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THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
A first-hand account of the Bravo Two Zero mission by the only member of the SAS team to evade capture. He reveals the true aim of the mission and the inadequacy of their briefing. Dropped behind Iraqi lines during the Gulf War, the team members are separated, and Jackson begins his lonely journey.
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
137 people are currently reading
2391 people want to read
About the author
Chris Ryan
342 books1,019 followersColin Armstrong (b. 1961), usually known by the pen-name Chris Ryan, is a British author, television presenter, security consultant and former Special Air Service sergeant.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.
After the publication of fellow patrol member Andy McNab's Bravo Two Zero in 1993, Ryan published his own account of his experiences during the Bravo Two Zero mission in 1995, entitled The One That Got Away. Since retiring from the British Army Ryan has published several fiction and non-fiction books, including Strike Back, which was subsequently adapted into a television series for Sky 1, and co-created the ITV action series Ultimate Force. He has also presented or appeared in numerous television documentaries connected to the military or law enforcement.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
August 10, 2011
As the companion to Bravo Two-Zero this provides another point of view of the events that took place in Iraq during the first Iraq war. The major difference is that the author was one of the three which got separated from the other five members of the squad and was the only one to actually escape Iraq.
It is always worthwhile seeing the same events from different points of view, as all memories are coloured by perspective. The main difference in these two accounts is that Andy takes most of the responsibility upon his own shoulders, whereas Chris blames others. This difference is going to draw you more to one account over the other depending on how you react.
I wasn't taken with the 'blame' approach that Chris takes on in the earlier part of the book and I was alienated. When he then goes on to relate his solo exploits until he is safely back with his units, I am drawn more into his story. It gives an excellent insight into physical and mental hardships and damage that the extreme conditions inflicted upon Chris. It also shows the, at times, unbelievable situations that he has to endure with various British officials and officers - the head of the Jordanian secret police who is an object of abject terror to his countrymen treats him infinitely better than one of his own countrymen!
Definitely worth a read, but it must be read with at least Bravo Two-Zero to get a more rounded view of events.
It is always worthwhile seeing the same events from different points of view, as all memories are coloured by perspective. The main difference in these two accounts is that Andy takes most of the responsibility upon his own shoulders, whereas Chris blames others. This difference is going to draw you more to one account over the other depending on how you react.
I wasn't taken with the 'blame' approach that Chris takes on in the earlier part of the book and I was alienated. When he then goes on to relate his solo exploits until he is safely back with his units, I am drawn more into his story. It gives an excellent insight into physical and mental hardships and damage that the extreme conditions inflicted upon Chris. It also shows the, at times, unbelievable situations that he has to endure with various British officials and officers - the head of the Jordanian secret police who is an object of abject terror to his countrymen treats him infinitely better than one of his own countrymen!
Definitely worth a read, but it must be read with at least Bravo Two-Zero to get a more rounded view of events.
August 8, 2017
What a great book! Absolutely brilliant!
May 26, 2009
To say Chris Ryan is not a egotist would be a lie, pictures in this book show him walking through fire in a sort of "Rambo" style.
To say he is a hero is also a lie, he starts the story talking about how his nerves cut out, and moments in his remarakable trak make you want to go "But how could you do that?"
But one thing that is not a lie....Chris Ryan is damn impressive, strong willed and can get the job done, and if not, he can salavge something from it.
This work, which made him fairly well known in the UK, is a great read, it happened and it made us re-think what a human under huge strains can pull off, it also shows how war and hardships can mess the minds of those who lived them afterwards.
Basicly two stories, his escape and the aftermath, The One that Got Away is a great bit of work, if you can just get over some of the things Chris talks about...
4/5
To say he is a hero is also a lie, he starts the story talking about how his nerves cut out, and moments in his remarakable trak make you want to go "But how could you do that?"
But one thing that is not a lie....Chris Ryan is damn impressive, strong willed and can get the job done, and if not, he can salavge something from it.
