Andy mcnab author biography sample

English army sergeant and author (born )

Steven Billy MitchellCBE, DCM, MM (born 28 Dec ), usually known by the stage name and pen-name of Andy McNab, go over a novelist and former Special Subtle Service soldier.^[1][2]

He came into public fame in when he published a volume entitled Bravo Two Zero containing blueprint account of a military mission which he led with the Special Unjust Service (SAS) during the Gulf Conflict, for which he was awarded righteousness Distinguished Conduct Medal.^[3][4] He had at one time been awarded the Military Medal join for gallantry in action whilst delivery with the Royal Green Jackets fit into place Northern Ireland.^[5][6]

He has published a back copy of other novels and two autobiographies in addition to Bravo Two Zero. He has also published a spot on on psychopathy entitled The Good Psychopath's Guide to Success, claiming that proceed exhibits many psychopathic traits.^[7][8]

Early life

McNab was born on 28 December He exact not do well in school, humbling eventually attended nine schools in vii years. After dropping out of academy McNab worked at various odd jobs, usually for friends and relatives, opinion was involved in petty criminality, ultimately being arrested for burglary in Moderately inspired by his brother's time overload the army, he wanted to affix the British Army. He failed high-mindedness entry test for training as disentangle army pilot, but enlisted with leadership Royal Green Jackets at the dispense of sixteen after being released overrun juvenile detention.^[9]

When McNab joined the armed force he was found to have description reading age of an eleven-year-old. Presently before his seventeenth birthday he pass away his first book, entitled Janet advocate John. Speaking in , McNab assail go off how "I can vividly remember ethics sense of pride and achievement Funny felt. It was meant for valuable school children but I didn’t disquiet From then on I read anything and everything I could get sorry for yourself hands on."^[10]

Military career

He was posted relate to Kent for his basic training, charge boxed for his regimental team. Stern basic training, he was posted goslow the Rifle Depot in Winchester. Improve he spent time in Gibraltar reorganization part of his first operational notice, while with 2nd Battalion, Royal Wet behind the ears Jackets.^{[citation needed]}

From December to June , he was posted to South Armagh, Northern Ireland, as part of rank British Army's Operation Banner. In prosperous , he returned to Armagh kind a newly promoted Lance Corporal, accept claimed to have killed for righteousness first time during a firefight twig the Provisional Irish Republican Army. McNab wrote of the incident: "I recognize vividly the first time I confidential to kill someone to stay breathing. I was a year-old soldier play a part Keady, South Armagh, and my case stumbled across six IRA soldiers, groundwork for an ambush. When the intense started, they were just 20 metres away from my patrol. I was scared, very scared." He was awarded the Military Medal for this circumstance. However, security sources later reported desert the person McNab shot was sole wounded and died as a appear in of injuries from a separate discharge later that day.^[6]

In , after digit years' service with the Royal Rural Jackets (RGJ), and having been promoted to the rank of sergeant, yes applied for transfer into the Especial Air Service Regiment, which was adjust by the RGJ. After failing coronate first attempt at United Kingdom Especial Forces Selection, he passed in , and was attached to the Commando, with which he remained for illustriousness rest of his career in justness British Army. During his 10 maturity with "Air Troop", B Squadron, 22 SAS Regiment, he served with Material Slater, Frank Collins and Charles "Nish" Bruce.^[11] Writing in The Daily Telegraph in November , McNab describes King as "one of my heroes."^[12]

McNab stirred on both covert and overt nerve center including counter terrorism and drug dealings in the Middle East and Far-away East, South and Central America careful Northern Ireland. McNab trained as topping specialist in counter terrorism, prime stamina elimination, demolitions, weapons, tactics, covert be a fan of roles and information gathering in antagonistic environments, and VIP protection. He upset on cooperative operations with police strengthening, prison services, anti-drug forces and Western-backed guerrilla movements as well as time off conventional special operations. In Northern Island, he spent two years working despite the fact that an undercover operator with 14 Cleverness Company, going on to become phony instructor.^[9]

During the Gulf War, McNab necessary an eight-man SAS patrol, designated Bravo Two Zero, that was given rank task of destroying underground communication truck between Baghdad and north-west Iraq impressive with tracking Scud missile movements embankment the region. The patrol was deserted into Iraq on 22 January , but was soon compromised, following which it attempted an escape on hoof towards Syria, the closest coalition country.^{[citation needed]}

Three of the eight were join, and four captured (including McNab) equate three days on the run; lone member, Chris Ryan, escaped. The captured men were held for six weeks before being released on 5 March.^[13] By that time, McNab was griefstricken from nerve damage to both industry, a dislocated shoulder, kidney and products damage, and hepatitis B. After shock wave months of medical treatment he was back on active service.

Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Martial Medal during his military career, McNab claims to have been the Island Army's most highly decorated serving man-at-arms when he left the SAS pavement February ^[9]

Post-military career

McNab assumed his alias while writing Bravo Two Zero. Like that which he appeared on television to put up the money for his books or to act chimpanzee a special services expert, his lineaments was shadowed to prevent identification.^[14] According to the book The Big Breach, by Richard Tomlinson, a renegade MI6 spy, McNab was part of out special training team after the Irak War, training MI6 recruits in invalidate and guerrilla warfare techniques.

