Red One
The bestselling true story of a bomb disposal expert on the front line in Iraq
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4.5 • 31 Ratings
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
The British Hurt Locker. In the Iraq War, Cpt Kevin Ivison defused bombs and IEDs left by the Taliban. Each time he took the 'longest walk' to a bomb, it could have been his last. How many times can a man stare death in the face before he breaks?
Even the most skilful operators can only roll the dice so many times before they get unlucky . . . This was my bomb, my task and my fate alone. There was nothing left to do but walk.
When two of his colleagues are killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, young bomb disposal officer Kevin Ivison is called in to defuse a second, even deadlier bomb just a hundred yards from the bodies of his friends. To make things worse, the entire area is under fire from snipers, and a crowd of angry Iraqis have begun to hurl petrol bombs...
With little chance of living through this impossible task, Kevin leaves final messages for his loved ones and sets out alone towards the bomb that he is sure will be the last thing he sees. In this gut-wrenching and terrifying true story of heroism and survival, Kevin Ivison explains why he chose to be a bomb disposal expert in the first place, how he found the courage to face his death, and the unendurable stress that has given him nightmares ever since.
An absorbing, honest, true story of life on the front lines in the Iraq War. Perfect for fans of The Hurt Locker, Sniper One and Bomb Hunters.
'The honesty with which Kevin relays his fear, his overwhelming sense that he is going to die, is impressive . . . unpretentious and accessible' Daily Telegraph
'Absorbing ... At the heart of the book is a taut, riveting account of the events of a single day - February 28, 2006 - when Ivison rushed to the scene of an IED ambush on a road known as RED ONE' - DAILY MAIL
'RED ONE is plain-spoken, heart-thumping stuff' - THE TIMES
Customer Reviews
The true cost of war.
I have read a lot of books about the military and lately bomb disposal. This let me see it from a different perspective. I put of reading it because reviews had pointed out that the ATO had became ill and wrote about it and I wanted to read about brave exciting acts of bomb disposal. Well I'm glad I read this, I found out that it's ordinary people doing extraordinary things in this war and that they don't just need our support while they are there but when they return too. You will never regret reading this book and will gain a much deeper understanding of the cost to the brave men and women who feel the fear and do it anyway. You will go through many emotions like anger and disbelief that our people are risking dying for the lack of equipment that cost £10
I wish Kevin and his family the best for the future.
Brilliant
Im not a big reader but after watching an interview with the author on the tv I thought it would be a great book. I absolutely loved it! I could not put it down, the writing is fantastic and the fact that this is all true makes it even better. I would honestly recommend it to anyone.
A great read, showing a different side of soldiering
Having read a lot of books on the subject of modern soldiering, and with no personal experience of this field I was attracted to Red One by the recent praise ok the book in the UK media.
From start to finish it reads as an honest and open account of a persons experience, and the difficulties faced by so many service men and women that is hidden from the public.
I found the book to be insightful and educational, and has given me a new appreciation of an area I considered myself to be already familiar with (purely from a 'readers' perspective).
The book is quite short, so easy to get through in a short period of time, and a book I would recommend to anyone looking for insight into this less well known side of the armed forces.