This work, which made him fairly well known in the UK, is a great read, it happened and it made us re-think what a human under huge strains can pull off, it also shows how war and hardships can mess the minds of those who lived them afterwards.
Basicly two stories, his escape and the aftermath, The One that Got Away is a great bit of work, if you can just get over some of the things Chris talks about...
4/5
January 2, 2014
If your reading Bravo Two Zero then you should read this, its another 1st person perspective of the same fateful mission.
September 15, 2012
Looking at the cover of the edition I bought, I think you'd be forgiven if you initally judged Chris Ryan to be a bit egocentric, because it bears the tagline "The real hero of Bravo Two Zero". Being published two years after Andy McNab's account of his experience in the same mission I translated that as "Do you know how difficult it is to escape from Iraq when there's a war on? Those other guys just sat there and people hit them!". Whether or not Ryan himself was responsible for the final cover, I don't know, but I thought it was tactless.
The book starts at the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 before the invasion of Iraq. There were plans to insert three groups of SAS soldiers with varying objectives. Chris Ryan and Andy McNab are the most famous veterans of one of these groups: Bravo Two Zero. I Ryan's version of the story had more detail about the situation in their base camp and some of the problems that they had planning their mission, which is a fairly damning account of the disorganisation and lack of communication that existed: the failure of the army to keep track of its weapons stock, the lack of adequate knowledge of the terrain and the failure to check that the radios were capable of communicating. Like many disasters, a lot of mistakes needed to line up (the Swiss Cheese model) to result in the group being compromised, unable to get help and suffering from hypothermia.
Both Ryan and McNab have similar writing styles: first person, which gives them impression of them telling the story to you personally, and this makes it easy to read even when it gets technical. I would have preferred the introduction into who Ryan was and how he ended up joining the SAS to have been at the start. It's placed in the middle, almost like a dream sequence when they're lying up waiting during the day.
Unlike McNab's account, Ryan places a lot of blame and speaks very lowly of his colleage Vince, which given that Vince died during the mission and cannot speak for himself, it comes across as unfair. I guess that in a stressful situation, when you feel one of the party isn't coping as well as they could, it's easy to appropriate blame.
Perhaps the most interesting, and worrying part of the book is at the end, after Ryan ends up at the British Embassy in Damascus. At this point, it's obvious that the army has no plan for what to do in these situation, despite it being something that they are supposed to plan for. I was particularly surprised at the emphasis given on interrogating him and not immediately seeking medical attention, or letting him contact his family, even under supervision. I know that getting the information about why the mission went wrong is obviously important, but in the long run it's hardly encouraging for anyone who's likely to find themselves in a similar position in the future and personally, I think explains a lot why soldiers suffer psychologically.
All in all, this is a useful book for anyone who's involved in (Clinical) Risk Management, because it highlights how important it is to model all outcomes, that looking after your staff is important and the fact that relatives should not be ignored. I can only hope that from it, our armed forces have learned something useful and that twenty years on, we're not making the same mistakes.
The book starts at the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 before the invasion of Iraq. There were plans to insert three groups of SAS soldiers with varying objectives. Chris Ryan and Andy McNab are the most famous veterans of one of these groups: Bravo Two Zero. I Ryan's version of the story had more detail about the situation in their base camp and some of the problems that they had planning their mission, which is a fairly damning account of the disorganisation and lack of communication that existed: the failure of the army to keep track of its weapons stock, the lack of adequate knowledge of the terrain and the failure to check that the radios were capable of communicating. Like many disasters, a lot of mistakes needed to line up (the Swiss Cheese model) to result in the group being compromised, unable to get help and suffering from hypothermia.
Both Ryan and McNab have similar writing styles: first person, which gives them impression of them telling the story to you personally, and this makes it easy to read even when it gets technical. I would have preferred the introduction into who Ryan was and how he ended up joining the SAS to have been at the start. It's placed in the middle, almost like a dream sequence when they're lying up waiting during the day.
