What do you think?
Rate this book
The Real Bravo Two Zero by Michael Asher (9-Apr-2002) Hardcover
'Bravo Two Zero' was the code-name of the famous SAS a classic story of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. BRAVO TWO ZERO by patrol commander 'Andy McNab' became an international bestseller, as did the book by 'Chris Ryan' (THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY). Both men became millionaires. Three members of the patrol were killed. One, veteran sergeant Vince Phillips, was blamed in both books for a succession of mistakes. As Michael Asher reveals, the stories in BRAVO TWO ZERO and THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY grew considerably in the telling. Their heroic tales of taking out tanks with their rocket launchers, mowing down hundreds of Iraqi soldiers, the silent stabbing of the occasional sentry, were never mentioned at their post-war debriefings... In an investigation literally in the footsteps of the patrol, Michael Asher tells the true story.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2002
41 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Michael Asher
56 books63 followersMichael Asher is an author, historian, deep ecologist, and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in Sudan.
Michael Asher was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1953, and attended Stamford School. At 18 he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, and saw active service in Northern Ireland during The Troubles there in the 1970s.
He studied English Language & Linguistics at the University of Leeds. at the same time serving in B Squadron, 23rd SAS Regiment. He also studied at Carnegie College, Leeds, where he qualified as a teacher of physical education and English.
In 1978-9, he worked for the RUC Special Patrol Group anti-terrorist patrols, but left after less than a year. He took a job as a volunteer English teacher in the Sudan in 1979.
The author of twenty-one published books, and presenter/director of six TV documentaries, Asher has lived in Africa for much of his life, and speaks Arabic and Swahili. He is married to Arabist and photographer Mariantonietta Peru, with whom he has a son and a daughter, Burton and Jade. He currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
Michael Asher was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in 1953, and attended Stamford School. At 18 he enlisted in the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, and saw active service in Northern Ireland during The Troubles there in the 1970s.
He studied English Language & Linguistics at the University of Leeds. at the same time serving in B Squadron, 23rd SAS Regiment. He also studied at Carnegie College, Leeds, where he qualified as a teacher of physical education and English.
In 1978-9, he worked for the RUC Special Patrol Group anti-terrorist patrols, but left after less than a year. He took a job as a volunteer English teacher in the Sudan in 1979.
The author of twenty-one published books, and presenter/director of six TV documentaries, Asher has lived in Africa for much of his life, and speaks Arabic and Swahili. He is married to Arabist and photographer Mariantonietta Peru, with whom he has a son and a daughter, Burton and Jade. He currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 2, 2017
Got to admit that I wasn't impressed with this book. I'm not saying that McNab's Bravo Two Zero is a historical document, far from it, but this book just seemed to have a bitter pettiness to it that left a sour taste in my mouth. It seemed to me to be more suited to a biased tabloid.
November 28, 2010
This is a must read for anyone who is interested in the Special Forces in general or SAS "Bravo Two Zero" patrol in particular. Michael Asher is amongst other things ex SAS and this is the account of his on-the-ground 2001 research into what happened to the Bravo Two Zero patrol in Iraq in 1991. It is a fascinating detective story which begins with Asher meeting Uday Hussain then finding and walking the route taken by the patrol.
With the help of local people, Asher manages to find the actual locations which were the milestones for the Bravo Two Zero patrol. During the book Asher tests and calls into question some of the claims made by "Andy McNab" and "Chris Ryan". This book must make uncomfortable reading for them.
Having read the book; for what they did achieve, I still hold all those concerned in high regard, but will now consider McNab's original book as historical fiction.
With the help of local people, Asher manages to find the actual locations which were the milestones for the Bravo Two Zero patrol. During the book Asher tests and calls into question some of the claims made by "Andy McNab" and "Chris Ryan". This book must make uncomfortable reading for them.
Having read the book; for what they did achieve, I still hold all those concerned in high regard, but will now consider McNab's original book as historical fiction.
September 18, 2021
Justice for Sgt Vince Phillips
The book is well written and I read it literally in one sitting. I had been somewhat taken in by some of the bluster of McNab and Ryan’s accounts of the patrol. Despite not taking down the overall heroism of the patrol members after the patrol was compromised, this account does bring in some realism. It also rehabilitates the reputation of Sgt Vince Phillips who it is convincingly argued was wrongly accused of being responsible for the compromising of the mission and also accused of not being up to the job. I’m pretty sure neither Messrs McNab nor Ryan enjoyed this account as much as I did.