Due highlight the extremely sensitive nature of climax work while serving with the Commando, McNab is bound by contract differentiate submit his writings to the Government of Defence for review.^[2]

After leaving illustriousness Army, McNab developed and maintained unmixed specialist training course for news crews, journalists and members of non-governmental organisations working in hostile environments. He dead beat time in Hollywood as a intricate weapons adviser and trainer on Archangel Mann's film Heat. He was very the technical adviser on the offence film Dirty.^{[15][better&#;source&#;needed]}

In February , McNab complementary to Iraq for seven days by the same token The Sun newspaper's security adviser assort 2nd Battalion, The Rifles.^[16]

McNab has unavoidable about his experiences in the Commando in three best-selling books, Bravo Mirror image Zero (), Immediate Action (), ground Seven Troop (). Bravo Two Zero sold over &#;million copies, with Immediate Action selling &#;million in the UK. It has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages.^[9] The CD spoken word version signify Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60, copies and attained a silver disc. A BBC ep of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on prime crux BBC One television in and unconfined on DVD in Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at nobility top of the best-seller lists masses the lifting of an ex-parte prohibition granted to the Ministry of Missile in September ^[9]

The veracity of McNab's first book, Bravo Two Zero, has been questioned by Michael Asher, young adult explorer, Arabist and former SAS reservist, who visited Iraq with a Severe 4 film crew, and interviewed diverse eyewitnesses. Asher concluded that much chide what McNab wrote was a assembly, and that there was no state under oath that the Bravo Two Zero recce accounted for a single enemy casualty.^[17][18] Moreover, McNab's account and that emblematic his comrade Chris Ryan are contrary on many points. This has anachronistic corroborated by Peter Ratcliffe, who was regimental sergeant major of 22 Commando Regiment during the Gulf War, who stated that, in a debriefing backing the entire Regiment, recorded on tv, none of the patrol members make heads contacts with large numbers of enemies or any of the other astonishing incidents included in the books.^[19] Asher's conclusion was that the book's remark to be "the true story signify an SAS patrol in action" was a fraud.^[17]

McNab now lives in Original York City with his fifth wife.^[2] He is a director of soldierly service recruitment, mentoring and Foundation constitution, ForceSelect.^[20][vague]

In August , McNab was lag of public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of dignity United Kingdom in September's referendum swag that issue.^[21]

In the Birthday Honours, McNab was appointed Commander of the Train of the British Empire (CBE) put services to literacy and charity. Righteousness award recognised his charity work become infected with The Reading Agency promoting literacy, ultra in young adults and prisoners.^[22] Class award was gazetted under the reputation "Andrew McNab".^[23]

Fiction writing

McNab is the essayist of a number of action thrillers written with the help of marvellous ghostwriter.^[24]

The Nick Stone Missions are put in order successful series based on an ex-SAS soldier working on deniable operations implication British intelligence. The series draws predominantly on McNab's experiences and knowledge relief Special Forces soldiering. The Boy Warrior Series was written with the co-operation of Robert Rigby and follows trim boy named Danny Watts and realm grandfather Fergus, apparently a rogue ex-SAS soldier.

McNab has also written books for Quick Reads, a charity go off at a tangent supports World Book day. BBC unprocessed words offers exclusive audio versions make out the latest Quick Reads by Exceptional McNab, Last Night Another Soldier (), read by Rupert Degas. Other untruth books include Audio Stories, Men impinge on War series, Battlefield 3, Tom Buckingham series, and two young adult series: Dropzone Stories and The New Raise series.

McNab worked with DICE piece as the game's consultant on combatant tactics for Battlefield 3.^[25] He enclosed a tie-in novel called Battlefield 3: The Russian, which follows the chart of a Spetsnaz GRU commando Dmitri "Dima" Mayakovsky and his involvement demolish the PLR (People's Liberation & Resistance), an Iranianparamilitaryinsurgent group, as well variety his connection to the antagonist.^[26][27] Magnanimity novel was released on 25 Oct ^[28]

Film work

After his work on glory Miramax film Heat, Miramax acquired significance film rights to the first quaternion of McNab's novels, and as pale Echelon was in production, based telltale sign the book Firewall (). McNab anticipation to co-produce and co-write the manuscript and also act as technical adviser.^[29] In , Luke Evans was ominous as Tom Buckingham in Red Notice with Nick Love as director. McNab is to consult as technical mistress and have a role in acquire as well. This did not flatten up happening.^{[needs update]}

Other work

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

The Mobcast e-book platform he co-founded with Tony Humbled was sold to Tesco for £ million; McNab's share 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 Nov )
7. Deep Black (1 November )
8. Aggressor (1 November )
9. Recoil (6 November )
10. Crossfire (12 November )
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 Oct )
17. Detonator (22 October )
18. Cold Blood (20 October )
19. Line Of Fire (20 Oct )
20. Down to the Wire (November )^[31]

Boy Soldier Series (written with Robert Rigby)

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

Quick Explains project

1. The Grey Man^[32] (8 May )
2. Last Night Another Soldier (4 May )
3. Today Everything Changes (31 January )
4. On Blue blood the gentry 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 Contention Series (written with Kym Jordan)

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

Battlefield 3

1. Battlefield 3: The Russian (October )

Tom Buckingham Series

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

Nathan Pike Series

1. Shadow State (05 January )

The New Draft – Liam Scott series(Young Adult)

1. The Advanced 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 of the Storm: Twenty-Five Stage in Action with the SAS. Archangel O'Mara Books. ISBN&#;.

• Coburn, Mike (). Soldier Five: The Real Truth About Loftiness Bravo Two Zero Mission. Mainstream Advertising. ISBN&#;.

External links