Chris Ryan
About Author
Less than a week after the outbreak of the Gulf War, Chris Ryan and 7 fellow SAS soldiers were dropped by helicopter in the Iraqi desert. Their mission was to locate and destroy Saddam Husseins mobile Scud missile launches but it ended in catastrophic failure with three men dead and four captured and tortured by the Iraqis.
Chris Ryan was the one who got away. For 7 days he avoided capture, covering 188 miles of desert in subzero temperatures with no food and little water. His remarkable escape was the longest in the history of the Regiment and earned him a Military Medal. Ryan wrote about his experiences in the bestseller, The One That Got Away.
Chris Ryan was born in 1961 in a village near Newcastle. Aged 16 he attached himself unofficially to C Squadron of 23rd Special Air Service, and in 1984 he joined the SAS.
During his ten years in the SAS, Ryan was involved in overt and covert operations. His missions included training Presidential bodyguards in Columbia, defending the British Embassy in Zaire from rioting mobs, and in Northern Ireland he was the Sniper team commander of the anti-terrorist unit. In his last two years in the Regiment, Ryan selected and trained potential SAS recruits. He left the SAS in 1994.
He is now the author of several bestselling thrillers, has written over 50 books and presented a number of very successful TV programmes.
Using his first hand experience of living and surviving in enemy territory, Chris created an action packed adventure series for children - Alpha Force - and the Special Forces Cadet series.
Alpha Force follows the riveting adventures of five feisty characters, each aged 14 or 15. Each has a distinct range of skills and personalities, which mean that as a group they form an elite team, capable of solving the most complex of problems that the world faces.
In Special Forces Cadets, a group of teenagers are trained by the Special Forces, and their job is to uncover and minimise potential conflicts around the world.
Image: Copyright Niall McDiarmid
Interview
SPECIAL FORCES CADETS: HIJACK (BOOK 5)
HOT KEY BOOKS
SEPTEMBER 2020
The SPECIAL FORCES CADETS series follows a group of teenagers in training; they are the eyes and ears of the Special Forces, sent into troubling situations where no one would suspect a group of young people.
In the latest book, SPECIAL FORCES CADETS: HIJACK, Max and his team are sent to the Falklands on a wildlife tour; in reality, the cadets are under orders to check if the Falklands are under threat of an imminent attack...
CHRIS RYAN, former SAS soldier, gives us a glimpse into the series:
Q: Can you tell us a little about the Special Forces Cadets books, and what inspired the series?
A: I was inspired to write this series for young adults after many school visits and the feedback I received from them
Q: How do you draw on your own past experiences in the SAS for these books? Which of your careers - special forces and being an author - have you enjoyed the most?
A: My past experience as an SAS soldier was being exposed to danger, traveling and working in parts of the world that people would not normally visit
I have been very fortunate that I've enjoyed both careers as they are so diverse.
Q: Each Special Forces Cadets book follows the same team members and focuses on Max - why did you decide to take this approach, and can you tell us a little about the team members?
A: I believe when storytelling there should always be a main character to hold the story together and the other team members are then a wide variety of different characters for the reader to identify with.
Q: Special Forces Cadets: Hijack takes us to the Falklands - why did you decide on this setting, which is still recent history for many people? How did you decide to approach it?
A: I travelled to the Falklands twice on research holidays as not many people will get the opportunity to experience the islands beauty, wildlife and isolation.
Q: How well do you know the setting, how did you research it? Have you been to many of the settings you use for the series?
A: I always try to set a storyline in a country that I am familiar with.
Q: The stories are packed with adventure and action, how do you go about planning what the cadets will face?
A: For each story, location is important, which then leads on to what danger I can place the cadets in whilst they are on a particular operation.
Q: In Hijack, the cadets learn a lot about coming back from their mistakes and teamwork. Are these things you learned in the SAS? What would you like your readers to take from the stories?
A: Every SAS operation I was involved with, there were always lessons to be learned. Always learn from your failings.
Q: What have you planned next for Max and his team? Do you know how many Special Forces Cadets books you will write?
A: There is one more planned at the minute and given the opportunity I would like to continue with the series.
Q: How does your writing day go, and what are you writing now?
A: I am busy now with an adult book which takes up my time a present, but also in the back of my mind is the next special forces cadet book.
Q: What are your favourite escapes from writing?
A: At the moment I'm very busy but my downtime is split between factual documentaries and historical accounts.
My escapes are riding my motorbike and walking my dog.
Special Forces Cadets 5: Hijack