The book is well written and I read it literally in one sitting. I had been somewhat taken in by some of the bluster of McNab and Ryan’s accounts of the patrol. Despite not taking down the overall heroism of the patrol members after the patrol was compromised, this account does bring in some realism. It also rehabilitates the reputation of Sgt Vince Phillips who it is convincingly argued was wrongly accused of being responsible for the compromising of the mission and also accused of not being up to the job. I’m pretty sure neither Messrs McNab nor Ryan enjoyed this account as much as I did.
December 5, 2008
THE REAL BRAVO TWO ZERO is Michael Asher's attempt to shed light on what really happened during the ill-fated Bravo Two Zero mission in Iraq that Andy McNab and Chris Ryan wrote about.
Such an expose is inherently interesting - and there's plenty of material to get out of the story. Asher wanders around Iraq, speaking to the Iraqis who were involved in the story, and his findings are shocking. But I can't help feeling he's coming a little late to the party, determined to spoil the story, rake up some controversy and make some cash at the same time. So that sours the experience for me.
Such an expose is inherently interesting - and there's plenty of material to get out of the story. Asher wanders around Iraq, speaking to the Iraqis who were involved in the story, and his findings are shocking. But I can't help feeling he's coming a little late to the party, determined to spoil the story, rake up some controversy and make some cash at the same time. So that sours the experience for me.
January 26, 2020
Kind of worth a read
Interesting read - some loose conclusions: the story (the real story) remains a mystery to me. Interesting to read the story from another perspective... but alas take it with a grain of salt.
Interesting read - some loose conclusions: the story (the real story) remains a mystery to me. Interesting to read the story from another perspective... but alas take it with a grain of salt.
March 1, 2019
Michael Asher has an axe to grind!
Having read both “Bravo Two Zero” and “ The one that got away” , I couldn’t help but feel that Michael Asher was constantly trying to disprove both Mcnab and Ryan’s accounts. I appreciate that Asher was trying to defend the honour of the regiment, and of Vince Phillips, but the book was overshadowed by a sense of sometimes childlike rivalry, as if he wanted to be their himself on that fateful mission, but tries to discredit the ones who were.
For me, it was a good read, but at times, I felt that I was reading about one man’s personal mission to discredit the whole affair, which doesn’t seem to be in the nature of an ex SAS veteran. Nobody knows for sure if Asher’s account was also embellished, so for me, the fact finding became more of a subjective endeavour with Asher most certainly out to get Mcnab and Ryan. A little bit disappointing due to the personal vendettas against the other authors.
Having read both “Bravo Two Zero” and “ The one that got away” , I couldn’t help but feel that Michael Asher was constantly trying to disprove both Mcnab and Ryan’s accounts. I appreciate that Asher was trying to defend the honour of the regiment, and of Vince Phillips, but the book was overshadowed by a sense of sometimes childlike rivalry, as if he wanted to be their himself on that fateful mission, but tries to discredit the ones who were.
For me, it was a good read, but at times, I felt that I was reading about one man’s personal mission to discredit the whole affair, which doesn’t seem to be in the nature of an ex SAS veteran. Nobody knows for sure if Asher’s account was also embellished, so for me, the fact finding became more of a subjective endeavour with Asher most certainly out to get Mcnab and Ryan. A little bit disappointing due to the personal vendettas against the other authors.
May 24, 2017
Well that certainly puts end to the BS of Bravo Two Zero and The One That Got Away. Proved that McNab and Ryan have distorted the truth informed to cash in.
Asher travels back to Iraq and traced the "exploits" of the ill fated B2O patrol. He interviews witnesses there and pulls apart the stories and prices together a more feasible outcome.
They had some great exploits which would make great reading so why embellish it, much better read than the actual B20 and OTGA.
Asher travels back to Iraq and traced the "exploits" of the ill fated B2O patrol. He interviews witnesses there and pulls apart the stories and prices together a more feasible outcome.
They had some great exploits which would make great reading so why embellish it, much better read than the actual B20 and OTGA.
