BBC Radio 4 Extra

Desert Island Discs Revisited: Military

Desert Island Discs Revisited: Military: Episode 2: Andy McNab

Factual

Life Stories

Factual: Life Stories

Sue Lawley's castaway is writer Andy McNab

Sue Lawley's castaway is writer Andy McNab.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the former SAS soldier turned author Andy McNab. 

After being abandoned as a baby, he was adopted and was brought up in the Peckham area of South London. A life of minor crime followed until he joined the infantry with the Royal Green Jackets in 1976 progressing to the SAS. In the Gulf War, McNab commanded the Bravo Two Zero patrol, given the task of destroying underground communication links in Iraq and mobile Scud launchers. Three of the eight-man patrol were killed, one escaped and four were taken prisoner by the Iraqis and tortured over a six-week period. He's been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Military Medal and was the British Army's most highly decorated serving soldier when he left the SAS in 1993. His book Bravo Two Zero became a bestseller and this was followed by his autobiography Immediate Action. Since then, he's published seven novels about a former soldier who then works for British Intelligence.

Elements of this programme may offend or upset some listeners.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Sweet Thing
 by David Bowie
Book: Any book by Charles Dickens
Luxury: A gollock

Andy McNab

Desert Island Discs Revisited

Selected castaway gems from the BBC Desert Island Discs archive.

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

Military

Kirsty Young introduces gems from the Desert Island Discs archive

Episode 2

Episode 2: Andy McNab

Desert Island Discs

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Desert Island Discs Revisited, Military, Andy McNab

Soldier-turned-writer Andy McNab shares his castaway choices with Sue Lawley.

4 Extra Debut. From the Clash to the Pogues, soldier-turned-writer Andy McNab shares his castaway choices with Sue Lawley. From January 2005.

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Desert Island Discs Revisited

Military

Episode 2: Andy McNab

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