February 2010)

2. Dropzone Bk. 2 – Terminal Velocity (March 2011)

Men at War Series (written handle Kym Jordan)

1. War Torn (13 May 2010)
2. Battle Lines (19 July 2012)

Battlefield 3

1. Battlefield 3: The Russian (October 2011)

Tom Buckingham Series

1. Red Notice (25 October 2012)
2. Fortress (22 Haw 2014)
3. State Of Emergency (21 Hawthorn 2015)

Nathan Pike Series

1. Shadow State (05 January 2023)

The New Recruit – Liam Scott series(Young Adult)

1. The Modern Recruit (20 December 2012)
2. The Additional Patrol (30 January 2014)
3. The Fresh Enemy (15 January 2015)

Street Combatant – Sean Harker(Young Adult)

1. Street Soldier (11 August 2016)
2. Silent Weapon (10 August 2017)

Television

Notes

References

• Ratcliffe, Peter (2000). Eye go the Storm: Twenty-Five Years joy Action with the SAS. Archangel O'Mara Books. ISBN .

• Coburn, Mike (2004). Soldier Five: The Real Facts in fact About The Bravo Two Cipher Mission.

  Mainstream Publishing. ISBN .

External links