‘Retribution’ by James Napier

James Napier served as an officer in the British Army in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including an operational tour in South Armagh, Northern Ireland. Stints selling caviar in Mayfair, clearing landmines in Afghanistan, gaining an MBA from Edinburgh University, working in the Borders knitwear industry and various start-up companies in London, preceded a move to Norfolk where he has settled with his family and a career in telecoms. Retribution is his first published novel. A second novel, also set in Afghanistan and featuring Piers Walker is nearing completion. The back cover of Retribution reads:

"Sean O'Connor and Declan Murphy, two IRA terrorists released as part of the Good Friday Agreement, have been loaned to an al-Qa'eda training camp in Afghanistan in return for drugs, weapons and money. News of the Irishmen's mission is leaked to two former SAS soldiers, Piers Walker and Barry Ferguson. The Britons are bent on avenging the murder of a young soldier in their charge in South Armagh and see lawless Afghanistan as the perfect place for retribution. But Ferguson has a secret. Their vendetta, always against the odds, converges with the IRA men and the Islamists the day before 9/11."

‘In my blood’ by Gregg Waggett

Greg Waggett served in the British Army as a rifleman then as an infantry officer for eight years during the 70’s including six tours in Northern Ireland. A trip to Nepal in 1970 via Afghanistan and Iran started his thirst for adventure.  He worked in Libya in agri-business  for eight years then set up and ran a design and advertising agency in Cambridge. In 2004 he started working overseas in the insecure world of private security in 2004.

This is a true story about a man drawn into the world of private security after he is forced to quit his business. He encounters different cultures, searing temperatures, bombs, menacing officials, and the threat of expulsion. An erstwhile warlord in Africa becomes an unlikely ally. At one point, he is arrested, escapes – but is then faced with an agonising dilemma. There are many lighter moments, too. His fascinating and vivid accounts are written with verve and pace. They take you not just to Iraq, but also to Libya when it was a rogue state, Kuwait, East Africa and the Sudan. In sum, ‘a rich account, skilfully blending a life in security with military tactics, political commentary, travelogue and high comedy’. Much more than a ‘bang-bullets-and-blazes’ story, this book is a must-read with broad appeal.

Some books that have been written by ex military. If anyone has read them then would be interested in your comments!

‘Commando’ by Geoff Nordass with Ralph Regal

Geoff Nordass joined the Royal Marines in 1978 and was assigned to duty in Norway, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Lebanon and Hong Kong but quit the Marines in 1996 and became a bodyguard for people including Dodi Al Fayid. He recently left this life behind to become a windows and doors manufacturer.

From the riot-torn streets of Belfast to the frozen moors of the Falklands and the scorched deserts of Iraq, Royal Marine Commando Geoff Nordass has been an eye-witness to some of the bloodiest conflicts of the late twentieth century.

Joining the Commandos at just seventeen to prove himself worthy to be a member of ‘the best of the best’, Nordass found himself in an elite Arctic Warfare unit. He was mentioned in dispatches during the Falklands War, served in Hong Kong on border security missions with Communist China, completed two tours in Northern Ireland and repeated NATO winter warfare operations in Norway. By the time he left the Royal Marines, Nordass was a parachutist, a navy diver, a coxswain, a hovercraft specialist and had served in support of SBS special forces.

Retiring from the Royal Marines, his remarkable life took another twist as he worked as a bodyguard for Lady Diana Spencer’s boyfriend, Dodi al-Fayed, before directing security operations on some of the world’s most luxurious cruise liners. He later ran a private security mission in Iraq at the height of the insurgency, as comrades fell victim to suicide bombers, convoy ambushes and assassinations.

Commando is an epic story of courage, loyalty, endurance and loss – and a remarkable insight into one of world’s most famous fighting regiments.