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Zero Six Bravo: The Explosive True Story of How 60 Special Forces Survived Against an Iraqi Army of 100,000
In February 2003 sixty elite operators from the SBS, with SAS embeds, were sent 1,000 kilometers behind enemy lines to take the surrender of a 120,000-strong Iraqi army in a mission that seemed lunatic from the start.
Caught in a ferocious ambush by vastly superior forces, the unit launched an epic bid to escape, inflicting carnage on their enemies. Running low on fuel and ammunition, and with their surviving vehicles shot to shreds, they faced dwindling options as the Iraqis closed in. The unit blew their vehicles, destroyed sensitive kit and prepared for death or capture . . .
This is the untold true story of the most desperate battle fought by British and allied Special Forces trapped behind enemy lines since World War Two.
Caught in a ferocious ambush by vastly superior forces, the unit launched an epic bid to escape, inflicting carnage on their enemies. Running low on fuel and ammunition, and with their surviving vehicles shot to shreds, they faced dwindling options as the Iraqis closed in. The unit blew their vehicles, destroyed sensitive kit and prepared for death or capture . . .
This is the untold true story of the most desperate battle fought by British and allied Special Forces trapped behind enemy lines since World War Two.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2013
174 people are currently reading
1007 people want to read
About the author
Damien Lewis
83 books449 followersDamien Lewis became an author largely by accident, when a British publisher asked him if he'd be willing to turn a TV documentary he was working on into a book. That film was shot in the Sudan war zone, and told the story of how Arab tribes seized black African slaves in horrific slave raids. Lewis had been to the Sudan war zone dozens of times over the past decade, reporting on that conflict for the BBC, Channel 4 and US and European broadcasters.
His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 lanc guages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.
Over the preceding fifteen years Lewis had reported from many war, conflict and disaster zones – including Sudan, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan and the Balkans (see Author's Gallery). He (and his film crew) traveled into such areas with aid workers, the British or allied military, UN forces or local military groups, or very much under their own steam. He reported on the horror and human impact of war, as well as the drama of conflict itself. Often, he worked alone. Often, he filmed his own material over extended periods of time living in the war or conflict zone.
During a decade spent reporting from around the world Lewis lived in deserts, rainforests, jungles and chaotic third world cities. In his work and travels he met and interviewed people smugglers, diamond miners, Catholic priests 'gone native', desert nomads, un-contacted tribes, aid workers, bush pilots, arms dealers, genocidal leaders, peacekeepers, game wardens, slum kids, world presidents, heroin traffickers, rebel warlords, child prostitutes, Islamist terrorists, Hindu holy men, mercenaries, bush doctors, soldiers, commanders and spies. He was injured, and was hospitalised with bizarre tropical diseases – including flesh-eating bacteria, worms that burrow through the skin and septicemia – but survived all that and continued to report.
It was only natural that having seen so much of global conflict he would be drawn to stories of war, terrorism, espionage and the often dark causes behind such conflicts when he started writing books. Having written a number of true stories, in 2006 he was chosen as one of the 'nation's 20 favourite authors' and wrote his first fiction, Desert Claw, for the British Government's Quick Read initiative. Desert Claw tells of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers sent into Iraq to retrieve a looted Van Gogh painting, with a savage twist to the tale. That fiction was followed up by Cobra Gold, an equally compelling tale of global drama and intrigue and shadowy betrayal.
Damien Lewis's work, books and films have won the Index on Censorship (UK), CECRA (Spain), Project Censored (US), Commonwealth Relations (UK), Discovery-NHK BANFF (Canada), Rory Peck (UK), BBC One World (UK), BBC-WWF Wildscreen (UK), International Peace Prize (US), Elle Magazine Grande Prix (US), Victor Gollanz (Germany), and BBC One World (UK) Awards. He is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 lanc guages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.
Over the preceding fifteen years Lewis had reported from many war, conflict and disaster zones – including Sudan, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan and the Balkans (see Author's Gallery). He (and his film crew) traveled into such areas with aid workers, the British or allied military, UN forces or local military groups, or very much under their own steam. He reported on the horror and human impact of war, as well as the drama of conflict itself. Often, he worked alone. Often, he filmed his own material over extended periods of time living in the war or conflict zone.
During a decade spent reporting from around the world Lewis lived in deserts, rainforests, jungles and chaotic third world cities. In his work and travels he met and interviewed people smugglers, diamond miners, Catholic priests 'gone native', desert nomads, un-contacted tribes, aid workers, bush pilots, arms dealers, genocidal leaders, peacekeepers, game wardens, slum kids, world presidents, heroin traffickers, rebel warlords, child prostitutes, Islamist terrorists, Hindu holy men, mercenaries, bush doctors, soldiers, commanders and spies. He was injured, and was hospitalised with bizarre tropical diseases – including flesh-eating bacteria, worms that burrow through the skin and septicemia – but survived all that and continued to report.
