Melody’s Reviews > Bravo Two Zero: The Harrowing True Story of a Special Forces Patrol Behind the Lines in Iraq > Status Update

The power of keeping your mind healthy and intact, even in the worst situations is the takeaway from Chapter 9. The importance of knowing when you're beat and it's time to brace yourself for rolling with the punches. Andy managed to convince them that he was a know-nothing imbecile just like that sailor in Vietnam. It is an incredible story.

The agony of the beating these mens' bodies took at the hands of their Iraqi captors; the very long Chapter 8 provides a unique insight into Saddam's army, the inner workings of a rigidly authoritarian state's army under pressure, at war on the home front. The sorry state Andy found himself in after getting separated from the team and being captured, ceaselessly being beaten for hours. The worst of humanity at war..

How quickly things change in theater—the lighthearted atmosphere at the base gave way to the realities of combat. The stress and sheer, meticulous planning and managing that goes into successfully executing a covert mission. But even the best laid plans go to hell once the team is compromised; and it's been intense. From vicious firefights, evasion, survival in blizzard—hypothermia is scary..

It's fast paced and packed with usefully info; despite not having even having an approved operation plan yet the story is engaging. The characters are quirky and lovable, their dialogue is amusing and the slang the Brits use never fails to bring a smirk to me. And I might yet read more of it today! :)