Andy McNab

A renowned motivational  and keynote speaker , Andy McNab has lived a truly extraordinary life - since the day he was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital.

Andy joined the infantry in 1976 as a boy soldier where he waged war against the IRA in South Armagh; in 1984, he became a member of 22 SAS, operating at the centre of covert operations for nine years on five continents, including anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations in the Middle and Far East, South and Central America, and Northern Ireland.­

Now a director of a Hereford-based security company , Andy runs a specialist training course for news crews, journalists and members of non-governmental organisations working in hostile environments (including war zones). The course is currently the only one if its kind in the world.

On the speaking circuit, he is in great demand by audiences eager to hear the inside story to his amazing experiences with the SAS.

Trained as a specialist in counter-terrorism, prime target elimination, demolitions, weapons and tactics, covert surveillance and information-gathering in hostile environments, and VIP protection, Andy has worked on co-operative operations with police forces, prison services, anti-drug forces and western backed guerrilla movements as well as on conventional special operations.

In Northern Ireland, he spent two years working as an undercover operator with 14th Intelligence Group, going on to become an instructor.

During the Gulf War, Andy commanded the famous Bravo Two Zero: an eight-man patrol tasked with destroying underground communication links between Baghdad and north-west Iraq and with finding and destroying mobile Scud missile launchers.

The patrol infiltrated Iraq in January 1991, but was soon compromised. A fierce fire fight with Iraqi troops ensued, and the patrol was forced to escape and evade on foot to Syria. One of the four taken prisoners, Andy was held for six weeks and was relentlessly and savagely tortured.

Awarded both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and Military Medal (MM) during his military career, Andy was the British Army's most highly decorated serving soldier when he finally left the SAS in 1993.

Since then he has become a bestselling writer, drawing on his insider knowledge and experience: ‘Bravo Two Zero' is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold at least 1.5 million copies in the UK alone, and 'Immediate Action', his autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the best-seller lists.

He is also the author of the bestselling Nick Stone thrillers, several other fiction and nonfiction titles as well as a series of books for young adults.

Besides his writing work, he lectures to security and intelligence agencies in both the USA and UK, works in the film industry advising Hollywood on everything from covert procedure to training civilian actors to act like soldiers, contributes to a variety of newspapers and magazines, and campaigns tirelessly as a spokesperson and fundraiser for both military and literacy charities.