It was only natural that having seen so much of global conflict he would be drawn to stories of war, terrorism, espionage and the often dark causes behind such conflicts when he started writing books. Having written a number of true stories, in 2006 he was chosen as one of the 'nation's 20 favourite authors' and wrote his first fiction, Desert Claw, for the British Government's Quick Read initiative. Desert Claw tells of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers sent into Iraq to retrieve a looted Van Gogh painting, with a savage twist to the tale. That fiction was followed up by Cobra Gold, an equally compelling tale of global drama and intrigue and shadowy betrayal.
Damien Lewis's work, books and films have won the Index on Censorship (UK), CECRA (Spain), Project Censored (US), Commonwealth Relations (UK), Discovery-NHK BANFF (Canada), Rory Peck (UK), BBC One World (UK), BBC-WWF Wildscreen (UK), International Peace Prize (US), Elle Magazine Grande Prix (US), Victor Gollanz (Germany), and BBC One World (UK) Awards. He is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 10, 2015
A long winded account that really could have been halved in its publication. Repeated facts and opinions that made you want to just get to the key events. A good insight though in to what our Special Forces have to endure. One has to ask who dreamt up this whole Operation as it was a lack of forethought and tactical support that let our forces down yet again. One Chinook, come on!!
October 13, 2017
Here comes the hotstepper.
So, a review. First, I feel kind of sad for the British SF. They always operate on thin margins, and never that awesome and expensive array of cool stuff that the Americans have. They also never fail to mention that. But then, it makes sense. War is expensive.
This book followes the team of SAS/SBS going into Iraq to ask the Iraqi 5th Division, some 100,000 men, to surrender. As you can imagine, this does not go as planned. Fighting ensues. The special forces are in retreat, followed by an army of terrain-savvy Fadaeen in 4x4 Toyota pick up technicals with 12.7mm guns, army regulars in Kraz-225 trucks, and for dessert (desert, ha ha!), a bunch of T-72 tanks with thermal imaging. The Brits have a bunch of underpowered Pinkies (Land Rovers), some machine guns, and Lancastershire curry. Stay chipper.
A very enjoyable read.
It's similar to the story of Pathfinders in Sierra Leone - 26 men against 2,000 rebels - Operation Mayhem, and even the writing style is similar. Heaney becomes Grey, a grizzled veteran with a simplistic, jaded outlook on life. Well, kind of expected for the kind of lifestyle.
The one thing you might find ... missing is that the author does not go into emotions, it's all very factual. Contrast this with Black Hawk Down, where you get the personal perspective of what's happening. In this book, similar to Operation Mayhem, but to an ever greater degree, it's enemy south, enemy north, things are as follows, no doubts, no pain. A bit too much like a sitrep.
Furthermore, the language is definitely simple - it's a worker man's language, not an academy thesis. But it's clear and captivating enough. You also get your expected dose of British jargon, like kip, stag, brew, knackered, dog's bollocks, and a somewhat repetitive use of the words legion and sparking, something just a few paragraphs apart.
One last thing - there's also a factual error - they refer to the F-16's cannon as 21mm 7-barrel Gatling-type weapon, but it is in fact a 20mm 6-barrel gun. There.
All that said, this is a captivating tale, especially more so because of the crazy odds, and the fact the British soldiers lacked the necessary firepower to conduct warfare on equal footing with the Iraqis. They didn't have AT weapons, and even the air support could only give them sonic booms for cover.
It's a weird, bizarre, crazy story, and while the action is short and tight, it's riverting, and quite recommended for military history buffs. No Hollywood glamor that's for sure. A can of spam in the best case.
And some rather awesome humor. That one is never amiss.
Spot on mates, dog's bollocks, THE proverbial. Gets me every time.
Enjoy,
Igor
So, a review. First, I feel kind of sad for the British SF. They always operate on thin margins, and never that awesome and expensive array of cool stuff that the Americans have. They also never fail to mention that. But then, it makes sense. War is expensive.
This book followes the team of SAS/SBS going into Iraq to ask the Iraqi 5th Division, some 100,000 men, to surrender. As you can imagine, this does not go as planned. Fighting ensues. The special forces are in retreat, followed by an army of terrain-savvy Fadaeen in 4x4 Toyota pick up technicals with 12.7mm guns, army regulars in Kraz-225 trucks, and for dessert (desert, ha ha!), a bunch of T-72 tanks with thermal imaging. The Brits have a bunch of underpowered Pinkies (Land Rovers), some machine guns, and Lancastershire curry. Stay chipper.
A very enjoyable read.
It's similar to the story of Pathfinders in Sierra Leone - 26 men against 2,000 rebels - Operation Mayhem, and even the writing style is similar. Heaney becomes Grey, a grizzled veteran with a simplistic, jaded outlook on life. Well, kind of expected for the kind of lifestyle.
The one thing you might find ... missing is that the author does not go into emotions, it's all very factual. Contrast this with Black Hawk Down, where you get the personal perspective of what's happening. In this book, similar to Operation Mayhem, but to an ever greater degree, it's enemy south, enemy north, things are as follows, no doubts, no pain. A bit too much like a sitrep.
Furthermore, the language is definitely simple - it's a worker man's language, not an academy thesis. But it's clear and captivating enough. You also get your expected dose of British jargon, like kip, stag, brew, knackered, dog's bollocks, and a somewhat repetitive use of the words legion and sparking, something just a few paragraphs apart.
