Reply With QuoteWhat about the Stephen Leather novels?
Hi all,
I have finished all the Andy McNab and Chris Ryan books, and have read a couple of American Non-Fiction ones (No Easy Day and American Sniper) and am looking for something new to go onto.
I prefer gritty SAS type books rather than spy-thrillers, and prefer the action rather than the politics.
Can be SAS or SEALS/Delta Force etc i.e. UK or US
I love the Ryan / McNab style books.
Any suggestions??
Thanks!
What about the Stephen Leather novels?
Fiction? The Frederick Forsyths are excellent esp. Fist of God and Icon.
Non-fiction? CQB by Mike Curtis, Shooting Gallery by Gaz Hunter, and Ghost Force by Ken Connor.
Go old skool.
Sven Hassel or Frisco Hitt.
______
Jim.
Tornado Down was a pretty good read.
Ok left field recommendation but try the Shankill Butchers by Martin Dillon.
Not Millitary. But definitely gritty.
Sven Hassel is the way to go.
The Afghan by Fredrick Forsyth
Great read, although maybe not what you're looking for.Originally Posted by Tomw2000
I'm currently on Zero Six Bravo which is good so far.
Other than these , I have loads.
Ground Truth...Patrick Bishop
An Ordinary Soldier... Doug Beattie
Eight Lives Down...Chris Hunter
Loads of others that you're welcome to read/ borrow
Guy sajer the forgotten soldier
Philip caputo a rumour of war
Sniper One - Danny Mills
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Both very good reads
Another vote for Sniper One (non-fiction)
Soldier Against the Odds: From Korean War to SAS - Lofty Large
"The Regiment" by Michael Asher - History of the SAS
Will make you want to find out more about Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne - Boys Own hero that should have a statue in Trafalgar Square:
Heavyweight boxer
Ireland & Lions international rugby player
Renowned golfer
Real leader of the SAS (David Sterling spent most of WW2 in Colditz)
Destroyed more Italian aircraft (on the ground in north Africa) than the RAF.....
Took out a platoon of Germans in a French village single handed firing a Vickers 50mm from the back of a jeep
His exploits make the hair on the back of your neck stand up....tragically died in a car accident (drunk as a lord) 5 years after the war....
Sadly...most people have never heard of him
A giant amongst men!!!
Once a Warrior King by David Donovan
Chickenhawk by Robert Mason
Gritty Vietnam war era non fiction. Great reads.
Chickenhawk by Robert Mason
Thats the one
I really like the mitch rapp books by Vince flynn.
Not too much politics and mitch is a real bad ass!
Must get that Sniper One Book. I enjoy Andy Mcnab's books... met him once and he signed my Bravo Two Zero DVD ... nice bloke (A.M. not his real name though)
Rod
Agreed! Read one and you will want to read all of them, you will not be disappointed.
Paddy Maine.......... Legend! Even King George VI enquired why Paddy was denied his rightfully earned Victoria Cross!
The forgotten soldier is an outstanding read, another good read was fields of fire James Webb (Vietnam war)
Black Water by Don Camsell. About his SBS career.
Good book. If you like the SBS slant, try 'First Into Action' by Duncan Falconer before you read any of his fiction.
SAS again, 'Soldier I SAS' Michael Paul Kennedy is well written and one of the best, most realistic and most truthful of the SAS Autobiogs along with Mike Curtis' 'CQB' and if you think that is a bold statement, the Regimental Warrant Officer of the Regiment told me that when i first met him.
An American Flavour? Try 'Marine Sniper' by Charles Henderson, all about Carlos Hathcock III in Vietnam.
War Dogs by Keith Cory Jones is an interesting read, many of the people mentioned in it were featured in a Channel Four Documentary while the book was being written.
Pathfinder- First in, last out.... Recon units in Vietnam.
The Ravens - Forward Air Controllers operating in Laos during the Vietnam war.
Five years To Freedom- POW story. Vietnam.
