World Famous Comics: Ultimate Risk: SAS Contact Al Qaeda
Ultimate Risk: SAS Contact Al Qaeda
By: Mark Nicol Publisher: Macmillan UK Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Macmillan UK Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 324 Publication Date: July 01, 2004
On December 10, 2001, in the biggest and most destructive mission in SAS recent history, half of the world's most elite regiment took on Al Qaeda's crack forces in Afghanistan. This is the first-hand account of that battle, drawing on the memories of the men who fought in it.
Ultimate Risk? Maybe not It is a decent book, but not nearly as exciting nor risky as the title states. The author also chooses to bash American's every chance he gets. YMMV
Ultimate Disappointment... I purchased this book looking for a cover to cover story of "An SAS Contact with AQ". Instead, I got the majority of the book political drivel, author's analysis, weak attempt to build characters, etc. With a fraction of the book about the 'Contact'. Very misleading. First military book I have not finished. I read it through the end of the contact and continued on with some of the following analysis, descriptions of various medals, those that won these medals in WWII, and bunch of other page taking information that goes off on tangents. I walked away with the feeling that the author is a liberal leaning journalist, who has to keep repeating the SAS is hands down the greatest force in the world, and that Delta, Seals, SBS, etc. are just second division types. Each one of these forces should be commended for what they are. I'm sure he has to build up the SAS because he was lucky enough to have his father a member of the Regiment and he may not have received the necessary insight from the SAS, but come on. It's overkill. In addition, the common theme that the U.S. did everything wrong, Bush made mistakes, Franks made mistakes, etc., etc., etc. was way over done.
If you are looking for a great story about a battle, this isn't it. The book is about 300 pages; the battle takes up maybe 50 pages. Even the photos are stock photos; 'this is the C130', 'this is the Browning .50'. Come on. The battle and the men who fought it should be commended. In retrospect, it may have been a bad decision to go in lacking the typical information needed. But that fact just makes these guys even more impressive.
Good characters This book is a little different from your average SAS book.It is written by a son of a former SAS.The characters are very interesting,from their tifs against each other to their excellent team work to defeat the enemy.
Anything Goes Trivia
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