One last thing - there's also a factual error - they refer to the F-16's cannon as 21mm 7-barrel Gatling-type weapon, but it is in fact a 20mm 6-barrel gun. There.
All that said, this is a captivating tale, especially more so because of the crazy odds, and the fact the British soldiers lacked the necessary firepower to conduct warfare on equal footing with the Iraqis. They didn't have AT weapons, and even the air support could only give them sonic booms for cover.
It's a weird, bizarre, crazy story, and while the action is short and tight, it's riverting, and quite recommended for military history buffs. No Hollywood glamor that's for sure. A can of spam in the best case.
And some rather awesome humor. That one is never amiss.
Spot on mates, dog's bollocks, THE proverbial. Gets me every time.
Enjoy,
Igor
January 7, 2014
First, let me start by writing that this is a real story and the events described in it are non-fiction, which makes it even more amazing.
When M SQN of the Special Boat Service (SBS: the Navy equivelant of the SAS) was tasked with infiltrating Northern Iraq and forcing the Iraqi 5th Corps to surrender, they didn't know what they were in for.
60 sepcial forces operators and twenty modified Land Rovers against 100, 000 Iraqi soldiers supported by main battle tanks and heavy machine guns.
British "intelligence" suggested that the 5th Corps' morale was low, they weren't going to fight and would more than likely surrender at the first sight of M SQN.
Unfortuantely, nothing could be further from the truth. An incredible story of courage, resilience and dogged determination in the face of insurmountable odds.
This book is well written and I found it difficult to put down. I hadn't heard of M SQN's plight before, which was part of the reason I purchased the book. I'm glad I did.
An incredible true story. I highly recommend it.
When M SQN of the Special Boat Service (SBS: the Navy equivelant of the SAS) was tasked with infiltrating Northern Iraq and forcing the Iraqi 5th Corps to surrender, they didn't know what they were in for.
60 sepcial forces operators and twenty modified Land Rovers against 100, 000 Iraqi soldiers supported by main battle tanks and heavy machine guns.
British "intelligence" suggested that the 5th Corps' morale was low, they weren't going to fight and would more than likely surrender at the first sight of M SQN.
Unfortuantely, nothing could be further from the truth. An incredible story of courage, resilience and dogged determination in the face of insurmountable odds.
This book is well written and I found it difficult to put down. I hadn't heard of M SQN's plight before, which was part of the reason I purchased the book. I'm glad I did.
An incredible true story. I highly recommend it.
January 25, 2025
Crazy story.
May 31, 2022
On the face of it, this is another daring mission that went wrong, akin to Bravo Two Zero, but digging deeper it demonstrates the heroic, unrelenting and determined (albeit blacked out!!!) face of British Special Forces. They go where most would never dream to go in the name of security and whilst we are unlikely to ever meet or even thank these brave soldiers, their endeavours and sacrifices should never be forgotten.
April 28, 2014
Modern Day Thermopylae …
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.
Maybe I had at one point, but considering the flood of daring Spec Op stories these days, it is understandable that only the most recent exploits are memorable. With that being said, Damien Lewis’ ZERO SIX BRAVO details one such mission that I was previously unaware of: A group of 60 British special operators sneaking deep into Iraq to seek the surrender of the 100,000 strong Iraqi Army’s 5th Corps in the early days of the Iraq War. While the boldness of the mission plan and the teeth-clenching chaos it produced certainly provide a great storyline, the book seemed stuck in “preheat” a little too long before things started to cook.
The factors surrounding this particular mission are most compelling: Super-elite British SAS/SBS forces (which included a smattering of Americans) driving open-top Land Rovers over 1,000 miles into Iraq to force/urge an enemy fighting force of 100,000 to surrender. The almost absurd risk of the mission earned the nickname “Operation No Return” before it even started. Despite the raiding force’s superior technology, weaponry and skills, the uncertainty of how the Iraqi’s will react to the surrender request would dictate not only success or failure, but life or death for the British operators. Basically, the mission added up to driving 1000 miles into enemy territory just to kick a hornet’s nest and see how it reacts.
This book certainly has the ingredients for a nail-biting thriller, but it falls a little short of being great in the sense that it dragged on a little too long (roughly 2/3s of the book) before the real action starts popping. Another issue is that Lewis opted to focus on one unit’s experience of the mission (M Squadron) as opposed to an overall view. In other words, we’re only getting part of the story. There are some instances where the narrow perspective of one unit’s predicament leaves readers guessing at what other units in the group are doing in critical moments … Lewis simply details one of several finely-tuned cogs in the well-oiled 60-man machine and it isn’t even the commanding cog. When the entire force runs into the enemy and everything goes awry, the narrow scope Lewis presents hints at other units in the group acting less-competently (getting mired in river bed and failing to prevent the enemy from obtaining sensitive/classified equipment). While this surely may be unintentional, it comes across that way at times.
