Reading lists

What I’m Reading: Andy McNab

The former SAS soldier came to reading late in life but is now a voracious reader. From a book that demystifies psychopaths to Malcolm Gladwell’s latest, here’s what's been on his bedside table recently.

Andy McNab
Andy McNab's reading list

Recruited into the army straight out of Juvenile Detention, at 17 Andy McNab had the reading age of an 11-year-old. He picked up his first book in an army classroom which has says changed his life.

As a young soldier, he served in Northern Ireland before moving to work in covert operations for nine years, across five different continents. During the Gulf War, he commanded the now-infamous Bravo Two Zero and went on to become the British Army’s most highly decorated serving soldier.

Drawing on his experiences, McNab went on to write three non-fiction bestsellers, including an account of his time in Bravo Two Zero which was later adapted into a TV show starring Sean Bean. He continues to write both fiction and non-fiction while also advising Hollywood on covert procedures and being a spokesperson for both military and literacy charities.

Here, he discusses his latest book pile with us.

I came across Franz de Waal through his TED lectures – I'm a big fan of them. He’s worked with chimpanzees for 20 years and this book explains what we can learn about human nature by studying them. It shows that it is not only violence and aggression that we 'inherited' from our animal ancestors, but actually just as much kindness and empathy. These primates exhibit the same power struggles, insecurities and conflicts as we do – it’s a really interesting read.

Agent Zigzag by Ben McIntyre

Double agent Eddie Chapman is one of World War II’s national heroes with a back story that would seem too far-fetched if this book was a work of fiction. East End gangster, lover of rich women, and international spy. He was a real-life James Bond, in a world of espionage usually reserved for graduates of Oxford and Cambridge. It’s a great book.

This one is a bit heavy, so probably not the ideal Christmas stocking filler. It explores a really important topic: the dilemma faced by military and law enforcement when faced with a ‘kill or be killed’ situation. As a species, we are instinctively programmed to preserve life, but regardless, we are pretty good at taking it. The book explains why we find it easy to do so but also looks at the after-effects someone feels after being in that situation.

127 Hours by Aron Ralston

I have often talked about Touching the Void by Joe Simpson and the impact that had on me as a writer; it taught me the importance of description and atmosphere and this book is another great example of this. Making non-fiction accounts compelling and gripping is not always easy but Ralston really makes you feel the fear, thirst, hunger and despondency of being trapped in a canyon, miles from anywhere for five days, facing the impossible decision of amputating a limb or staying there to die. It’s an incredible story of survival but also a very well-crafted account.

 

Andy McNab's latest book, Whatever It Takes, is out now. 

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