June 7, 2022
I read this immediately after Soldier Five, which was possibly more believable than Bravo Two Zero and The One That Got Away, but it's still hard to reconcile the locals' account of the first firefight in the wadi with Coburn's which talks of tracer rounds going over their heads. The locals wouldn't have had these but it's hard to imagine that all 3 soldiers were mistaken about the presence of Iraqi military.
So, I enjoyed this but it leaves some questions unanswered.
So, I enjoyed this but it leaves some questions unanswered.
October 25, 2020
Truth without propaganda
Very enjoyable read.
For me, reading this book removed the indoctrination and propaganda that I have been taught about the Iraqi people.
For this reason alone, it is a book well worth reading even if you aren’t interested in the military aspect. It is a true eye opener. My gracious thanks to the author.
Very enjoyable read.
For me, reading this book removed the indoctrination and propaganda that I have been taught about the Iraqi people.
For this reason alone, it is a book well worth reading even if you aren’t interested in the military aspect. It is a true eye opener. My gracious thanks to the author.
October 24, 2025
Better Than The Originals
Like most military personnel, both serving and ex, Michael Asher found the stories recounted by ‘McNab & Ryan’ hard t believe.
The difference, he had the unique skill set and opportunity to retrace their steps and prove it.
A well written comprehensive account of one man’s efforts to clear his friends name.
Like most military personnel, both serving and ex, Michael Asher found the stories recounted by ‘McNab & Ryan’ hard t believe.
The difference, he had the unique skill set and opportunity to retrace their steps and prove it.
A well written comprehensive account of one man’s efforts to clear his friends name.
October 14, 2020
One of the best reads ever
Excellent reading and having the experience of been in the Army myself for six years , you work alongside guys like Michael Asher we hold in High Regard
Excellent reading and having the experience of been in the Army myself for six years , you work alongside guys like Michael Asher we hold in High Regard
November 6, 2022
Compelling, very important read to know what really happened out there on iraqi desert during the patrol. Book also saves honour of Vince Phillips and this is the most important about this read. I have a great respect to the author for this book.
October 27, 2018
The most believable book about this
July 19, 2020
248 pages
October 14, 2020
Great read, giving insight into the real events of Bravo Two Zero.
July 19, 2021
It's amazing what you can find out when you literally speak the language.
First rate investigating from Mr Asher.
First rate investigating from Mr Asher.
September 25, 2022
Good read and interesting questions raised
May 18, 2023
This story needed to be told and it alternated between interesting and dry as toast.
December 2, 2024
I read this after reading all the other B20 related books out there. Very eye opening and raises a lot of questions about the other two well known accounts.
October 15, 2019
You cannot just read the book and not watch the Doc.
Well, it is a good one.
Well, it is a good one.
November 23, 2014
(Spoiler Alert)
Having just reread The One That Got Away, and Bravo Two Zero again, one after the other, it was obvious that there were discrepancies between the two, and Michael Asher's account became a must read for me. I'd also read about Chris Ryan's reaction to Asher's exposé in that he apparently wanted to meet him behind the bike sheds to settle things with a punch up. The bizarre thing about that was that it suggested that the best pugilist must be telling the truth!
In actual fact, while Asher seems to disprove conclusively the veracity of all that is written in the Ryan and McNab books, he does so in a fair way without taking anything away from the patrol members in terms of endurance and courage.
One thing that did leave me disappointed (in Chris Ryan) was the strong doubt Asher casts on Ryan's account of the actions of Vince Phillips. He also put forward some all too believable theories about Ryan's possible motives in denigrating Vince. It's OK not not let the truth get in the way of a good story, but portraying a fellow soldier as inept and a coward when they are dead and can't tell their side of the story, is pretty low. Shame on you Chris Ryan (Colin Armstrong).
Of the three books, Asher's is the most well written, and kept me interested throughout. He convinced me that Ryan and McNab's whining about it being a put up job by Iraq with actors magically inserted into Asher's path along with extended families, or entire communities all with an identical account of what really happened to the B2Z patrol, was nonsense.
I will now seek and read Soldier Five by Mike Coburn with my fingers crossed that his account is near to Michael Asher's than to either The One That Got Away, or Bravo Two Zero.
Having just reread The One That Got Away, and Bravo Two Zero again, one after the other, it was obvious that there were discrepancies between the two, and Michael Asher's account became a must read for me. I'd also read about Chris Ryan's reaction to Asher's exposé in that he apparently wanted to meet him behind the bike sheds to settle things with a punch up. The bizarre thing about that was that it suggested that the best pugilist must be telling the truth!