When the British force is ambushed before reaching their objective, the action starts ratcheting up exponentially. The combat described in the book is more “cat and mouse” with the SAS/SBS men (the mice) driving around the desert at night trying to avoid a hunting party that appears to include tanks from the Iraqi 5th Corps and diehard Saddam loyalists (Fedayeen) zipping around in Toyota’s with heavy machine guns mounted to them (the cats). The sense of desperation and frustration are clearly outlined as the group finds itself surrounded with avenue of escape and not enough ammunition or manpower to fight its way out of the predicament. The last 1/3rd of the book is action-packed and exciting; it just took a little too long to get there.
While I was a little disappointed in Lewis’ presentation, ZERO SIX BRAVO was a worthy read in that it sheds light on how elite soldiers respond so well when the stuff hits the fan. Bad intelligence resulted in 60 men facing certain death, but these men innately found ways to handle everything thrown at them (in the dark, no less) … amazing. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing a screen-adaptation of the story. One thing I do find mind-boggling: that of the book being written in part to offset these SAS/SBS being labeled as “cowards” for refusing to die or be captured (they fought their way out of a disaster). You seriously have to wonder what special-kind of idiot would seriously label any Special Forces soldier as “cowardly”. If anything, the book certainly dispels that ridiculous notion.
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.
Maybe I had at one point, but considering the flood of daring Spec Op stories these days, it is understandable that only the most recent exploits are memorable. With that being said, Damien Lewis’ ZERO SIX BRAVO details one such mission that I was previously unaware of: A group of 60 British special operators sneaking deep into Iraq to seek the surrender of the 100,000 strong Iraqi Army’s 5th Corps in the early days of the Iraq War. While the boldness of the mission plan and the teeth-clenching chaos it produced certainly provide a great storyline, the book seemed stuck in “preheat” a little too long before things started to cook.
The factors surrounding this particular mission are most compelling: Super-elite British SAS/SBS forces (which included a smattering of Americans) driving open-top Land Rovers over 1,000 miles into Iraq to force/urge an enemy fighting force of 100,000 to surrender. The almost absurd risk of the mission earned the nickname “Operation No Return” before it even started. Despite the raiding force’s superior technology, weaponry and skills, the uncertainty of how the Iraqi’s will react to the surrender request would dictate not only success or failure, but life or death for the British operators. Basically, the mission added up to driving 1000 miles into enemy territory just to kick a hornet’s nest and see how it reacts.
This book certainly has the ingredients for a nail-biting thriller, but it falls a little short of being great in the sense that it dragged on a little too long (roughly 2/3s of the book) before the real action starts popping. Another issue is that Lewis opted to focus on one unit’s experience of the mission (M Squadron) as opposed to an overall view. In other words, we’re only getting part of the story. There are some instances where the narrow perspective of one unit’s predicament leaves readers guessing at what other units in the group are doing in critical moments … Lewis simply details one of several finely-tuned cogs in the well-oiled 60-man machine and it isn’t even the commanding cog. When the entire force runs into the enemy and everything goes awry, the narrow scope Lewis presents hints at other units in the group acting less-competently (getting mired in river bed and failing to prevent the enemy from obtaining sensitive/classified equipment). While this surely may be unintentional, it comes across that way at times.
When the British force is ambushed before reaching their objective, the action starts ratcheting up exponentially. The combat described in the book is more “cat and mouse” with the SAS/SBS men (the mice) driving around the desert at night trying to avoid a hunting party that appears to include tanks from the Iraqi 5th Corps and diehard Saddam loyalists (Fedayeen) zipping around in Toyota’s with heavy machine guns mounted to them (the cats). The sense of desperation and frustration are clearly outlined as the group finds itself surrounded with avenue of escape and not enough ammunition or manpower to fight its way out of the predicament. The last 1/3rd of the book is action-packed and exciting; it just took a little too long to get there.
While I was a little disappointed in Lewis’ presentation, ZERO SIX BRAVO was a worthy read in that it sheds light on how elite soldiers respond so well when the stuff hits the fan. Bad intelligence resulted in 60 men facing certain death, but these men innately found ways to handle everything thrown at them (in the dark, no less) … amazing. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing a screen-adaptation of the story. One thing I do find mind-boggling: that of the book being written in part to offset these SAS/SBS being labeled as “cowards” for refusing to die or be captured (they fought their way out of a disaster). You seriously have to wonder what special-kind of idiot would seriously label any Special Forces soldier as “cowardly”. If anything, the book certainly dispels that ridiculous notion.
April 16, 2023
An account of a doomed SBS/SAS mission to western Iraq during the Iraq War. The book is written in a blokey style reflecting the language of the participants and for me that set the wrong tone. It also became clear as I read it that the account is very much based on the perspective of one individual participant, which robs the book of depth. The book felt to me like it was written for readers who don't much like reading and don't read many books - like a TV mini-series.
October 2, 2016
A very, very good story, though I wish it weren't told for dummies as in:
"if an extra guy is on the vehicle, the gunner cannot use the gun... 'Am I in the way of your gun'? the extra guy says and the gunner cannot use the gun no matter what he does... So the gunner could not use his gun"
If only the author and the editor had been brave enough to cut down the story with a third.