Unlike McNab's account, Ryan places a lot of blame and speaks very lowly of his colleage Vince, which given that Vince died during the mission and cannot speak for himself, it comes across as unfair. I guess that in a stressful situation, when you feel one of the party isn't coping as well as they could, it's easy to appropriate blame.
Perhaps the most interesting, and worrying part of the book is at the end, after Ryan ends up at the British Embassy in Damascus. At this point, it's obvious that the army has no plan for what to do in these situation, despite it being something that they are supposed to plan for. I was particularly surprised at the emphasis given on interrogating him and not immediately seeking medical attention, or letting him contact his family, even under supervision. I know that getting the information about why the mission went wrong is obviously important, but in the long run it's hardly encouraging for anyone who's likely to find themselves in a similar position in the future and personally, I think explains a lot why soldiers suffer psychologically.
All in all, this is a useful book for anyone who's involved in (Clinical) Risk Management, because it highlights how important it is to model all outcomes, that looking after your staff is important and the fact that relatives should not be ignored. I can only hope that from it, our armed forces have learned something useful and that twenty years on, we're not making the same mistakes.
September 2, 2008
Spoiler alert... I discuss specifics within the book.
DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT ANYTHING SPOILED
Hm... deciding between a two and a three starrer for this one was tough. I ultimately decided for three stars because his account of stumbling through Iraq was interesting. His pub conversation style of story telling carries this type of story very well.
Still, just by his style and recollection, I know his type very well. While his story is amazing, it is just that. I am by no means calling him a liar, but this is his own account, which cannot be corroborated, and there are some pretty unbelievable points.
1. However many days into his escape across Iraq, without food or water, he drinks from the Euphrates. I am sorry. I cannot buy that. He would have died from dehydration after that within hours.
2. His accounts about how his team got split up are shady, at best.
3. I was stationed in the part of Iraq where a large part of this story was written. He never clearly defines a wadi, but he makes it seem like the cover they provide was minimal and this is just the opposite.
4. His supposed enemy contacts accounts were limited and vague, especially his second encounter. He describes extremely limited functions in his hands yet is able to kill two men at once, one with a knife and one with his bare hands.
As said in another post here, his ego does get in the way. Also, this book could have been edited down about 75 pages, especially in the end. In the end, though, with belief suspended and the reader pretending they are listening to an old soldier at a bar, this is an enjoyable read.
DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT ANYTHING SPOILED
Hm... deciding between a two and a three starrer for this one was tough. I ultimately decided for three stars because his account of stumbling through Iraq was interesting. His pub conversation style of story telling carries this type of story very well.
Still, just by his style and recollection, I know his type very well. While his story is amazing, it is just that. I am by no means calling him a liar, but this is his own account, which cannot be corroborated, and there are some pretty unbelievable points.
1. However many days into his escape across Iraq, without food or water, he drinks from the Euphrates. I am sorry. I cannot buy that. He would have died from dehydration after that within hours.
2. His accounts about how his team got split up are shady, at best.
3. I was stationed in the part of Iraq where a large part of this story was written. He never clearly defines a wadi, but he makes it seem like the cover they provide was minimal and this is just the opposite.
4. His supposed enemy contacts accounts were limited and vague, especially his second encounter. He describes extremely limited functions in his hands yet is able to kill two men at once, one with a knife and one with his bare hands.
As said in another post here, his ego does get in the way. Also, this book could have been edited down about 75 pages, especially in the end. In the end, though, with belief suspended and the reader pretending they are listening to an old soldier at a bar, this is an enjoyable read.
November 5, 2020
Thrilling, chilling, mesmerizing, grueling, satisfying.
June 8, 2012
This was an incredible book! I heard of the legend of Bravo Two Zero; I had watched numerous episodes of "Hunting Chris Ryan" on the Television, but until I had read this gripping book, I had no comprehension about the incredible mental, and physical challenges that the author had undergone during his record-breaking Escape and Evasion across Iraq to the relative "safety" of Syria. Indeed, some of the most memorable sections of the book occur during the authors' arrival in "friendly" territory.
