C.Q.B. (Close Quarter Battle)

Good read and very interesting book

ACREDITAVA QUE SERIA UM LIVRO MAIS TECNICO

Written by someone o played rugby with in comprehensive school - Mike (not his real name) is is as hard as **** and brutally honest about his life and what it takes to be ‘elite’. A great read - very engaging

I bought this book mainly out of curiosity and I really, really enjoyed it. There so no "cow-boy style" drama but only an honest, enticing account of the life of a special forces' member who joined the SAS in the early 80s and took part in most of the events of the 80s and 90s (Falklands, Iraq and Bosnia). There is British humor and humanity, fun and sadness.This is not only a book for fans of war/special forces books, but for curious people in general.Strongly, strongly recommended.

Was sind das nur für Männer im Special Air Service, die diese unmenschlichen Strapazen durchstehen? Mike Curtis ist einer von ihnen. In diesem Buch erzählt er die Geschichte seines Lebens: Kindheit und Jugend im rauhen Walisischen Kohlerevier, ohne Aussicht jemals Karriere machen zu können, der Eintritt in die Armee als einziger Ausweg, der Horror des Falklandkrieges als Fallschirmjäger, dann die Qualifikation für den SAS und unzählige Einsätze in den schlimmsten Kriesengebieten der Welt.Dabei macht der Rugby-Fan Curtis einen durchaus sympathischen Eindruck. Gar nicht blutrünstig, sondern mit einer eher abgeklärten Attitüde wirft er einen Blick zurück. Auch privates wird dabei nicht ausgespart, z.B. das unvermeidliche Zerbrechen seiner Ehe. Schließlich scheidet er vorzeitig aus der Armee aus, doch er findet sich im Zivilleben nicht richtig zurecht. Und so tritt er dem "Circuit", den privaten Sicherheitsfirmen, bei. Denn das ist es, was er am besten kann.

Firstly, great book. One of the best of the 'how I ended up in the Regiment' autobiographies, and deserves more recognition. I'd be interested in reading a follow-up book on what Mike did after.Oddly, page 277 of CQB (describing 'Deltex' / Delta Force) is repeated word for word by McNab in Seven Troop p59-60. (Search 'Fort Brass' in Amazon's Look Inside function.) Half the quote is attributed to Frank and another bit to Andy himself. CQB was first published by Bantam Press in 1997, and Seven Troop wasn't published until 2008, also by Bantam Press. Maybe Andy is using the same shadow writer? If not, I hope some contributor credit found its way to Mike.