All amazing non fiction stories, all in the Kindle store for a couple of quid each, amazing value.
Cheers..
Jase
If you want POW memoirs then 'One fourteenth of an elephant' by Ian Peek is excellent.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Thanks for all the great suggestions so far! I will look into them all
Big boys rules by Mark Urban. An excellent account of the SAS operations against the IRA and vice versa.
I really enjoyed Fighting Scared: My life in the SAS by Robin Horsfall.
I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you
I forgot this its a must read book
if someone in 22 ops had read it bravo two zero would not have happened.
It also details how the sun compass,water retention on vehicle engines and desert travel in vehicles developed.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Long-Range.../2589601611/bd
I really like McNab and Chris Ryan books and like you have read all of them.
A friend of mine suggested I read 'On wings of eagles' by ken follet - a slow start and took a few pages to get into, but then couldn't put it down. Highly recommend it!
Tony Geraghty is a great author. I got into his work by reading a fantastic book years ago called "bullet catchers" which talks about close protection officers work.
Matterhorn is a great Vietnam read
+1
Also "soldier 1" gritty true life sas book, regaling selection and the Iranian embassy assault.
If you like war stories, and you like F1 racing, I highly recommend 'The Grand Prix Saboteurs' by Joe Saward.
About a couple of Grand Prix drivers and the exploits they got upto during WW2 while working for the SOE.
Real heroes.
'Holding the Zero', 'The Fighting Man', by Gerald Seymour. Right next to 'R' for Ryan on the bookshelf!
Also, 'Yellow Birds' by Kevin Powers, 'Soldier Five' by Mike Coburn, and 'Billy Flynn's Long Halftime Walk' by Ben Fountain'.
Last edited by pinpull; 16th September 2013 at 07:44. Reason: Added info
Not being pedantic but it is 'Soldier I' not 'Soldier 1'. The reason for this is because of the inquest into the Gibraltar shootings. All SAS Troopers involved in the court case were assigned letters to identify them thus protecting their real identities. Michael Paul Kennedy at the time was assigned the code name 'Soldier I'.
If fiction is what you are looking for, you can always try any of the books by Terence Strong though i would recommend reading them in order as some of the subsequent novels refer back to previous ones throughout the series.
Last edited by Spencer Lee; 16th September 2013 at 09:07.
These two by Richard Villar are written from first-hand medical experience (the first's out of print, but is widely available second hand):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knife-Edge-R.../dp/0718142713
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Winged-Scalp...689154-5930156
I'd better declare an interest since I worked with Richard a while ago, but that means I can vouch for the medical accuracy, at least.
In no particular order:
Stephen Leather - Spider Shepherd series plus plenty of previous one off novels which are all very good.
Scott Mariani - Ben Hope Series
Steve Berry - Cotton Malone Series
Vince Flynn (RIP) - Mitch Rapp Series
Stephen Hunter - Bob Lee Swagger Series
Duncan Falconer - John Stratton Series
Regards
Andrew
I found 'The Nemesis File' a good read but I'm not sure its a true story even though the author Paul Bruce says so???
Bond.
Same here, really enjoyed this...
Think i'll be picking another few from the lists on here
Devil's Guard is a great yarn, fact or fiction, no one knows....
about a group of Waffen SS who at the end of the war join the French Foreign Legion fighting the Viet Minh is French Indo-China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Guard
Yes, i enjoyed this book a lot. Original copies were going for big bucks when it was out of print but i have a feeling it has now been re-released.
Its on Kindle and also a follow up book ( not by the original author )
Bought them just now, thanks for the recommendation.
Cheers..
Jase
"Yes, you did. I can read you like a book. And not a very good book. Certainly not 'Bravo Two Zero' by Andy McNabb. Which actually improves with every read."
How about Task Force Black?
Greatest character from all the SAS books I've read. Well written and brought tears of pride to my eyes.
If I could find it id send it to you. Brilliant.
Sniper one is a great read too.
Action from the first paragraph and true to life. Read it in a night !
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