"if an extra guy is on the vehicle, the gunner cannot use the gun... 'Am I in the way of your gun'? the extra guy says and the gunner cannot use the gun no matter what he does... So the gunner could not use his gun"
If only the author and the editor had been brave enough to cut down the story with a third.
January 20, 2024
An incredible story of M Squadron from the SBS being tasked with taking the surrender of the Iraqi 5th division of 100,000 men. This is where the tagline of 60 v 100,000 comes from. The book discusses that an intelligence failure led to the "Green Slime" believing that the Iraqi 5th going radio silent meant that they were preparing to defect from Sadam as opposed to awaiting the potential invasion from Turkey that was being negotiated at the time. The key failures are summed up at the beginning with the troops wondering why this meant they would surrender (the 5th only surrendered after the fall of Sadam, three weeks after the invasion) and how the 60 of them were expected to take the surrender. Does each man look after 1666 men? These queries are acknowledged by their cool CO before they set off for an opertation that turns into failure.
I'd be interested in looking more into this objective, the only other description of it I can find is that the force was expected to find the 5th and mark group for additional air troops. I'm guessing that there were many objectives, the most ambitious of which being the taking of the surrender and the least ambitious being to recce in force which was achieved. The lack of Milan anti tank weapons seems an issue though, as they had no way of taking out any single battle tank that they iraqi armour had.
In one section where the Squadron is in their LUP (Lying Up Point) the lead states "Under the rules of engagement Grey knew the terms under which he had the right to shoot the goat boy. If the kid spotted the British force, then he was a clear and present threat, and Grey was within his rights to open fire" which I'm not sure if 100% accurate. Some quick thinking to use an IR beam to laser point a goat's eye to spook them unfortunately didn't seem to pay off.
The Squadron discovered that the Fedayeen and the Iraqi regular forces did in fact cooperate and the Iraqi army was not in low moral, without training and unable to coordinate. They worked together to ambush a Tier 1 special forces unit which is no mean feat. The 1,019km Escape and Evasion is gripping throughout, the F15 air cover flying low to worry the 5th Division, thinking to use the SLAR rockets to pretend the F15s could drop payload despite worries about where the scattered squadron were. The almost commical map in the front of the book showing the circular route that the characters took for an extraction by Chinook.
Choice Notes
'If this was a Delta mission they'd have dedicated air, wouldn't they, boss?' Moth whispered, 'They'd have air above them the
whole time'
"They would,' Grey confirmed,. 'US Spec ops types don't go in unless they've got air power on call?
Moth glanced towards the heavens. 'Guess we can't afford the fuel to fly any'
Grey smiled. 'Welcome to the poor man's military. It's like Dad's Army, but without the panic?
"Ideally M Squadron would be opening negotiations for the 5th Corps surrender as the Coalition offensive began. Otherwise, the men of the 5th Corps would doubtless see reports of their fellow soldiers getting smashed by British and American forces,and their resistance to any form of surrender would likely harden" - I'm 100% sure that seeing your comrades getting smashed makes you more likely to fight if you already want to surrender.
I'd be interested in looking more into this objective, the only other description of it I can find is that the force was expected to find the 5th and mark group for additional air troops. I'm guessing that there were many objectives, the most ambitious of which being the taking of the surrender and the least ambitious being to recce in force which was achieved. The lack of Milan anti tank weapons seems an issue though, as they had no way of taking out any single battle tank that they iraqi armour had.
In one section where the Squadron is in their LUP (Lying Up Point) the lead states "Under the rules of engagement Grey knew the terms under which he had the right to shoot the goat boy. If the kid spotted the British force, then he was a clear and present threat, and Grey was within his rights to open fire" which I'm not sure if 100% accurate. Some quick thinking to use an IR beam to laser point a goat's eye to spook them unfortunately didn't seem to pay off.
The Squadron discovered that the Fedayeen and the Iraqi regular forces did in fact cooperate and the Iraqi army was not in low moral, without training and unable to coordinate. They worked together to ambush a Tier 1 special forces unit which is no mean feat. The 1,019km Escape and Evasion is gripping throughout, the F15 air cover flying low to worry the 5th Division, thinking to use the SLAR rockets to pretend the F15s could drop payload despite worries about where the scattered squadron were. The almost commical map in the front of the book showing the circular route that the characters took for an extraction by Chinook.
Choice Notes
'If this was a Delta mission they'd have dedicated air, wouldn't they, boss?' Moth whispered, 'They'd have air above them the
whole time'
"They would,' Grey confirmed,. 'US Spec ops types don't go in unless they've got air power on call?
Moth glanced towards the heavens. 'Guess we can't afford the fuel to fly any'
Grey smiled. 'Welcome to the poor man's military. It's like Dad's Army, but without the panic?
"Ideally M Squadron would be opening negotiations for the 5th Corps surrender as the Coalition offensive began. Otherwise, the men of the 5th Corps would doubtless see reports of their fellow soldiers getting smashed by British and American forces,and their resistance to any form of surrender would likely harden" - I'm 100% sure that seeing your comrades getting smashed makes you more likely to fight if you already want to surrender.
