The One That Got Away. [Import] [Hardcover]

Chris. RYAN (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 251 pages
• Publisher: Century, 1995. 1st edition.; First Edition edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0712686975
• ISBN-13: 978-0712676168
• ASIN: 0712676163
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Man, those SAS guys are tough! But..., June 5, 2002

By 

"ewbarry" (Augusta, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The One that Got Away (Paperback)

This is a great tale of evasion and escape in a hostile environment when the real God of War(Murphy, not Mars or Sun Tzu!)catches up to this SAS team. It tells the rest of the "Bravo Two Zero" story and fills in the details after the unit inadvertently split-up.

Ryan's trek out of Iraq to Syria in the worst weather, over difficult terrain and with enemies all around, is a true epic and a testament to the courage and fortitude of the SAS, and to Chris Ryan in particular.

That being said, this book is a textbook of how NOT to plan and execute a strategic reconnaisance/sabotage mission! The mission was thrown together with poor intell, poorly planned and thought out, and even more poorly supported(no pistols, inadequate maps/photos, not enough ammo!) Prior to insertion, Ryan notes that they left their tentage and warm clothing behind because, well, Iraq is a desert, and of course, deserts are hot! Don't these guys know what the temperature does at night, in the winter, in the desert? Even Ryan acknowledges that leaving their vehicles was a mistake(they were the only team to elect to walk in from their insertion point, carrying 265 lbs of gear each!) Of all the British SAS and American Special Forces teams inserted into Iraq, the ones on foot were in the greatest peril once they were discovered. And these guys had planned to sabotage a fiber optic link with explosives--so not only would they be on foot, deep in enemy territory, they were going to announce their presence to the Iraqis! Nowadays, with the world population continuing to explode, the ability of a group of commandos to sneak around without discovery becomes more and more difficult. There are just too many people and dogs! Stealth is fine but you need good communications and a SPEEDY(ground vehicle or air) exfiltration plan(that your headquarters knows about--the rescue teams were looking in the wrong direction for this team!). To top it off, Bravo-2-0 was not a true "team." Though then men knew each other, they had not trained together as a small unit prior to being assembled for this mission.

With regard to communications, the radio failure of this team is inexcusable. They were given the wrong frequencies by their HQ! What an ammateurish mistake! Over half a century ago, the British 1st Airborne jumped into Holland for Operation Market-Garden, with the wrong radio crystals--guess what--no commo! Don't these SAS guys read any history?

And speaking of history, I also have to take exception to Ryan's statement that Schwarzkopf didn't like elite units because the US Army Special Forces made "a hash of things in Vietnam..." The Green Berets were actually one of the few positives during the Vietnam war--their individual and collective successes at fighting a guerilla war are the stuff of legend. Schwarzkopf and other conventional soldiers have always resented elite organizations, for a variety of reasons, some practical, but mostly political, personal, and emmotional.

Corporal Chris Ryan's endurance, bravery, physical strength, and military skill were demonstrated by his being the only member of the team to avoid capture or death. I just hope that both British and U.S. Special Operations personnel can use the entire experience to prevent similar circumstances occuring in the future.

And, if you couldn't guess, I am retired US Army Special Forces.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chris Ryan's Account of Bravo Two Zero's Mission, March 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The One that Got Away (Paperback)

I first heard about Andy McNab's "Bravo Two Zero" in 1994 from a soldier in the British Army. He told me it was an excellent true story about the S.A.S. in the Gulf War. I read it and was amazed by Andy McNab's tale of fighting behind enemy lines during the Gulf War. Quite awhile later, I discovered CHRIS RYANS's book "The One That Got Away". I rushed to buy Chris Ryan's book, since I was now hooked on true tales of the S.A.S., about the Gulf War, and of the British Army in general. I was impressed by Chris Ryan's side the story - it was fascinating, honest, and matter-of-fact. HOWEVER, Chris Ryan does not have the story-telling talent and the quick wit of Andy McNab. I found Andy McNab to be a talented writer with an amazing ability to recall the past with astounding clarity and detail. Chris Ryan's story is no less valid than that of Andy Mcnab's, but his style of writing is not as gripping or compelling

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evading the enemy behind enemy lines in Iraq - Incredible!, January 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The One that Got Away (Paperback)

I have read two books by Andy McNabb, the patrol leader in this book, one of which, Bravo Two Zero, was about the same action. I also served 10 years in the US Army Special Forces as a communications specialist. I enjoyed both books. I saw no serious conflict of information between the two accounts what happened during this patrol.

One person said Ryan was blaming everyone but himself. Baloney! He did blame himself for not tying Vince to him so he couldn't fall behind and get lost! That's just one thing that disturbed him. Secondly, how could he assume responsiblity for poor or complete lack of intelligence on the enemy, the weather and the terrain? How could he be responsible for being given the wrong radio frequencies and the wrong effective range of the emergency radios? These things are what caused the patrol to suffer such problems. Poor planning was the problem and all Ryan is guilty of is pointing it out so hopefully it won't happen to his buddies. I did not read one word against McNabb in this book. The worst Ryan said about McNabb was tht he seemed to have a problem socializing with the members of the regiment afterwards and especially with Ryan. This is an incredible story about survival and evasion behind enemy lines by three, then two, and finally just one very lonely brave soldier.