Boy Soldier

Boy Soldier #1

by Andy McNab

Danny Watts' grandfather, Fergus, was a Deniable Operator in the SAS before he was betrayed, imprisoned, and falsely denounced as a traitor. Now Fergus has escaped, but the real traitor is determined to silence Fergus and Danny for good. Together Danny and Fergus are forced to go on the run in an against-the-odds battle for survival. As they try to clear Fergus' name, Danny learns all the military field craft, trade skills, and covert operations techniques that are second nature to his grandfather. When Fergus is recaptured, Danny must put those skills to the test and rescue Fergus before it's too late.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Mystery, Adult

291 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2005

About the author

Andy McNab joined the infantry in 1976 as a boy soldier. In 1984 he was badged as a member of 22 SAS Regiment. He served in B Squadron 22 SAS for ten years and worked on both covert and overt special operations worldwide, including anti-terrorist and anti-drug operations in the Middle and Far East, South and Central America and Northern Ireland.

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, McNab worked on cooperative 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.

McNab also worked as an instructor on the SAS selection and training team and instructed foreign special forces in counter terrorism, hostage rescue and survival training.

Andy McNab has written about his experiences in the SAS in two bestselling books, Bravo Two Zero (1993) and Immediate Action (1995). Bravo Two Zero is the highest selling war book of all time and has sold over 1.7 million copies in the UK. To date it has been published in 17 countries and translated into 16 languages. The CD spoken word version of Bravo Two Zero, narrated by McNab, sold over 60,000 copies and earned a silver disc. The BBC's film of Bravo Two Zero, starring Sean Bean, was shown on primetime BBC 1 television in 1999 and released on DVD in 2000.

Immediate Action, McNab's autobiography, spent 18 weeks at the top of the bestseller lists following the lifting on an ex-parte injunction granted to the Ministry of Defence in September 1995. To date, Immediate Action has now sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.

McNab is the author of seven fast action thrillers, highly acclaimed for their authenticity and all Sunday Times bestsellers. Published in 1997, Remote Control was hailed as the most authentic thriller ever written and has sold over half a million copies in the UK. McNab's subsequent thrillers, Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light , Liberation Day , Dark Winter , Deep Black and Aggressor have all gone on to sell equally well. The central character in all the books is Nick Stone, a tough ex-SAS operative working as a 'K' on deniable operations for British Intelligence.

McNab's fiction draws extensively on his experiences and knowledge of Special Forces soldiering. He has been officially registered by Neilsen Bookscan as the bestselling British thriller writer of the last year.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story kicks off a series Alex Rider fans will like. Set in England, Danny Watts is an orphan living in a group home with a great counselor and a really good friend, Elena. When Danny tries to get military training, he is denied any help and tasked with finding his long lost grandfather and turn him in as a Traitor.
Lots of action, great friendships mixed with a dash of governmental deceit keep the pages turning.

[Craig Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the common English style and tone of this book. The author obviously know the military really well and isn't afraid to use loads of jargon. That's good and improves my vocab skills. I would like to read the rest of the series too.

[Jake Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok i liked the fact that it was very good facts about the army

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing read, largely due to a plot which didn't seem to make much sense to me. I understand that this book is part of a series, and so there seem to be story arcs left unsolved which will be explained in later books, but it all seemed to be a bit forced, and the first book of the series didn't leave me wanting more, so the plot holes/unanswered questions thing didn't really work for me.

Perhaps it's just not my genre though, but on the whole I was definitely let down by this book.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melinda Dye - Adventure

Orphan Danny Watts has one goal in mind: to join Great Britain's Army. He has the grades and the talent, but one thing is keeping him out. His grandfather, Fergus Watts, is according to the media a former soldier who turned traitor to England and is now in hiding. Livid that this man he's never met has ruined his future, Danny enlists his tech-savvy friend Elena to track his grandfather down. When Danny finds him, Fergus attempts to set him straight - he's no traitor, he's a "K," a deniable operator who was betrayed by a man higher up in the British government, one who will do whatever it takes, even kill, to keep his dealings with the Colombian cartel secret. One who knew Danny would look for his grandfather. One who Danny has now led straight to him. Now on the run, Danny and Fergus must use their skills and wits to stay alive, in the hopes of proving Fergus's innocence.

Written by a former, highly-decorated soldier in the British military, this book has an authenticity that makes it even more exciting. It's a great adventure, giving the reader an inside look at surveillance, military technology, and strategy. The story contains gunfights, computer hacking, and narrow escapes; there is also a glossary of military, surveillance, and hacking terms to help the reader understand the story better. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

[PaulKi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young man named Danny Watts who wants to join the Great Britain's Army. He meets all the requirements to get his scholarship and enter the army but one day he is called to the office. His grandfather, Fergus Watts, is according to the media a former soldier who turned traitor to England and is now in hiding. He decides to capture this traitor and make himself enter the army. With the help of his friends, he manages to find his grandfather which lead him to find out the truth. He was betrayed by the British government who had dealings with the Colombian cartel secret. The man was in a high position so it was hard for Fergus Watts to live normally after he found out the truth about these dealings and tried to stop them. The relationship between the grandfather and grandson get tight and they start to run away from the government and prove that Fergus Watts is innocent. This book gives a short preview of the next book so it leaves the readers questions and curiosity that leads them to read the next book. The author has used so much details of how a spy or a person related with these hacking and government people would use to search and hunt each other. I learned many stuff of how the programs worked and felt like I was actually able to do them myself. Their run is still on and still hasn't been resolved so I am really excited to continue reading the next book and find out how these two escape this situation and prove their innocence.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, more so than McNab's own books. The reason for this was that the writing was much better, obviously because of his co-author Robert Rigby. I have always enjoyed reading McNab as there is a gritty reality to them but sometimes the writing leaves a lot to be desired. This is ok because we was a soldier, first and foremost and came to writing after his SAS career.

This story was put together much better. You could see McNab's influence but the style was much smoother. It didn't lose any of McNab's gritty reality but for me it read much better. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bought this book by my parents one day,years ago now. I immediatly read it, as at the time I was really into spy books, such as the Alex Rider series, and the likes.
I instantly fell in love with the series and devoured through the rest of the series/ eagerly waited for new ones.

As I have grown I have also grown different tastes and eventually have grew out of these kind of books, however I felt I had to show my support for this series as for a long while if someone has asked me my favorite book/series 'Boy Soldier' would be the first name that game to mind.

[Bruce Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

word-lessly good

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

**SPOILERS**This book starts with Danny training to get into the British Military. After finishing top in his class at the academy he is rejected from the army because of his Grandfather who betrayed his country to join a Colombian drug Cartel. In order to restore his future in the military Danny tracks down his grandfather Fergus with the help of his friend Elena.
The author used foreshadowing very well in this story. In the beginning of the story he introduces the firm and George Fincham. This shows that they would have a larger roll later on in the story. Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was that it was not a completely happy ending. One of the characters that was growing throughout the story was brutally murdered at the end. Even though this was sad it added to the book.
One thing that this author could have improved on is the vocabulary used. It was overly simple and boring to read. Another thing that could have been improved is the intended audience. The story seemed more like a children's novel but the swearing and death made it seem kind of dark. The book also started slow and seemed rushed towards the end.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This action thriller from former SAS soldier Andy McNab is a true testament to his time as a boy soldier. He is able to give a detailed description of his experiences in a highly entertaining teenage novel with a great account on action, weapon and procedures.

The stereotypical teenager lead character of Danny Watts helps readers learn about the SAS as Danny goes on the run with his grandfather, a former soldier who operated as an undercover operative. And as Danny starts to learn more about survival procedures Fergus learns a lot from his grandson too.

The attention to detail by McNab is excellent and very formal. At times you wonder if it's not a novel but a SAS handbook, especially with a list on the first page about code-words and their meanings, but regardless it's entertaining from beginning to end and the follow ups of Payback, Avenger and Meltdown are the other books of the series.

Entertaining read. 3.5 stars

[Sue Benn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a Thriller series written by Andy McNab, a former SAS soldier who apparently had the reading age of an 11 year old when he joined the army! And it is a great thriller, as he drops the main character, Danny, into a world where he must live in cognito if he wishes to survive, and protect those around him. The book also introduces strong female characters, though not in the two leading roles. I was intrigued by the lengths those under surveillance went to in order to keep safe, and felt their boredom, frustration and discomfort whilst on the run. I was NOT happy that the book seemed to end mid story - first in a series, I get, but at least have a satisfactory ending to the first part of the story, please.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny's wanted to join the British army for a long time. He finally gets the chance to try but despite his scores, he's rejected. His grandfather is a traitor to the British government and as family, Danny is denied his dream. Danny's determined to find his grandfather and make him pay.

Fergus is not what Danny expects when he finds him. Fergus knows, however, that Danny was a pawn to find him. Now both their lives are in danger as they try to clear Fergus's name.

A novel full of action, adventure, suspense, and espionage. Lots of spy jargon, but not too much. Well-written.

[15GrahamA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the start. I liked the start because it was clear and understandable, as well as being easy to picture in my mind. The plot and conclusion wasn't for me. I thought too much led up to the conclusion, it wasn't easily understood and it was hard to picture in my mind. Due to these factors I wouldn't read it to the end or continue the series of books. The military language was also hard to remember and understand, it also got annoying having to go to the front every time a military word came up. If your a fan of military books or war books then this would be perfect for you.

[J.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5*

This book was good but failed to blow me away, my main problem was that I found it to be very cliche and felt that I was reading loads of novels packed into one. It was just overflowing with tropes, that being said these did fit well into the story and there was an element of uniqueness there.

I found the characters to be very interesting and thought the plot on who the traitor, mentioned in the title of the story, actually is to be quite intriguing. It took me a few chapters to fully understand where the plot was going but after I got to grips with Andy Mcnab and Robert Rigby's combined writing style I found this to be a solid read that I enjoyed to an extent.

[Brady D]

Danny Watts is trying to become a soldier. Fergus Watts broke out of prison, Fergus Watts is Danny's grandfather. His grandfather was supposed to be dead but he is not. Danny trains to try and get in the military. Sonny is a businessman.

[Maria Schillinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good on the edge thriller. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Miela Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting! With all the trivias I gained from Boy Soldier, reading chapter after chapter seemed more than just informative. It answers my appetite for more novels like this one.

[Kas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed, edge of your seat read that grabs you from the first page

[Coco Lutolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kinda boring not gonna lie.

[Long Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

McNab is not the best writer even with the help of Rigby, but he does tell a rip roaring adventure story. Looking forward to the next instalment ‘Payback’.

[IT Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Found this on the bottom shelf where it’s been hiding for years. Book talk in the fall for students who like action books. 3.5

[HARRY Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice short chapters, an easy read, except for figuring out those British terms

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Aquiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good and detailed book to the point i can imagine it in my head

[Ricardo]

It was good and it made me thing that i was in the army.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have the copy where it's called boy solider, so spent quite a while confused about where it was on here lol. Loved this series as a more accurate style Alex Rider book.

[William Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny Watts is an extremely athletic and smart boy with one dream in life, and that is to join the military. He finished the recruiting camp obstacle course first, and he was a straight A student. He passed every test thrown at him with flying colors; he should have been accepted, but there was one problem. The problem is that his grandfather, Fergus Watts, is labeled a traitor to the SAS, so Danny gets rejected by the military. Danny is outraged and swears he will find his grandfather and bring him to justice. Danny wants his grandfather to feel the pain he felt when he got rejected to the military. He tells his friend, Elena, who is a computer wiz to dig up anything she can find about his grandfather and the search begins. Eventually, Danny finds Fergus and wants to bring him to justice when Fergus tells him he is not a traitor and that someone high up in the MI6 is the traitor. What does Danny believe? Is his grandfather really innocent, and if he is, who is the real traitor that set him up? Andy McNab's novel Traitor is a fast paced book with endless twists and turns in the plot. Also, Andy McNab does a great job of implementing dramatic irony into the novel. I really enjoyed this book and I had trouble putting it down.
Danny thinks all of his problems will be solved once he finds Fergus and turns him in; there are no words to describe how wrong he is. Elena manages to locate Fergus through a phone conversation between Fergus and an old SAS buddy of his and she tells Danny how to find him. When Danny arrives at Fergus’ house he immediately recognizes his grandfather in the garage. As Danny is about to call the police the unexpected happens, Fergus kidnaps Danny and drives like a maniac through town while screaming at Danny about how he is stupid for trying to find him and saying that if the police finds them they will kim them both. Now it was at this part where I had to pause and think, “why would the police kill both of them if Danny brings in his grandfather? Wouldn’t Danny be doing a good thing by turning in Fergus?” It was times like this that made me want to read on and find out more about the story. Another twist in the story is that Danny believes Fergus is a traitor and he is the bad guy, but Fergus tells him another story. Fergus tells Danny that he was an operative for MI6 and on a mission he found out that someone high up in the MI6 is a traitor. When that person realized Fergus knew he was a traitor he set up Fergus and made it look like Fergus was the one who betrayed his country. Now Danny does not know who to believe, the Colonel or his own grandfather. The twist and turns in the plot really made this book enjoyable and hard to put down.
The author does an amazing job incorporating dramatic irony into the story. The book switches between four people’s point of view; Danny’s point of view, the MI6 agents’ point of view, Elena’s point of view and a reporter’s point of view. Therefore, the reader has the knowledge of four different people’s point of view and that makes the book even more intriguing. This also creates foreshadowing and suspense, because the reader knows each character’s next move. For instance, Danny and Fergus are visiting an old friend of Fergus’ when the MI6 decide to pay the friend a visit too. Danny and Fergus have no clue that the MI6 are coming and the MI6 have no clue that Danny and Fergus are in the house. The author does an outstanding job of creating suspense in this scene by informing the reader of MI6’s every move and how they are getting closer and closer every minute. If the author had not provided the reader with outside knowledge of MI6’s actions the suspense in this scene suffers greatly. The foreshadowing and suspense in this book is mostly created by dramatic irony, and that makes the book an edge of your seat thriller.
Overall, Andy Mcnab does a great job of keeping his readers on the edge of their seats with endless twists and turns, and dramatic irony. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good, fast paced, teen-spy book.

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traitor
Who really betrayed their country?
Traitor, an action-filled thriller that will keep you on your toes. The authors Andy McNab and Robert Rigby, have worked together to create a masterpiece. The novel is fiction set in the present day. This book takes you all over England. The main characters, Danny Watts, Fergus Watts (his granddad), and Elena all very well thought out characters, all fighting for a greater cause. One theme of this book is family ties and when they thwart you, drive you and require your loyalty.
In the beginning of the book, we meet Danny who is trying out for a scholarship to go into a military academy. He was top in all their tests, and he excelled in all the physical requirements. When they announced who was going to get the scholarships, his name was not on the list. It was then he discovered that his grandfather, who was a former SAS agent, had orchestrated a jail break, releasing a lot of very dangerous terrorists. After that his grandfather was called a traitor and forced into hiding. Danny was denied the scholarship because of their worries that he was in contact with his granddad. “That’s garbage,” he snapped at the recruitment officer. He had pinned all of his hopes on this one goal, and they were all scuttled by his relationship to his grandfather who he didn’t know.
After Danny’s interview, he realized that family can drive you to do anything. In his anger of being turned down from the army academy, he vowed to turn in his granddad. He gave up his life of relative luxury for living on the streets of London and always being on the run. He traveled all the way across London and snuck into a pub with old war veterans and stole one of their phones and found the number of Fergus Watts. His friend Elena, a very accomplished computer scientist, had software that could track phones. They put it to use and succeeded in finding his grandfather, hiding in plain sight as a fry cook in a fast food restaurant.
Therefore when Danny meets his granddad, he learns the real story about him, and it changes everything. Suddenly Danny feels obligated to protect and restore his family name. He is driven to do a “suicidal rescue attempt” when his grandfather was captured by MI6, the British secret intelligence agency who is trying to eliminate him for their private reasons.
To conclude one theme of this book is family ties and when they thwart you, drive you and require your loyalty. I would rate this book 3.5 stars out of 5, because it was interesting but I’ve read better books of its kind.