The One That Got Away - Chris Ryan

Written by Tom Clare in Book Reviews, Monday 25 August, 2008

Bravo Two Zero, Bravo!

It is often said that truth can be stranger than fiction, and in the case of Chris Ryan's debut novel, it can also make a story a great deal more compelling. The One That Got Away sits snugly between a factual recounting and a full-blown thriller, as the author gives his account of the remarkable events that befell the SAS's ill-fated Bravo Two Zero squadron during a mission in Iraq during the Gulf War of the early nineties. Ryan's excellent observational skills and stark honesty prove the driving force for a colourful and at times riveting read.
Things kick-off with an overview of events that took place before the mission; Ryan describes how things were apparently hamstrung before they had even started, with shortages of supplies and ammunition, though far from using the early sections as a forum to point the blame anywhere specifically, the author manages to establish each of his team-mates on the mission as key figures in their own right - a difficult art and all the more impressive as he does so clearly, concisely and without lapsing into rhetoric. Ryan's persona is reflected in his writing; he's always to-the-point and pulls no punches, and yet rather than coming across as arrogant, he seems to have a decent understanding of his colleagues and never fails to note their positives as well as weaknesses - the human element is a real asset to his storytelling. Perhaps his cool relationship with Andy McNab (a successful author in his own right who had earlier chronicled his own side of events in 'Bravo Two Zero'), his superior officer on the mission, will prove the most intriguing to the reader.
The mission itself quickly gets into problems and, after Bravo Two Zero become separated into two groups; Ryan faces the momentous task of trekking on foot to the Syrian border with minimal supplies and an increasingly large number of Iraqis on the look out for him. Travelling nearly three hundred kilometres in nine days is a show of remarkable endurance, and the detail of Ryan's achievement and the reality of his dire situation set it apart. To know he loses comrades, faces near-starvation and suffers immense physical agonies is all the more gripping because it is based on truth, and his knowledgeable accounts probe a level of emotional depth that fictional thrillers struggle to reach.
It's no-nonsense stuff - Ryan's writing is unrefined yet easy enough to follow, with a glossary of military terms proving initially a little heavy-going but soon adding to the authenticity of the experience. As he nears the Iraq/Syrian border, things continue to take remarkable turns; his routine of walking through the night and lying up out of sight in the day leads him into a state of near delirium and carelessness - it's as if he becomes unable to separate minor details from the remarkable; incredibly, at one point he is forced to kill a couple of Iraqi guards, slitting the throat of one before breaking the neck of the other, yet he covers it in much the same tone and space he would whilst commenting on his blistered feet.
The one slight hiccup to befall The One That Got Away structurally speaking is the slightly sloppy integration of Ryan's background and family life into the main story; these sections prove interesting enough to read though are rather unceremoniously dealt with in terms of their placement in the story. Rather than having little bits spread out over the course of the book, the whole lot comes in two rather ungainly chunks of around 15-20 consecutive pages, temporarily derailing the main plot.
On the whole, it's an impressive tale recounted in vivid detail and told in terms that those unfamiliar with military practices will be able to appreciate. Chris Ryan successfully conveys the emotional and physical degradation he endured during the final days of his mission, whilst his excellent scenario recollections and analytical and knowledgeable style bring the book to life. A really good read.
 
OVERALL: 8/10

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