The author's writing style drags you into the unfolding scenario and leaves you with a feeling a genuine suspense and intrigue, as you are made party to the internal machinations of Chris Ryan as he battles against the inclement weather; physical and mental deterioration, and the omnipresent threat of enemy patrols whilst he also reconciles himself to the incremental loss of his comrades throughout the evasion, compounded by the fact that he had no idea as to whether they had been captured; rescued, or killed.
I have read a number of Military Autobiographies this year. This book ranks amongst one of the most powerful, and honest, that I have encountered so far. The book is both a powerful, and graphic, account of the Bravo Two Zero operation that highlights one man's survival against incredible odds which should act as an inspiration for anyone currently experiencing adversity.
The author's writing style drags you into the unfolding scenario and leaves you with a feeling a genuine suspense and intrigue, as you are made party to the internal machinations of Chris Ryan as he battles against the inclement weather; physical and mental deterioration, and the omnipresent threat of enemy patrols whilst he also reconciles himself to the incremental loss of his comrades throughout the evasion, compounded by the fact that he had no idea as to whether they had been captured; rescued, or killed.
I have read a number of Military Autobiographies this year. This book ranks amongst one of the most powerful, and honest, that I have encountered so far. The book is both a powerful, and graphic, account of the Bravo Two Zero operation that highlights one man's survival against incredible odds which should act as an inspiration for anyone currently experiencing adversity.
December 20, 2008
I had the impression that I might find THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY a bit boring - after all, I'd already read one version of the story in Andy McNab's BRAVO TWO ZERO. However, Ryan's authoritative tone adds his own spin to the proceedings.
The tale of the escape sees Ryan being pursued by vehicles, drinking radioactive water and murdering sentries. It's all Boy's Own adventure stuff written with a survivalist edge. A great story well told.
The tale of the escape sees Ryan being pursued by vehicles, drinking radioactive water and murdering sentries. It's all Boy's Own adventure stuff written with a survivalist edge. A great story well told.
September 7, 2017
Not as good as bravo two zero. plus chris puts andy down quite a bit through out the book. not so much about his time there just basically more about him. quite an egotistical memoire. he clearly went through a gruelling journey but do feel he was probably the luckiest of that lot.
October 24, 2023
I picked this up in a charity shop for 50p in order to escape - albeit briefly - the turgid Bob Dylan biography I'm reading. It's one of those disposable books you read in one or two sittings to pass the time. That isn't to downplay the bravery of those involved in the story. Which is quite staggering. Having said that, I didn't like the bit where he shoots his own dog. There are charities which take in difficult dogs like that. The story about Margaret Thatcher in the killing house I've read before. Except the first time I read it, it was a cabinet colleague who fell to the floor when the SAS burst in and not the bodyguards. I've read part of the official report about the success the SAS had in neutralising mobile Scud launchers in Iraq during the first Gulf War. The report reckons it was negligible and that very few - if any - mobile launchers were taken out. Ryan writes of seven or eight. He knows better than me. Maybe the report is covering something up. Anyway, this is an incredible story told succinctly and clearly. The writing - no doubt ghosted - is of a fairly high standard. And it's certainly better than the Dylan biography I now have to finish. I should get a medal for that (joke!).
January 22, 2025
Came back to me that i read this a few years ago. Certainly a more believable account of that fateful mission than McNab’s version
June 16, 2025
Most definitely in my top two favourite books of all time! It feels so real and knowing he actually went through all that in real life, makes it put you that more on edge!
January 30, 2025
This book was very hard to read, for personal reasons. Way back in 1991, when the Gulf War was ongoing, my reserve unit was scheduled to participate in an Israeli military operation to search for the Scuds in Iraq's Western desert. We trained for a few days and then were told the operation was canceled because the US didn't want Israel involved, as that might destroy the Arab coalition it had put together to fight Saddam's forces in Kuwait.
