Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Mini-Review of "Zero Six Bravo" by Damien Lewis - Setting The Record Straight About Some Remarkable Special Forces Warriors



In the hours leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, an elite group of 60 British Special Forces personnel were lifted into northern Iraq. The mission of M Squadron was to effect the surrender of the Iraqi Army's 5th Corps, comprised of more than 100,000 troops!

This book, "Zero Six Bravo," recounts the events that transpired that turned Operation No Return into one of the most remarkable stories of survival and evasion of forces trapped behind enemy lines since World War II.  In the early reporting after these men had been airlifted out of Iraq to safety, they were roundly criticized for "running from the enemy" and abandoning equipment that was later used for propaganda purposes.  Damien Lewis sets out to tell the true and heroic story of what happened to these 60 men as they encountered opposition that the intelligence briefings had told them not to expect..

The book reads like a screen play, and contains many cinematic details and descriptions that enabled this reader to picture exactly what was unfolding as they made their way across the unforgiving desert terrain of northern Iraq..  Each of the main characters (whose names have been changed for security considerations) emerges as a distinct personality.  The overall effect is a fascinating and engaging narrative account of an historic Special Forces mission.

Enjoy!

Al

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