Cry Havoc

By: Simon Mann

Narrated by: Simon Mann

Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Simon Mann’s remarkable first-hand account of his life delivers like a thriller, taking listeners into the world of mercenaries and spooks, of murky international politics, big oil and big bucks, danger, love, and betrayal.

On March 7, 2004, former SAS soldier and mercenary Simon Mann prepared to take off from Harare International Airport. His destination was Equatorial Guinea; his intention was to remove one of the most brutal dictators in Africa in a privately organized coup d’état. The plot had the tacit approval of Western intelligence agencies, and Mann had already planned, overseen, and won two wars in Angola and Sierra Leone. So why did it go so wrong?

Here he reveals the full involvement of Mark Thatcher in the coup d’état, the endorsement of a former prime minister, and the financial involvement of two internationally famous members of the House of Lords. He also discusses how the British government approached him in the months preceding the Iraq War, and the pain of telling his wife, Amanda, that he believed he would never be freed.

©2011 Simon Mann (P)2011 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Cry Havoc

great story. really enjoyed it. the really of African states is cruelly revealed. its fact

Average

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

THere is no doubt that he had an interesting and intriguing story to tell but he should have got somebody to write it for him. He is no writer so it is not his fault. The story would have worked better presented as a simple straightforward readable story that one could actually follow in linear format. The flash back technique he used unfortunately did not work that it ends a incoherent mess in parts especially when you add in his endless unnecessary ramblings.I persevered until the end because I am Zimbabwean and his story was interesting on a personal level. To his credit he wrote the Chikurubi experience quite well. He fails to explain exactly how he was arrested and how he got to be sentenced to Chikurubi. He imposed a black out on those details which I thought gave the story an incomplete feel.

If you’ve listened to books by Simon Mann before, how does this one compare?

No. Its a plus point that he read his own story but unfortunately he did not add very much to it. You did not feel him or his emotions coming through because he failed to own his own story. In many parts he tended to lose concentration or even interest in what he was saying. That deadpan monotone of his was not very encouraging compounded by his habit of rambling which he did for about three quarters of the book

Would you be willing to try another one of Simon Mann’s performances?

Sadly no

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Sadness and boredom

Any additional comments?

It was good of him to attempt and write this important account of history. Commendable effort all in all.