Andy McNab
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Andy McNab (born December 28 1959) is a British former soldier turned novelist. McNab came to public prominence in 1993 when he wrote an account about the failed SAS mission Bravo Two Zero during the Gulf War. He has subsequently authored an autobiography and ten works of fiction.
McNab's real name is not known to the public. He assumed the pseudonym Andy McNab when writing Bravo Two Zero. When he appears on television to promote his books or to act as a special services expert, his face is shadowed to prevent viewers from identifying him. As Larry King put it when McNab appeared on the Larry King Live show on CNN: "He's in shadow for his security, as he is wanted dead by some terrorist groups." Others have suggested however that continuing to use a pseudonym and appearing in shadows is more about building an air of mystique and the McNab brand than for security reasons. Despite this, he has been known to attend secret book signings, showing up moments before the signing, accompanied by an entourage of bodyguards.
Although Bravo Two Zero brought him immediate fame and success, McNab has since been accused of vastly exaggerating the facts behind his Gulf War mission. McNab's claim that his squad inflicted between 200 and 250 enemy casualties during their mission is particularly dubious. Certain events recounted by McNab in Bravo Two Zero have even been debunked as complete fabrications by sources as authoritative as McNab's teammates and the former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major, Peter Ratcliffe.
Despite the fact that Bravo Two Zero's credibility as a legitimate and factual account of war is highly questionable, Andy McNab's success as a novelist, technical advisor, and cultural icon has remained largely unaffected.
Following the Iraq war, it was subsequently revealed by Richard Tomlinson, the renegade MI6 spy in his book "The Big Breach" (ISBN 1903813018), that McNab was part of a special training team, readying new MI6 recruits in sabotage and guerrilla warfare techniques.
According to the bio published in Last Light (Pocket Books printing March 2003, ISBN 0-7434-0629-X):
- Andy McNab is a former member of the British SAS, one of the world's toughest and most respected elite special-forces commando units. Involved in covert and overt operations on five continents, McNab worked alongside Delta Force, the FBI, and the DEA. When he left the regiment in 1993, he was the most highly decorated serving soldier in the British Army. He is now a sought-after lecturer on security and remains closely tied to the intelligence communities on both sides of the Atlantic....
- Due to the extremely sensitive nature of his work with the SAS, Andy McNab is the only author who has to submit his fiction to the British Ministry of Defense for review, and he is still wanted by a number of the world's terrorist organizations. He is therefore forbidden to reveal either his face or his current location.
However, it should be noted that in his autobiography Immediate Action, McNab describes his involvement in a number of operations in Northern Ireland prior to his SAS selection, during which time he was in the Royal Green Jackets. During one such episode, he reveals his part in the shooting and killing of IRA operatives during a foot patrol, and this, rather than his later role in the SAS, could explain his concerns at being 'wanted'.
Books
Non-fiction
- Bravo Two Zero (October 7, 1993)
- Immediate Action (1995)
Fiction
Nick Stone Missions- Remote Control (February 17, 1998)
- Crisis Four (August 22, 2000)
- Firewall (October 5, 2000)
- Last Light (October 1, 2001)
- Liberation Day (October 1, 2002)
- Dark Winter (November 3, 2003)
- Deep Black (November 1, 2004)
- Aggressor (November 1, 2005)
- Boy Soldier (with Robert Rigby, US title *Traitor, May 5, 2005)
- Payback (with Robert Rigby, October 6, 2005)
- Boy Soldier 3: Avenger (May 4, 2006)
- Boy Soldier 4 (October 5, 2006)Coming soon!
- The Grey Man (May 8, 2006)
External links
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