Killer Elite (previously published as The Feather Men): A Novel (Random House Movie Tie-In Books)

This was a really good book and though I liked the movie, it would have had to have been a miniseries to colapse and condence the time and amount of content that the book offers. I found the book hard to put down. I did not want to stop reading it even when 1 AM rolled round and I had to be up for work by 5 AM. You get a lot more character complexity in the book than the movie, you understand why the Sheik had conducted his revenge, Danny the assassin is not who you think he is, under the surface, the layers of his personality show through, Spike the Ex- SAS man tough as nails, God Save the Queen, sacrificing ALL for his beleif in counrty and Duty even after forced retirment(a quality many SAS men exude) Ran Fiennes, is Ex-SAS and knows his stuff. there is even a nod to "Lofty" John Wiseman in the book (a 26 or 28 year veteran of the SAS and author of "The SAS survival handbook.) Do yourself a favor and read this book, a really Spy Vs. Spy, special ops, James Bondish, Queen and Country, book. Did I mention it is based in fact? I know, I know, based in fact is subject to conjecture but the events described in his book you can look up for yourself, because Ran Fiennes was there and was part of the operation that got the ball rolling with the assassins in the first place. So in any event I thought it was a great book and I highly recomned it.

Unlike the movie, you get more depth in Ranulph Finnes's original book about these events. This is presented as a "Novel" because (wink) (wink), third parties involving the British government would have otherwise stopped it. Mr. Finnes makes it clear that it is really a true story. Up to the reader. Not an especially easy read, but I enjoyed it.

I first read this fantastic book in the mid-1990s, when it was published under its original title of "The Feather Men" (a far better title in my opinion) and over the years have recommended it to lots of people. I was reminded of it when talking to someone in October and decided to reread it. Still found it completely captivating and extremely well written. Strongly suggest you give it a go.

I was pretty disappointed at first when I couldn't find the original copy of this book (The Feather Men) for under $50. However, this book is exactly the same (see inside cover) EXCEPT for the cover. The story follows the original exactly. Now, if you are buying this with expectations that it is going to be like the movie, you will be in for a surprise. There are parts that are the same but this is much more detailed, with many more/different characters and sub plots. This book was enjoyable (despite it's slower pace) and VERY well written with tons of details.

I was bored silly in a hotel and flipped on the movie version of this book because I recognized some of the actors. Boredom left in a hurry as I began to also recognize some of the events. Some lawyer must have suggested the designation of a novel, because this is a true story first published many years ago in the UK. Foregt the absurd movie title. This is a chilling tale of ex-SAS killers on the loose in London in the Sixties. The Feather Men is impossible to put down. Ranulph Fiennes is one of those English explorers whose life would be impossible to sell as a script. Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, his autobiography, reads like something Ian Fleming would have written if he were bored with Bond. The Sixties were a time when a frustrated England, aware of its declining state as a world power, indulged in war off the books. See Duff Hart-Davis, The War That Never Was, Century 2011, which brushes accross the same topic as Fiennes. This may not have been published in the US. Many of our problems in the Middle East are spinoffs from this era, particularly in the Yemen. If you enjoy spy novels and thrillers, read this book and the next novel will seem tame by comparison. Reflect on why these men were being killed and you will know why peace in the Middle East is so hard to attain. Maybe impossible.

I found this book particularly interesting because I had read about the time period and activities which involved the British Special Air Service (SAS). The background of the book was a mixture of SAS operations and Muslim culture, which is currently in the news almost daily. The book is a novel, but investigation of the author, Ranulph Fiennes, will cause one to ponder that the story is more truth than fiction.

While some will inevitably argue the authors assertion of this being a factual accounting of the story and events in it, I found it none the less riveting and find myself wanting to believe it so. Having spent the majority of my police career in investigative work, retiring a detective assigned in my last 10 years specializing in diplomatic/executive protection and conducting contract services doing the same for several years in active war zones - both in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, I have had the honor of working with many men of some of the world's special forces. While not knowing them to any degree approaching the way they knew each other, I nevertheless entrusted my life to them and they me. Their dedication to duty and sense of honor always impressed me & I thought it was well represented here leaving little wonder (to me anyway) why I find myself wanting to believe the accounts contained in this well written story. While I understand that business is business and changing the title to capitalize on the highly commercialized Hollywood very loose rendering of this story made sense, I find the original title far more appropriate and fitting.

I am very simpathetic to film makers that try to produce a movie out of a book. With that said it tires me to watch the buthery that goes on when 500 pages become 1.5 hours of film. Many a good book has been left on the cutting room floor. This is one such book. The movie IS LOOSELY based on the book. Is the story true or not. Not my problem. Were their holes in the movie big enough to throw a cat through, yes. I may have to stop watching movies based on books that I want to read. I'll stick to reading & watching stupid tv shows, the news takes enough artistic previlege as it is.

No estaba en castellano, no indicándolo en la realización de la compra. Mis expectativas no se encuentran satisfechas en su totalidad.

This was a hard book to locate as it is no longer in print. Although 2nd hand it is in good condition and well worth the money spent. A very interesting insight into the secret world of protection, its results and consequences. The book was not accepted by the gov't of the time and was thus further printing, I have been led to believe, was prevented; so much for freedom of speech/press. The book now has a dual label of fiction and non-fiction to put off new readers. How this can be so after the special forces approved its release is non sensical. I would recommend this book to others interested in our special services.

Ho visto il film e mi è piaciuto anche il libro da cui ha avuto l'ispirazione, non male, anche perché basato su una storia vera

Superlative book. Very well written, much much better than the movie,obviously. Delves deep into the world of special operatives, hired assasins etc etc. Even more hard hitting coz this happened in real life!! Superb

Eine Geschichte, die sich in etwa so zugetragen hat. Die staatlichen Dokumente unterliegen nach wie vor der Geheimhaltung. Sir Ranuph Fiennes ist in YouTube zu finden, eine beeindruckende Persönlichkeit. Das Buch ist, aus meiner Sicht, wertvoller als 1000 rein fiktive Krimis.