We didn't go. But the British SAS went in our stead, and their mission was a total disaster, from start to finish. Chris Ryan tells the story, and it's a riveting one.
I knew when we were preparing that we weren't likely to make it, and I feared that the issue would be radio communications and discovery by Iraqi civilians. Sure enough, that's what happened to the SAS unit, and most were either captured or killed.
Now and then you come across a story and say to yourself, "that was almost me." This was one of those.
What a book.
We didn't go. But the British SAS went in our stead, and their mission was a total disaster, from start to finish. Chris Ryan tells the story, and it's a riveting one.
I knew when we were preparing that we weren't likely to make it, and I feared that the issue would be radio communications and discovery by Iraqi civilians. Sure enough, that's what happened to the SAS unit, and most were either captured or killed.
Now and then you come across a story and say to yourself, "that was almost me." This was one of those.
What a book.
December 6, 2013
first book i read from Chris Ryan in moment he became my favorite author. and i would also recommend this one as first book to read from him. i know why author didn't dig that much in feelings and it was cleat even he tried to keep a distance and give a reader as much as possible objective story of his survival. i'm sure a never could write this way same story, but that's why i appreciate it more. only when you realize what's behind the word, you can fully understand. there is no way to doubt, you just must do, what's necessary... same as i had to read this book. thank you, Chris Ryan.
July 19, 2007
My favourite book of all time and one I have read on many occasions. The story of one guy and the only guy from the Bravo Two Zero SAS team dropped behind enemy lines during the first Gulf War to escape.
The story goes from the beginnings of him being called up for service to the team being dropped and concentrates on his hundreds of miles walk to survival. The encounters he has and the way in which he and obviously the SAS are taught to survive is incredible to read.
The story goes from the beginnings of him being called up for service to the team being dropped and concentrates on his hundreds of miles walk to survival. The encounters he has and the way in which he and obviously the SAS are taught to survive is incredible to read.
March 10, 2010
This book is about a spy that goes behind enemy lines and gives information to his group. But somebody spots his group and has to go and rescue them. So this guy in this book does that. He goes to rescue them and he succeds in doing so. Then he gets the purple heart for his honor and bravery. I like this book because it was about war.
February 14, 2012
Nothing like a true story and one that shows the sheer battle with the elements within a war zone can kill you more than the enemy. Chris Ryan shows great guile, sheer perseverance and pure will to survive in one of the most hostile places on the planet at the height of a war that really had no winners. Great read, you feel like your taking the journey with the author.
May 20, 2017
This is was a great companion book to Andy McNabs Bravo Two Zero. It actually makes a lot more sense when you read both books, giving you two entirely different points of view of the same events.
After having recently finished reading another of Chris's books, I'm glad to see he made it through such a harrowing experience.
After having recently finished reading another of Chris's books, I'm glad to see he made it through such a harrowing experience.
December 24, 2012
This is a great book and amazing when you take into account that it is in fact a true story.
The guy deserves many many more medals than he got for such an amazing escape which helps create more mystery about the SAS and probably helps attract more intense hardened nut cases to its ranks.
The guy deserves many many more medals than he got for such an amazing escape which helps create more mystery about the SAS and probably helps attract more intense hardened nut cases to its ranks.
September 17, 2013
Well done CR,deserve all the accolade.
November 30, 2013
Amazing courage by an amazing soldier. Go SAS!
January 21, 2014
Totally my bag, excitng and compulisve reading
May 7, 2014
You will not find a better real life special forces book.
