Chris Ryan

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For the actor, see Christopher Ryan.
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"Chris Ryan" (a pseudonym) was born in 1961. He joined the SAS in 1984 and later was one of the members of the disastrous "Bravo Two Zero" mission, during which a patrol from the Special Air Service (SAS) were sent behind enemy lines in the first Gulf War.

Ryan had served with his brother in the 23rd Territorial SAS regiment. For several years he had been an unofficial boy soldier, passing SAS selection several times. However, you cannot pass straight into the SAS regiment, you need to enter the army via a conventional unit. At 17, Ryan entered the army, joining the Parachute Regiment, and after six months entered the 22nd SAS regiment.[citation needed]

One of Ryans first missions was as part of the Bravo Two Zero patrol in Iraq in the First Gulf War. The patrol's communications devices were initially given the wrong codes and were unusable. They were also unprepared for the terrain, as they were told they would be operating in a hot and sandy desert. As it was, the area was barren and rocky and the temperatures plummeted during the night, forcing them to turn back to their rendezvous point to collect another radio and appropriate survival gear. Out of the initial eight SAS soldiers who were sent behind enemy lines, Ryan was the only soldier to successfully escape from Iraq and into allied territory.

He traveled over 180 miles in five days on foot, in both the freezing cold and baking sun. He suffered sleep deprivation, starvation, severe dehydration and other such physical ailments. He had even lost all his toenails. He lost a considerable amount of weight (approximately 30 lbs), something that could have killed him. Three of the original squad of eight died, while the rest including the leader Andy McNab were captured and brutally tortured. "Chris Ryan" made history with this "longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper" and this achievement was recognised by the award of the Military Medal. This feat had only ever been matched by another SAS trooper, Jack Stilleto, while lost in the Sahara Desert.

Since leaving the SAS, "Ryan" has written several books, including The One That Got Away (ISBN 1-57488-156-6) — his own account of the Bravo Two Zero mission—as well as a number of novels, including Greed and The Increment. He has also gone on to write a series of books for younger readers — the "Alpha Force" books - and combines a successful career juggling roles as a bestselling writer, motivational speaker and presenter of television documentaries including Hunting Chris Ryan.

In 2005, "Chris Ryan" presented a BSkyB show called "How Not to Die", explaining how one should act in various life-threatening situations.

[edit] Books

[edit] Non-Fiction

  • The One That Got Away

[edit] Fiction

Geordie Sharp

  • Stand By, Stand By (1996)
  • Zero Option (1997)
  • The Kremlin Device (1998)
  • Tenth Man Down (1999)

Other

  • The Hit List (2000)
  • The Watchman (2001)
  • Land Of Fire (2002)
  • Greed (2003)
  • The Increment (2004)
  • Blackout (2005)
  • Ultimate Weapon (2006)

Code Red

  • Flash Flood (2006)
  • Wildfire (2007)

Alpha Force

  • Alpha Force 1: Survival (2002)
  • Alpha Force 2: Rat-catcher (2002)
  • Alpha Force 3: Desert Pursuit (2003)
  • Alpha Force 4: Hostage (2003)
  • Alpha Force 5: Red Centre (2004)
  • Alpha Force 6: Hunted (2004)
  • Alpha Force 7: Blood Money (2005)
  • Alpha Force 8: Fault Line (2005)
  • Alpha Force 9: Black Gold (2005)
  • Alpha Force 10: Untouchable (2005)
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