July 15, 2019
A truly excellent, fast-paced book telling the story of an unsuccessful foray of SBS’s M Squadron into Northern Iraq during the 2003 campaign. Based on flawed intelligence, the 60-strong squadron was inserted deep behind the enemy lines to receive capitulation of Iraqi 5th Army Corps, said to be willing to contemplate surrender, prior to the commencement of the ground campaign. As the soldiers very soon found out, the 5th Army Corps was not in any way intending to surrender, and the squadron found itself battling a combined force of the 5th Corps and the Fedayeen militia. For a week the squadron managed to advance north undetected. After being spotted by a goat shepherd, it waged an initial battle on the numerically superior Iraqi force, and, after Iraqi armour moved into action, it went into an escape and evasion mode. Faced by such an overwhelming force, it is remarkable that the squadron managed to avoid any fatal casualties and, with the exception of two of its members, who escaped to Syria and were held captive there for three weeks, managed to extract safely in three groups.
Although much better equipped (clothing and weapons) and mobile (Land Rover “Pinkies” and quads) than the famous SAS’s Bravo Two Zero patrol from more than a decade earlier, it faced many of the latter’s circumstances: poor intelligence data, minimal planning, very limited air support - only two Chinook helicopters available (which meant that the squadron had to insert over three consecutive nights, increasing the risk of detection and contributing to tiredness of the soldiers who slept very little over a period of 7 days, and had to abandon its vehicles, when airlifted) and no top cover from attack aircraft for most of the squadron’s mission, not to mention being spotted by a goat shepherd. Only the superior training and battle experience of the soldiers allowed the satisfactory outcome. The unfair part, which presumably led to the writing of the book, was that the force was heavily criticised by the media and commentators for running away from the enemy and abandoning their equipment (some of the explosive charges placed in the Pinkies and quads failed to ignite, leading to these vehicles being paraded by the Iraqis). Upon reading the book, and assuming that the account there contained is true, one realises how unfair such statements may have been.
Having just read another UK special forces book (“SAS Operation Storm”), I found the literary style of “Zero Six Bravo” much more interesting. Overall, therefore, a great book to read.
Although much better equipped (clothing and weapons) and mobile (Land Rover “Pinkies” and quads) than the famous SAS’s Bravo Two Zero patrol from more than a decade earlier, it faced many of the latter’s circumstances: poor intelligence data, minimal planning, very limited air support - only two Chinook helicopters available (which meant that the squadron had to insert over three consecutive nights, increasing the risk of detection and contributing to tiredness of the soldiers who slept very little over a period of 7 days, and had to abandon its vehicles, when airlifted) and no top cover from attack aircraft for most of the squadron’s mission, not to mention being spotted by a goat shepherd. Only the superior training and battle experience of the soldiers allowed the satisfactory outcome. The unfair part, which presumably led to the writing of the book, was that the force was heavily criticised by the media and commentators for running away from the enemy and abandoning their equipment (some of the explosive charges placed in the Pinkies and quads failed to ignite, leading to these vehicles being paraded by the Iraqis). Upon reading the book, and assuming that the account there contained is true, one realises how unfair such statements may have been.
Having just read another UK special forces book (“SAS Operation Storm”), I found the literary style of “Zero Six Bravo” much more interesting. Overall, therefore, a great book to read.
April 18, 2022
I really enjoy reading these types of first-hand accounts of War. They make me proud of my country and of the men who serve and sometimes very angry at my country for not doing enough to support the men who give all for us. Many times I read these accounts and am amazed at the incompetence of the high command and some of the really terrible missions that the military have to carry out due to the decisions of terrible politicians. I am often moved to tears by many of these accounts.
That said, this book wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. It has many great reviews so I chose this from my collection to read next. I generally read books written by and about American Special Forces, so book looked interesting and I wanted to read a book from the British perspective. I have to say I was a bit disappointed by this book. Not by the men who did the impossible and survived, but by the author of this book.
This author was very long winded and went on too long on filler as I was waiting for the inevitable fighting to begin. After about 100 pages in and still nothing major had happened, I was beginning to wonder if anything was going to happen. I think the first 100 pages could have been cut in half with little loss of interesting details. That said, the end of the book was very good and stressful to read as I waited for the men to be rescued from their battlefield. I also wish the author had included stories from others in the unit. The squadron was broken up into three units after they escaped from the "wadi of death" but we only followed Grey and the men with him. I would liked to have had more perspectives in this book from the other major players in the squadron, particularly those leading the other elements. Instead we just get an epilogue that told us what happened to them and how they were rescued.
I would also have liked to know a little about what happened to the Iraqi forces that were engaged. This is a story of a small force of special forces having to overcome impossible odds when they discover the truth on the ground is nothing like the intelligence given to them by their command.
That said, this book wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. It has many great reviews so I chose this from my collection to read next. I generally read books written by and about American Special Forces, so book looked interesting and I wanted to read a book from the British perspective. I have to say I was a bit disappointed by this book. Not by the men who did the impossible and survived, but by the author of this book.