February 25, 2020
Interesting to get a new perspective on the parts of the patrol shared with McNab, and equally interesting to see what Ryan had to go through on his long E&E. Easy read. Hard to think about it without comparing to Bravo Two Zero but it stands up on its own, in fact I'm tempted to say I think it's a bit better than McNab's book, though both are good. I read this a couple of years after re-reading Bravo Two Zero, and now I want to read that again just to get a better feel for a comparison. But let's try to avoid that and evaluate The One That Got Away on its own merits. I warmed to Ryan as a character much moreso than McNab. Ryan's obviously proud of who he is, but there's a fair amount of reflection, guilt, and admission of errors too - his own and of others. The introduction should have been a postscript, as it coloured my perception of what happened with Vince. Mild spoilers follow. Yes, Ryan blames Vince for a lot of things, and isn't very kind in his description of Vince's character. More than that, he's pretty much outright insulting about Vince. Whether that's a fair assessment or not we'll never know. It'd be interesting to hear Stan's account. On the whole though I tend to believe Ryan's version of events. Sure, some of it sounds fantastical, and maybe some of it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. But the broad strokes are undeniable.
The book can be split into four broad sections. The patrol up to when it split, the portion with Ryan, Stan, and Vince, the solo E&E, and 'misc' bits scattered throughout the latter parts. Some of the misc stuff is filler anecdotes about training and other missions after Bravo Two Zero, and the book doesn't really benefit from it, but nor does it detract too much. The parts detailing the patrol up to the split are quite different from what I remember from McNab's book and it would be interesting to do a real side-by-side comparison. The group E&E parts are tense and gripping, the three men were in a really bad way physically and mentally, and that creates an unnerving atmosphere as you wonder what's going to go wrong next. The solo E&E part was mixed. On the one hand it felt a little like a foregone conclusion because you know he gets out, on the other there was plenty of interesting little encounters. I must say I was expecting a little more in the way of actual survival skills being demonstrated but it seems Ryan made it out on sheer strength of will. There were a few occasions I was thinking "Why didn't he [kill the goat, search the bodies, etc]" and the explanation can only be his not thinking straight due to fatigue, or surrounding circumstances making those courses of action impossible. Suffice to say, it's no SAS Survival Guide!
Overall an enjoyable, gripping read, that left me a little on edge, and with the lasting impression that Bravo Two Zero was an almighty cock up from start to finish.
The book can be split into four broad sections. The patrol up to when it split, the portion with Ryan, Stan, and Vince, the solo E&E, and 'misc' bits scattered throughout the latter parts. Some of the misc stuff is filler anecdotes about training and other missions after Bravo Two Zero, and the book doesn't really benefit from it, but nor does it detract too much. The parts detailing the patrol up to the split are quite different from what I remember from McNab's book and it would be interesting to do a real side-by-side comparison. The group E&E parts are tense and gripping, the three men were in a really bad way physically and mentally, and that creates an unnerving atmosphere as you wonder what's going to go wrong next. The solo E&E part was mixed. On the one hand it felt a little like a foregone conclusion because you know he gets out, on the other there was plenty of interesting little encounters. I must say I was expecting a little more in the way of actual survival skills being demonstrated but it seems Ryan made it out on sheer strength of will. There were a few occasions I was thinking "Why didn't he [kill the goat, search the bodies, etc]" and the explanation can only be his not thinking straight due to fatigue, or surrounding circumstances making those courses of action impossible. Suffice to say, it's no SAS Survival Guide!
Overall an enjoyable, gripping read, that left me a little on edge, and with the lasting impression that Bravo Two Zero was an almighty cock up from start to finish.
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March 8, 2022in my opinion this book The One That Got Away has the plot set up really good. The book gives you a different point of view about the iraq war other than some new station. the author of this book Chris Ryan did a good job showing what he had to go through to make it to safety. Chris Ryan gives a lot of detail as to what happened through those 8 days walking through the desert. the last thing i like about this book is the setting its a dark and gruesome place where no one wants to be. some things i don't like is at points in the book you can get lost it gets kinda confusing but will clear up later on. another thing i do not like about this book is the introduction to the characters confuses me and i do not know the people that well. and the last thing that i don't like is the dialogue of this book. to me the dialogue gets confusing and at some points i have no idea who is talking. overall this book is amazing and i definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes war stories.