In actual fact, while Asher seems to disprove conclusively the veracity of all that is written in the Ryan and McNab books, he does so in a fair way without taking anything away from the patrol members in terms of endurance and courage.
One thing that did leave me disappointed (in Chris Ryan) was the strong doubt Asher casts on Ryan's account of the actions of Vince Phillips. He also put forward some all too believable theories about Ryan's possible motives in denigrating Vince. It's OK not not let the truth get in the way of a good story, but portraying a fellow soldier as inept and a coward when they are dead and can't tell their side of the story, is pretty low. Shame on you Chris Ryan (Colin Armstrong).
Of the three books, Asher's is the most well written, and kept me interested throughout. He convinced me that Ryan and McNab's whining about it being a put up job by Iraq with actors magically inserted into Asher's path along with extended families, or entire communities all with an identical account of what really happened to the B2Z patrol, was nonsense.
I will now seek and read Soldier Five by Mike Coburn with my fingers crossed that his account is near to Michael Asher's than to either The One That Got Away, or Bravo Two Zero.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2013
I suppose I'm doing things back to front here. Never having read McNab's or Ryan's famous books, I decided to start off with Michael Asher's. His is a remarkable work of investigative journalism and an adventure in its own right. It would seem Asher, being an ex-SAS - was mainly motivated by a sense of loyalty to the SAS and in particular to one of the fallen from Bravo Two Zero, Sgt Vince Phillips. He goes about retracing the steps of the 8-man patrol trapped behind enemy lines in Iraq. Bit by bit our Arabic speaking author finds very surprising information that asks serious questions of both Ryan' s and McNab's portrayals of events and in particular, Sgt Phillips' character. In reconstructing history he uses information from local people, in particular the local Bedouin. Asher seems to be on a mission to find the truth - or come as close to it as he can. He goes about it as efficiently as only a goal oriented military practitioner can, but he attempts to remain respectful, humane and as unbiased as possible. The name of Vince Phillips is eventually vindicated; serious questions are asked of the reports by Ryan and especially McNab. Nonetheless everyone remains a hero. Nobody is vilified. Being an SAS member asks for a special kind of soldier - something that each member of the patrol clearly was. Asher's book is a premium read for persons interested in military history, reality action and the Gulf War. I suppose I will now have to read the books by McNab and Ryan, albeit thy will seem semi-fictional in places?
October 14, 2015
Like most people, I was compelled to read this after reading Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab and The One That Got Away by Chris Ryan. There are several instances in each book that don't correlate with each other and I was eager to find out the truth.
Asher is clearly credible and well qualified to make conclusions about Bravo Two Zero as he lived is he is ex-SAS and knows the desert and Bedouin people intimately. The book goes into a lot of detail about each and that in itself was quite fascinating.
I think it's fair to say Asher has a strong dislike of both McNab and Ryan, especially McNab. Throughout the book he continually shows McNab to have been quite liberal with the truth and Ryan as well to some extent. After reading this I'm in no doubt that both McNab and Ryan are unreliable.
All of that said, it's easy to forget the patrol members suffered in the line of duty and I don't think Asher stresses this enough. One criticism I have of Asher is that the book sometimes comes across as a vendetta against McNab and he barely ever tries to hide his disdain of the man. He is quite clearly fond of the Bedouin as well and I think this sometimes clouds his judgement.
All in all, a great and informative read. I'm not too bothered McNab and Ryan have been shown to be inaccurate as I enjoyed the books regardless. I do however think Ryan comes out of this read worse than McNab. His continual slating of Vince Phillips has been shown to be dubious by Asher and I think the real tragedy here is that Phillips' was needlessly vilified by his own men.
Asher is clearly credible and well qualified to make conclusions about Bravo Two Zero as he lived is he is ex-SAS and knows the desert and Bedouin people intimately. The book goes into a lot of detail about each and that in itself was quite fascinating.
I think it's fair to say Asher has a strong dislike of both McNab and Ryan, especially McNab. Throughout the book he continually shows McNab to have been quite liberal with the truth and Ryan as well to some extent. After reading this I'm in no doubt that both McNab and Ryan are unreliable.