This author was very long winded and went on too long on filler as I was waiting for the inevitable fighting to begin. After about 100 pages in and still nothing major had happened, I was beginning to wonder if anything was going to happen. I think the first 100 pages could have been cut in half with little loss of interesting details. That said, the end of the book was very good and stressful to read as I waited for the men to be rescued from their battlefield. I also wish the author had included stories from others in the unit. The squadron was broken up into three units after they escaped from the "wadi of death" but we only followed Grey and the men with him. I would liked to have had more perspectives in this book from the other major players in the squadron, particularly those leading the other elements. Instead we just get an epilogue that told us what happened to them and how they were rescued.
I would also have liked to know a little about what happened to the Iraqi forces that were engaged. This is a story of a small force of special forces having to overcome impossible odds when they discover the truth on the ground is nothing like the intelligence given to them by their command.
June 29, 2018
Being a reader of military history and fiction, this book is over the top. Quite possibly one of the best I have read this year. It is the story of British SAS behind enemy lines during the Iraqi War. The trials that these 60 soldiers went thru is beyond belief. It is a MUST READ for military lovers.
Even though this is factual account, let me explain the book like this: you can read the great naval fiction where a British ship is under fire by two French frigates (the mundane books), or you have the authors that write about having a British frigate where 1/3 of the crew are mutinous, 1/2 the crew have yellow fever and the ship is being chased by two French frigates, oh and yes- the mizzen mast just got shot off. This book describes the latter one, except it is in real life.
I believe this is the 2014 version of the 2004 original version. I think the 2004 book may have been titled: Operation Certain Death.
Even though this is factual account, let me explain the book like this: you can read the great naval fiction where a British ship is under fire by two French frigates (the mundane books), or you have the authors that write about having a British frigate where 1/3 of the crew are mutinous, 1/2 the crew have yellow fever and the ship is being chased by two French frigates, oh and yes- the mizzen mast just got shot off. This book describes the latter one, except it is in real life.
I believe this is the 2014 version of the 2004 original version. I think the 2004 book may have been titled: Operation Certain Death.
September 14, 2025
A cracking tale of derring do
This is a non-fictional narrative based on interviews with the survivors of ‘Operation No Return’, a joint special forces mission sent into Northern Iraq at the start of the second Iraq war in April 2003. They were tasked with an impossible mission: to cover over a thousand kilometres of desert behind enemy lines to seek the (highly improbable) surrender of Saddam Hussein’s well-equipped and well-trained Fifth Corps. Instead they found themselves surrounded by some 100,000 mixed forces including fanatical Fedayeen, infantry and battle tanks. A combination of luck and tactical brilliance on the ground eventually resulted in the extraction of every member of M Troop - no mean feat. Clearly a tale told by the survivors is bound to paint their heroics in the best light - nonetheless this was a remarkable feat.
This is a non-fictional narrative based on interviews with the survivors of ‘Operation No Return’, a joint special forces mission sent into Northern Iraq at the start of the second Iraq war in April 2003. They were tasked with an impossible mission: to cover over a thousand kilometres of desert behind enemy lines to seek the (highly improbable) surrender of Saddam Hussein’s well-equipped and well-trained Fifth Corps. Instead they found themselves surrounded by some 100,000 mixed forces including fanatical Fedayeen, infantry and battle tanks. A combination of luck and tactical brilliance on the ground eventually resulted in the extraction of every member of M Troop - no mean feat. Clearly a tale told by the survivors is bound to paint their heroics in the best light - nonetheless this was a remarkable feat.
December 5, 2018
Zero Six Bravo by Damien Lewis was about the story of British and Allied soldiers fighting a war in Iraq. This story shows the struggle and how intense it was to survive the attacks of the Iraqi Army. They were out numbered and in unfamiliar terrain, they shouldn’t have survived. I rate this book 3 stars because the first 100 pages were really hard to get through. It was full of a lot of boring detail and background information that personally I did not care about. I recommend this book to people who like war and can take gruesome images created by the author. This book is action packed and the author does a great job with imagery on the battlefield.
September 16, 2019
I'm going to pause before I finish this book to share my disappointment.
Tales of courage, of men who dare to battle the odds and the enemy were made for me. I may not finish this one anyway. Two-thirds of the way through, and I've reached the conclusion this story is just too thin to to see - or in this case to read on. Most of this book amounts to the risks of driving overland, especially in the dark. Got it; it's perilous with boulders and bogs plus the enemy out there. But page after page? I'm ready for something else.
HH
Tales of courage, of men who dare to battle the odds and the enemy were made for me. I may not finish this one anyway. Two-thirds of the way through, and I've reached the conclusion this story is just too thin to to see - or in this case to read on. Most of this book amounts to the risks of driving overland, especially in the dark. Got it; it's perilous with boulders and bogs plus the enemy out there. But page after page? I'm ready for something else.
HH
April 14, 2020
Damien's works are addictive, im yet to read one of his books that didn't really draw you in. He delivers tension & suspense in such a masterful way. Really enjoyed this book, the story is extremely captivating. Only thing which is unusual for Damien, is that its told entirely from one perspective. I can see why it may have only been possible to do it this way, but there are certain elements of the story which would have benefited from more than one perspective. Nonetheless a very enjoyable read!