May 19, 2022
I thought this book was okay.
In a novel by former real Special Armed Services personnel Chris Ryan, this book is about his time as he was stranded in enemy territory during the Gulf War. The Gulf War was a multiple-country response to the Iranian annexation of Kuwait.
Chris was assigned to a reconnaissance mission deep in enemy territory, with 7 other members of 'B' Squadron. After a surprise attack, Chris and his team are stranded with no way to contact anyone. As Chris and the group trek, slowly members of the team begin to disappear and Chris is on his own as he flees to the Syrian border.
I would recommend this book if you like war stories and high-octane reading. The action is quick and the tension is high throughout the book. I really liked the beginning of the book and the story throughout. I personally rated this book a 3/5 because it was not for me. I thought it was a little too tense and those types of books aren't my favorite to read.
In a novel by former real Special Armed Services personnel Chris Ryan, this book is about his time as he was stranded in enemy territory during the Gulf War. The Gulf War was a multiple-country response to the Iranian annexation of Kuwait.
Chris was assigned to a reconnaissance mission deep in enemy territory, with 7 other members of 'B' Squadron. After a surprise attack, Chris and his team are stranded with no way to contact anyone. As Chris and the group trek, slowly members of the team begin to disappear and Chris is on his own as he flees to the Syrian border.
I would recommend this book if you like war stories and high-octane reading. The action is quick and the tension is high throughout the book. I really liked the beginning of the book and the story throughout. I personally rated this book a 3/5 because it was not for me. I thought it was a little too tense and those types of books aren't my favorite to read.
May 13, 2022
Good easy to read account. I feel the truth is embellished somewhat and although we’ll never fully know there’s no denying Chris’ tenacity to persevere is inspiring.
I felt things in the book could have been left unsaid, for all the talk of military being a “band of brothers”. I believe he could’ve been more respectful and found it all to convenient to point blame in a certain direction - you’ll know what I mean when you read this.
Overall a good, easy to read book but would advise treat it like that mate down the pub who tells a great story but you know it’s been adapted to suit the audience.
I felt things in the book could have been left unsaid, for all the talk of military being a “band of brothers”. I believe he could’ve been more respectful and found it all to convenient to point blame in a certain direction - you’ll know what I mean when you read this.
Overall a good, easy to read book but would advise treat it like that mate down the pub who tells a great story but you know it’s been adapted to suit the audience.
June 26, 2023
Based on the true story of Chris Ryan. Deployed on a mission to Iraq, during the Gulf War in 1991, with his squadron.
After a series of issues after being deployed in a highly dangerous area, the men become separated. Chris ends up alone. Over 7 days he walks and runs over 200 miles with nothing to eat, and bare amount to drink.
The survival instinct must have been horrendous for Chris, the not knowing whether you were going to live or die, either the enemy or starvation. Not knowing what happened to the rest of the squadron and whether they survived, died, or were captured.
This book highlights what the human body can endure and handle when pushed to its limitations.
After a series of issues after being deployed in a highly dangerous area, the men become separated. Chris ends up alone. Over 7 days he walks and runs over 200 miles with nothing to eat, and bare amount to drink.
The survival instinct must have been horrendous for Chris, the not knowing whether you were going to live or die, either the enemy or starvation. Not knowing what happened to the rest of the squadron and whether they survived, died, or were captured.
This book highlights what the human body can endure and handle when pushed to its limitations.
July 1, 2020
This is an amazing story of physical and mental endurance. It is a heartfelt and honest account of a mission which definitely did not go to plan. It’s interesting to read this along side Bravo Two Zero as this give an alternative view of the mission. I felt this was more honest and less “Hollywood” than Bravo Two Zero and therefore I think I enjoyed this more. All in all a good read if you’re into military history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews