X Platoon

I liked the first person asking of his selection but the were too many side stories. I read about his team going into battle but not actually what happened when battle commence

Hands down the best SF book I've read. Genuinely likable author and this is the maybe the first non-fiction SF book I've read where I didn't sense that there was any embellishment. Nice to read about an operator who was encouraged by his family, wasn't an alcoholic and didn't have all kinds of drama going on outside of his profession. Hope that Steve Heaney writes more books!

Very hard to put down. Was easy to follow not bogged down with small details. I read cover to cover over a long weekend.Steve Heaney led an exciting life that most dream of but never big noted himself. Quite humble.I highly recommend

Being a military history buff I enjoy reading about Brit Military Unit's and their operations

Great read. The manner in which trhe book was written kept it compelling to read and the subject matter was continually interesting.

Loved this book. Read it immediately after finishing his first book Operation Mayhem. Get them both!

Read both of these books just recently while laid up injured, they are both well written,exciting and gripping. A definite must read for any soldier.

Excellent read factual and no bull...you'll be glad you read it

Steve Heaney is a remarkable man. This is the second biographical book on him I've read, the first one being Operation Mayhem.I've dropped a point from my score because, for the second time, I've noticed how Damien Lewis likes to spin a story out to pad out the number of pages in the book. I've also got issues with the accuracy of some of his comments - things a soldier would never say. For example, on page 67 of the paperback he writes, "I put on my Second World War style battle dress". I've attached 2 pictures to this review, one is a Parachute Regiment Battledress jacket which ceased being issued in the 1950's the other is a modern soldier in No 2 Dress which is exactly what Steve Heaney would have worn in the circumstances described on that page in the book (without the rank badges and Sam Brown).So while I enjoyed the relevant parts of the book I speed read through a lot of the padding and from time to time grimaced at Mr Lewis' appaling lack of knowledge.

This book immediately steps out from the mish-mash of supposedly similar military memoirs, and emerges above the others because of its authenticity. It's very obvious that Steve Heaney has been there, done that, and got gun oil and sweat on the OG t-shirt. It's said too often that a book is 'unputdownable' but in this case it's literally true. The tension, the laughter, the adrenalin, the highs and lows of life at the cutting edge of Special Forces soldiering in the 21st Century are all vividly described and lyrically written. It's compelling, uplifting and enthralling, and you just can't help turning each page after addictive page. In these days of (yet more) defence cuts, and economic and equipment hardships for the British military it's a timely reminder of the kind of men that quietly and thanklessly stand between the public and the darkness, and how much they put on the line each day for the sake of the rest of us. A rattling good read. Well done Steve and Damien :)

Having read a lot of this type of book, I bought it on Kindle for 0.99p (Special Offer Price) from Amazon and wondered if it would be any different to the usual read which I massively enjoy. The answer is an unreserved YES! The author (Steve Heaney) writes with an authority that is only possible if you've actually experienced, first hand, the subject matter. He has an easy writing style which makes the pages turn very quickly. I'm sure his far more experienced (in writing), co-author Damien Lewis contributed massively to this effect.Several highlights for me. Firstly, military jargon is used, BUT always with a description or definition for those who may not be familiar with the terminology. Secondly, the periods of conflict written about are all in living memory for me. I found myself gaining new insights into things I thought I knew about. Steve's experience in the Balkans being a case in point!Finally, what came across is the depth of character and determination Steve Heaney applied to even be considered for selection in the Pathfinders - a clear measure of the man. It's therefore no surprise that those qualities are reflected in each page of the book, X-Platoon. Highly recommended by and therefore 5 stars all the way. BUY IT!

I throughly enjoyed this book and although it’s a bit of a cliche, I was disappointed when I’d finished it.If you’re interested in military books and, in particular, those by members of the SF community, this will not disappoint you at all. The author and I are of similar age and whilst reading it, I was forever comparing what he and I did or achieved at similar ages; I must admit to being sadly lacking in comparison and it left me thinking what the hell I’d done with my teenage years and beyond!He was clearly extremely capable from a young age and was totally driven in achieving his goals. Steve Heaney is cut from a different cloth.I’ve read 2 books by another Pathfinder, David Blakeley; Maverick One and Pathfinder, also brilliant reads. I thought David Blakeley achieved things at a young age but Steve Heaney, in an environment filled with some of the fittest, most capable and most driven and headstrong young men, possibly pips him to the post. Spend the £6 and buy it. Brilliant.

Follow Steve Heaney MC as he joins the Parachute Regiment and then goes onto selection for the elite and secretive Pathfinders.I've read a lot of books about the SAS and SBS but the Pathfinders are a unit I knew nothing about until I read this book.You follow Steve all the way as he undertakes selection (which is on a par with SAS selection) and then goes onto training and then missions as a Pathfinder. The missions are incredibly tough and you can see why the selection process has to be so difficult! These really are men apart.This book is full of humour, adversity, action and adventure and lifts the lid on a highly secretive and elite unit.It's very well written and you find yourself right in amongst it with the troops.I also highly recommend Operation Mayhem by the same authors, in which just 26 Pathfinders take on 2000 rebels in Sierra Leone in a seemingly mission impossible!Just buy these books!