Andy McNab

[Chops]

So you're a former member?

rgds

Chops

[oDn]

OK Chops, I understand your curiosity so I'll shed some light on this.
To cut it short, "Andy McNabb" was for a short period of time a member of my family. I've got absolutely nothing to do with the military, I just happen to know the guy and I have spend consequent amounts of time with talking about his past and present, etc...
However, I have lost track of him since he's become a Hollywood film supervisor.
And coming on this forum made me want to respond to certain reactions on his behalf and on behalf of Chris Ryan.

That's about it really...

oDn

[Chops]

Fair enough oDn. Thanks for the clarification. Never met either guy myself but both have been heavily criticised by folks in the know. In my opinion, whether they were ghost written or not, their 'non fiction' accounts of the B20 patrol showed immense disrespect to the dead and to the Regiment. But heh, i'm just a cranky old fella...

rgds

Chops

[Argyll]

Hmmmm,I mu=ight sound a bit cynical here,If this is true about the ghost writers,whay has either men ever came out and said this was not their own words?
They have never explained in detail,about Vince Phillips's death,do you think his family take comfort knowing it wasnt either of these 2 guys who put pen to paper!I doubt it very much!
Whats more alarming is that they have then passed classified info to these "ghosts"to enable these accounts to be told!! so someone is talking ****e here!!
I'm also a bit sceptical of odns claims too,sorry but anyone in the whole world can make the same claims that "McNabb" himself told him,I came out in 88 and have mates in the know,some are still serving with SF,and they distanced themselves from both these accounts,and they wouldn't reveal a single thing about what happened in 91,or anywhere else for that matter,and I served with them,so they're not going to talk about classified ops to "civvies"Both men Ryan and MacNabb let their fellow regiment members down in their accounts of what happened in 91.

[Argyll]

Just as an after thought,didn't McNabbs ex wife also write a book "Married to the SAS" I believe her name is Jenny?So was it a "ghost writer" who penned her story too?Lets also remember Andy Mac Nabb is a sudonym!
I'm also not being disrespectful to these guys,I admire them for just being where they were and who they were with!!

[oDn]

Right...
I've got a few things to answer to these new posts.
Both Andy and Chris have been heavily criticised and rightly so I guess, they did provide more or less erroneous accounts of what happened.
Personally, I wasn't there, none of you were there, so you know what I mean... Just gather as much information on your side, shuffle through it and make your own point of view.

Concerning the thing with ghost authors, I'm not saying that Andy didn't write a single word. He's just not an author, he gave in notes, talked a lot, etc... The ghost author managed to catch his style and wrote full length books from there.

Whats more alarming is that they have then passed classified info to these "ghosts"to enable these accounts to be told!! so someone is talking ****e here!!

concerning your comment Argyll, i really wonder who's talking ****e here...
In the case of B20, you probably have as much "classified" information as the author himself. Don't worry, the actual classified information won't ever come to your ears

And Argyll, if you don't actually believe my accounts, well ... I don't care. Plus, I'd like to point out that I don't know anything more than you do on classified operations. I just happen to have had a talk with the guy about his books. Full stop. Books, not "classified informaton".
Concerning "Married To The SAS", I really don't know what the story is behind that book. All I know is that Jenny or whatever was just another of Andy's wives, and like everyone, she tryed to cash in on the affair. Ghost author or not, I don't know and don't really care.

Anyway, just respect what's respectable and don't try and break out scandals when ever two bits of information differ.

Anyway, see you around guys.

[Argyll]

Odn,
with regards to the talking crap part,nobody outside of the SAS knew what happened with B20,there were 8 guys in that patrol.2 died apparantly from Hypothermia,and 1 KIA,as stated by Peter Radcliffe after the repatriation of the POW's,and in the subsequent debrief,a lot of these accounts were simply "ommited"from the debrief.
A fanatical public,sure thing,if any member of the regiment decided to write a book,it should be interesting,cause the general public,know Jack **** about Spec Ops
Andy is as guilty of writting the book solo,as is the ghost,cause you simply do not sit down and diverse that amount of info,without the intent of it being published,he knew full well what he was doing,and what the implications were,same as Chris,the intent was there.
Don't get me wrong,if you were related to Andy that's cool with me!I just find it encredibly strange that,he would Tell you "everything" about his career,as I said previous,my buddies,still deny all ,and not say a word,you hear things at Regimental Re unions about who's where and who's what,and who's done stuff!!,and I was a serving soldier(8yrs).
The mates I've met up with,all distanced themselves with the 2 guys.

Perhaps "Andy" is looking for some solace,but what's to stop YOU from cashing in too,if he's told you all about himself,are you the "Ghost writer"?
His 1st 2 books were based on his lifetime within the regiment,and were supposed to be factual,complete with photo's,which were obviously given to,the Author,if he's telling the truth.It is not that easy to write a book,it takes months,sometimes years,there's agents to deal with,publishers,editors etc.
What I'm getting at is Andy must've sat down,with a lot of people and said basically"This is what happened to B20...."and spilled the goodies,he collaborated with the intent of achieving commercial and financial gain for himself,so "Ghost" or not ,he is equally guilty.!
Oh and if Andy told you the real truth then he's a bigger fool for doing so,relation or not!!I was eagerly awaiting the book "Soldier 5" by the NZ guy who was going to blow the myth right out of the water until the MOD said,they wanted ALL the proceeds from the book,there have been too many ex SAS men,or some who claimed to be SAS(Carew) who wrote about their exploits,and the MOD clamped down hard on these guys,there have been numerous court cases,about the official secrets acts etc,and counter claims that this was signed under duress,and other legal stuff!!
I asked an ex buddy who done 22yrs,if he fancied writing a book,and he told me "Why ?,so some 14yr old spotty teenager can get a hardon reading about my life!!....no thanks mate ,I want the quiet life!!"

All I can say Odn is best of luck to all concerned!

[oDn]

Thanks for your reply Argyll,
all I can tell you is that I fully agree with you. I also want to insist on the fact that I do NOT know anything more on B20 than you all do. The discussions I had with Andy mainly concerned his work as an "author".
What you pointed out above about the pressure put down on ex-SAS wanted to write their own life stories only confirms what I was trying to point out. ie, the information we all have access to has been filtered and is far from being the full truth. Andy's novels should be considered as of the "based on" category and therefore, considered more as fiction than historical biographies.
I'm not denying the fact that the content of these books are to a certain extent immoral and that in the case of Andy, a purely commercial thing to do. But then again, that's how most things work nowadays.
I fortunately or unfortunately won't be ableto cash in on this or become the ghost author himself because as I said earlier I know f*** all about spec ops. Andy did not tell me anything classified about any of his operations, I might only have a little more insight about the "social" aspects of his life that emmerged following the release of his books. Full stop.
I guess all has been said, it was nice having this little exchange anyway and wish you all the best.

See you around.

[Argyll]

Odn,
Thanks man,it's also been a pleasure,and I hopre you can pin him down sometime!!