All of that said, it's easy to forget the patrol members suffered in the line of duty and I don't think Asher stresses this enough. One criticism I have of Asher is that the book sometimes comes across as a vendetta against McNab and he barely ever tries to hide his disdain of the man. He is quite clearly fond of the Bedouin as well and I think this sometimes clouds his judgement.
All in all, a great and informative read. I'm not too bothered McNab and Ryan have been shown to be inaccurate as I enjoyed the books regardless. I do however think Ryan comes out of this read worse than McNab. His continual slating of Vince Phillips has been shown to be dubious by Asher and I think the real tragedy here is that Phillips' was needlessly vilified by his own men.
January 15, 2015
Two remarkable books appeared after the first Iraq war – Andy McNab’s Bravo Two Zero,& Chris Ryan’s The One That Got Away, detailing the experiences of a squad of SAS soldiers, who fought an epic ongoing battle against Iraqi forces, killing over 250, destroying mobile units, and Ryan, eventually, walking all the way to Syria and freedom. Together, the books represented one of the most remarkable running battles since Xenophon’s march across Persia.
According to Asher, another former SAS soldier, who retraced their steps across Iraq and who, fluent in Arabic, spoke with soldiers, police and civilians involved in this event, much of these accounts were lies. No Iraqis were killed, and McNab, and even more so, Ryan, besmirched the memory of one of their sergeants, who was blamed for their discovery. The book recognizes what was truly heroic in the squad’s actions, something far removed from McNab and Ryan’s Rambo fantasies, and in addition, is written in the grand tradition of desert loving Englishmen who travel with who some believe to be the most honest and honorable people on earth, the traditional Bedouin. Highly recommended
According to Asher, another former SAS soldier, who retraced their steps across Iraq and who, fluent in Arabic, spoke with soldiers, police and civilians involved in this event, much of these accounts were lies. No Iraqis were killed, and McNab, and even more so, Ryan, besmirched the memory of one of their sergeants, who was blamed for their discovery. The book recognizes what was truly heroic in the squad’s actions, something far removed from McNab and Ryan’s Rambo fantasies, and in addition, is written in the grand tradition of desert loving Englishmen who travel with who some believe to be the most honest and honorable people on earth, the traditional Bedouin. Highly recommended
November 16, 2012
When I first read the dust jacket of Bravo Two Zero I was appalled. It was a story of superhuman devotion to the job. Of men, almost Titans, who tried to take on monstrous evil and were defeated. Asher's books are far more interesting. Firstly Asher is ex SAS too and he couldn't believe McNab's account. But more importantly Asher knows the Bedu and Toureg well (he crossed the Sahara longways with his wife once) and writes convincingly about them. Along with a Channel 4 camera crew Asher visited Iraq (under Saddam) and clinically pulls McNab's account to pieces. My favourite parts are where B2Z encounter 'local farmers' who turn out to actually be retired crack soldiers from the Iran-Iraq war, and where B2Z are finally arrested by Police. It isn't vindictive. He just has more respect for the SAS and the Bedu than McNab did.
June 15, 2013
A thoughtful and convincing account of what actually happened during the infamous SAS patrol in Iraq. Asher is meticulous in his research and even-handed in his treatment of the evidence. For me this is the definitive account of what actually happened. This book must form the base of a trilogy and should be read by anyone who has first read both Bravo Two Zero and The One The Got Away.
September 17, 2013
MA while trying to uncover the real BTZ,he created his own friction world. Astonishing that MA would come out such kind of story. He just pick up pieces here and there yet nothing conclusive to reveal the real truth behind BTZ. I reread this book to get a clear picture having reread Andy version. Yet my conclusion nothing solid from MA.
October 4, 2014
A good book well written and thoroughly researched. It make the reading of Andy McNab's book a must.I found after this book i was asking myself questions about McNab's story which now just seems too fantastic in parts.Worthy of your time a good read.I suggest reading Andy McNab's story first then reading this so you can understand what is going on.
December 10, 2015
A very competent investigation on what happened to the SAS patrol Bravo Two Zero during the first world war, Michael Asher uses all his accumulated skills as an Arabist and Bedouin expert to extract the truth. rated 4 in my scale.
July 26, 2020
This was interesting and shows how hard it is to write a book about war. Some would say that the team exaggerated their exploits - to me this book just increased the magnitude of my respect for what they achieved. A well researched book, to be commended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews