Masters of War

In Paris, an elderly man is assassinated as he takes his morning walk. In the war-torn cities of Syria, government forces wage a bloody war against their own people. The Russians are propping up the government, the French are backing one rebel fraction and the British are backing another. And in north Africa, young SAS trooper Danny Black is coming to the end of a gruelling tour of duty... or so he thinks.

Danny has a new mission. An MI6 agent needs to make contact with Syrian rebel forces, and also with the private military contractors who are - unofficially - training this rebel faction as it struggles to bring down their government and establish a new regime that will be favourable to British business interests. As they travel deep into rebel heartland, Danny will learn who the masters of war, the men who call the shots, really are.

As Danny finds himself sucked into the murky orbit of the private military, he discovers a world where death is dispensed by the highest bidder and individuals will betray anybody if the price is right. And where a secret lurks that will change the course of Danny's own life, however long that might last...

“Praise for Chris Ryan - :This Newcastle-born former SAS sergeant is firmly established as one of our most popular action authors. It is not difficult to see why in this bleak story centred on SAS man Joe Mansfield, who happens to be in the compound in Pakistan when the Americans descend from their Black Hawks and kill Osama bin Laden... This is a far darker, more complex tale than Ryan's more familiar tales of derring-do, for Mansfield is plunged into a world of treachery. The pace never flags for a moment, and Ryan's insider knowledge is to the fore, but even the SAS's skills are no longer quite enough. New, less honourable talents are required. Bravery is not the only solution. - Daily MailNobody takes you to the action better than Ryan, because he's the real deal, and this muscle-and-bone thriller will have fans' blood pumping - Evening StandardChris Ryan is as hard as nails - MirrorThe books are masterpieces of social realism. [Chris Ryan] has lived the virtual life he writes about - and that makes him the right kind of war novelist for this generation. These storylines are dependent on a bustle of verbs that lead in every instance to blood and explosions, desperate screams and increasing levels of difficulty: it is never long before we find things and people being zapped, fried, crunched, toasted and skewered, as the bad deeds of the world are comprehensively avenged - London Review of Books Relentless pace and gritty brutal realism... accurate descriptions of modern warfare... this is a book that could only have been there by someone who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt. - SoldierChris Ryan has always been underrated as a novelist of ideas... a welter of treachery and mayhem. - Daily TelegraphA shockingly authentic tale to keep your adrenaline pumping as fast as the blood on the pages. - The Sun”

Praise for Chris Ryan - :

This Newcastle-born former SAS sergeant is firmly established as one of our most popular action authors. It is not difficult to see why in this bleak story centred on SAS man Joe Mansfield, who happens to be in the compound in Pakistan when the Americans descend from their Black Hawks and kill Osama bin Laden... This is a far darker, more complex tale than Ryan's more familiar tales of derring-do, for Mansfield is plunged into a world of treachery. The pace never flags for a moment, and Ryan's insider knowledge is to the fore, but even the SAS's skills are no longer quite enough. New, less honourable talents are required. Bravery is not the only solution. - Daily Mail

Nobody takes you to the action better than Ryan, because he's the real deal, and this muscle-and-bone thriller will have fans' blood pumping - Evening Standard

Chris Ryan is as hard as nails - Mirror

The books are masterpieces of social realism. [Chris Ryan] has lived the virtual life he writes about - and that makes him the right kind of war novelist for this generation. These storylines are dependent on a bustle of verbs that lead in every instance to blood and explosions, desperate screams and increasing levels of difficulty: it is never long before we find things and people being zapped, fried, crunched, toasted and skewered, as the bad deeds of the world are comprehensively avenged - London Review of Books

Relentless pace and gritty brutal realism... accurate descriptions of modern warfare... this is a book that could only have been there by someone who has been there, done that and got the T-shirt. - Soldier

Chris Ryan has always been underrated as a novelist of ideas... a welter of treachery and mayhem. - Daily Telegraph

A shockingly authentic tale to keep your adrenaline pumping as fast as the blood on the pages. - The Sun

Chris Ryan was born near Newcastle in 1961. He joined the SAS in 1984. During his ten years there he was involved in overt and covert operations and was also sniper team commander of the anti-terrorist team. During the Gulf War, Chris Ryan was the only member of an eight-man unit to escape from Iraq, where three colleagues were killed and four captured. It was the longest escape and evasion in the history of the SAS. For this he was awarded the Military Medal. For his last two years he was selecting and training potential recruits for the SAS. He wrote about his experiences in the bestseller The One That Got Away, which was adapted for screen, and since then has written three other works of non-fiction, fourteen bestselling novels and a series of childrens' books. He lectures in business motivation and security, and is a consultant for a security organisation. You can find out more information on Facebook at You can also follow Chris on Twitter @exSASChrisRyan

In Paris, an elderly man is assassinated as he takes his morning walk. In the war-torn cities of Syria, government forces wage a bloody war against their own people. The Russians are propping up the government, the French are backing one rebel fraction and the British are backing another. And in north Africa, young SAS trooper Danny Black is coming to the end of a gruelling tour of duty... or so he thinks. Danny has a new mission. An MI6 agent needs to make contact with Syrian rebel forces, and also with the private military contractors who are - unofficially - training this rebel faction as it struggles to bring down their government and establish a new regime that will be favourable to British business interests. As they travel deep into rebel heartland, Danny will learn who the masters of war, the men who call the shots, really are. As Danny finds himself sucked into the murky orbit of the private military, he discovers a world where death is dispensed by the highest bidder and individuals will betray anybody if the price is right. And where a secret lurks that will change the course of Danny's own life, however long that might last...

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