November 16, 2023
A very good read. How the special operators of M Squadron of the Special Boat Service managed to survive to a hot extraction while outmanned, outgunned and basically unsupported is a modenrn military miracle. Their mission was a prime example of how the military can mount an operation based on faulty intelligence with an inadequately supplied and sized unit. After their rescue the men of Zero Six Bravo were vilified as nothing less than cowards who ran from the Iragis - nothing could havebeen further from the truth.
August 5, 2019
This is a inspiring book, which brings you into the minds of those select few who fight for our freedoms. It is also inspiring in terms of honour, duty and fortitude. As is so often the case, the British expect so much from so few, and in this unit they got it; it is such a pity that the media responded the way they did without knowing the facts, as this caused so much heartache to so many in the unit and their families. READ AND BE INSPIRED!
April 2, 2021
Another book I couldn’t put down, what an amazing account of true heroism and guts in the face of overwhelming odds. I find it hard to comprehend how the powers that be sanctioned this operation based on woefully incorrect inaccurate intelligence. Not only that the troops lacked the ability to deploy as one force compounding the danger that they faced. It’s testimony to those involved that they managed to get out without loss despite the lack of support and equipment that they clearly deserved.
June 9, 2024
This is a superbly written account of the incredible mission undertaken by a British SAS/SBS squadron deep behind the lines in Iraq. It reads like fiction but is completely true. It's one of those books that, once you get started, it becomes tough to put down. But put it down once in a while if, for no other reason, than to catch your breath. The courage, daring, fast-thinking, and sheer resilience of this bunch of Brits (and an American) is truly remarkable. Highly recommended.
January 3, 2019
Damien Lewis had access to the men from this mission - and the contents has been vetted by the British military. It's hard to believe you are reading a non-fiction book.
Written in an engaging style, I found it hard to put down.
A fascinating insight into the tenaciousness and resourcefulness of the British Special Forces.
Written in an engaging style, I found it hard to put down.
A fascinating insight into the tenaciousness and resourcefulness of the British Special Forces.
June 26, 2019
An exciting read about Zero Six Bravo, a mission in Iraq in Gulf War II.
The story tells of how the team were compromised in a way not too dissimilar to Bravo Two Zero in Gulf War I, and how they had to escape and evade the Iraqi army and Fedayeen.
It's well written and is exciting in that you can at times feel you're there with the soldiers, literally shitting bricks.
The story tells of how the team were compromised in a way not too dissimilar to Bravo Two Zero in Gulf War I, and how they had to escape and evade the Iraqi army and Fedayeen.
It's well written and is exciting in that you can at times feel you're there with the soldiers, literally shitting bricks.
September 13, 2020
A well written first hand account of an operation that very few know about, and most of those that had heard about it were very mistaken about what actually happened. It's nothing short of a miracle that every single one of the SBS operators who went on this oepration made it out alive, in one way or another.
March 27, 2024
This is one of the dumbest ideas for an operation I’ve ever read about. Lions lead by donkeys (Blair being the ass in chief for sending our military into Iraq in the first place).
It’s a shame the book didn’t go into who was responsible for this blunder as I get the impression the OC was just following orders from higher up the chain of command.
It’s a shame the book didn’t go into who was responsible for this blunder as I get the impression the OC was just following orders from higher up the chain of command.
July 7, 2017
Dokumentárne a informačne bohaté. Miestami písané aj/najmä? pre ľudí, ktorých sivé mozgové bunky si odskočili na dlhšiu dovolenku, ale realita sa od akčných príbehov (a ich vizualizácií) často značne líši.
June 6, 2018
When they say explosive they aren't kidding. Once they get deployed in Iraq the book becomes impossible to put down. I read this book in 2 days it as an incredible read and amazed at their survival. Damien Lewis writes an amazing piece of history. Highly recommend.
April 7, 2019
ps
Good read , gripping story , these lads should he treated as hero's and given due respect , its a pity some one can't come up with a way to stop the dust clouds forming when they are on such ops ?
Good read , gripping story , these lads should he treated as hero's and given due respect , its a pity some one can't come up with a way to stop the dust clouds forming when they are on such ops ?
October 17, 2019
This is one of those books that will frustrate you with what our government demands from our armed services.
It's a book about pure British military stupidity and it's not a bad book but it's just nowhere near as good as his SAS Nazi Hunter book which is one of my favourite books of all time.
It's a book about pure British military stupidity and it's not a bad book but it's just nowhere near as good as his SAS Nazi Hunter book which is one of my favourite books of all time.
May 30, 2021
Fantastic action thriller. I had zero foreknowledge of the events in the book except a rough memory of the war. Once in the final quarter of the book I could not put it down and had to stay up to finish.
As a Yank, some of the British dialog takes a bit of repetition before it makes sense.
As a Yank, some of the British dialog takes a bit of repetition before it makes sense.
August 16, 2017
I don't give many five star ratings. This definitely deserves it.
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