What a blast!

What made the experience of listening to Cry Havoc the most enjoyable?

Tale of daring do in the seedy mercenary world. It gives the reader exposure to military planning and different social and national cultures.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cry Havoc?

Strangely, the bit you probably didn't buy the book for - Mann's years in prison.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The choice of the author as narrator is an obvious but brave one. It adds an element of authenticity but ultimately is a bit of a risk. Mann's lack of experience, his (possibly) slightly effeminate and lisping voice is a tad distracting and generally numbs the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not the shortest of books but it keeps you coming back for more.

Any additional comments?

I read this book after reading My Friend the Mercenary (which is truly exceptional).This is a very enjoyable read. It tells several stories - mercenary work in Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and Angola, Mann’s military education and business dealings, and his years in prison.Quite how this is executed is pretty debatable.The standard of English is poor throughout. Sentence structure, storytelling, descriptions are all poor. There’s a mention that Mann had some help in editing the book but a decent ghost writer should have been employed.In terms of content, this is also questionable. Many key parts to the story are left out without explanation as to why (for instance, why Mann left the SAS and the various court battles). Mann also avoids being explosively revealing (as many people would have wanted him to be), calling key characters ‘The Boss’ and ‘The Croc’. Throughout, Mann tries to portray himself as an enlightened freedom fighter or a modern day Robin Hood, fighting for other people’s interests. This, rather than confronting the more blunt but plausible concept that he was in it for the money.That said, I still found this very enjoyable! You will probably find yourself questioning why he wrote some things as he did, or why certain parts of the story are left out / not explained / sound insincere. However, it is still a very interesting story told by a man with a very colourful life. So, I would say that, the road is a rocky one but that it is worth the ride!

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Bear with it.

Although, for me, Cry Havoc felt rather disjointed and a little verbose in parts, it is definitely worth bearing with. The main narrative of a chaotic build-up to a planned coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea, which ended in Mann's arrest and incarceration in African prisons for 5-years, is a fascinating tale. Whilst Mann's misfortune was largely brought upon himself, and to be fair he accepted this as an occupational hazard, the tale of his physical and mental fortitude whilst being held prisoner in the most testing of conditions is incredible.
I found it best to listen to at the x1.2 setting.

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Great listening

What did you like most about Cry Havoc?

Simon Mann paints his storyline with the warts and all that is part and parcel of the underbelly of Africa.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Simon writes of his experiences in Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, highlighting his prison journey in both countries and points out the instability of the countries he visited.

Which character – as performed by Simon Mann – was your favourite?

Himself.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

corruption rules

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great untold story.

good story. well narrated. A small hidden gem. from an accomplished man in jeopardy.

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Amazing insight into murky world.

Awesome man, amazing story and true resilience of spirit in a world I'm sure I couldn't survive a day.

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More questions than answers

As other reviewers have mentioned this book is very disjointed and all over the place. I ordered the book after watching Simon Mann being interviewed by Nigel Farage, Whilst watching I was asking myself why a man who tried to illegally overthrow a government for money could be treated like a celebrity.

I felt when watching the interview that Mann and Farage were two peas in a pod. Listening to the book has not changed my mind. I feel that whilst Mann is charming and friendly this covers for a sense of entitlement and superiority that means for him there are no rules. He writes as though his fellow mercenaries are social workers going into right injustices where in fact they and their Bosses were just there for the oil money.

Mark Thatchers involvement makes one realise that whilst everyone talks about Black African corruption, those in the highest positions in the “civilised west” are no paragons of virtue by any stretch of the imagination. Mummy must be sooo proud.

Parts of the story are I could relate to. I enjoyed hearing about his childhood, army days, and prison term, but he is as believable as Nigel Farage. I think we have his version of the story and spins and omissions as I said leave one with more questions than answers.

Anyway I wish him well but I’m not sure I’d buy him a pint.

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Good story ruined by the author

I thought this was going to be a gripping tale of foreign adventures. I guess it was, but it was ruined by the way it was written and more so by the way it was narrated.

As other comments attest to, this book would have been better written by a ghost author under Mann's guidance and read by a professional narrator since Mann's reading style is clumsy and awkward. The flow of the book could then be vastly improved and the military abbreviations kept to a minimum.

The first couple of chapters are painful to listen to as Mann gets into the flow of reading, but his use of pauses when he reads are often misplaced leaving the listener to 'translate' what was actually meant. As for the use of acronyms, these are so overused that it gets in the way of the story. The first couple of chapters are so full of them that I was left wondering if the following chapters were going to consist entirely of acronyms. Did I have to learn these in order to keep up with the rest of the book? Was there going to be a test? It ruined the listening experience.

I was then left being distracted by minor issues such as his somewhat condescending public school accent and the fact that he says 'orf' instead of 'off'. This would not bother me if his narration had been smoother.

Once you get over the initial few chapters and Mann gets used to narrating, the story is good and I see it has plenty of excellent reviews. If you are a fan of military conflict, then this book will appeal to you as long as you can get over the shortcomings of the writing style and narration.

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His side of the story, but still interesting

What did you like most about Cry Havoc?

How failure and abyss can come even to the most posh of us.

What other book might you compare Cry Havoc to, and why?

I'd like to bring out the book My Friend the Mercenary, since in the latter part of the book the stories interlock and you see the different points of views of the writers.

What about Simon Mann’s performance did you like?

All of it. Takes a man to own up to mistakes and miscalculations. Even if he left some parts vague or completely off the pages of the book. Still, hats off to you mr. Mann. Or a proper salute.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh hell yes. But life and sleeping annoyingly kept interrupting.

Any additional comments?

Very interesting story about conflicts and wars that were overshadowed at the time by USA's endevours around the globe.

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Cry Havoc

A insight in to work of deniable private military company’s and the people that fund there activities across the world.

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a very instructive read

that book got me riveted.



Of course it is Simon Mann by Simon Mann, and he is offering his own version of events, but I didn't find that to make the story less interesting. In fact, that is what made it so fascinating, what a life!



it reads like a spy novel, except it is true, the fact that he reads it himself gives it a very authentic feel.



great insight in the world of mercenaries, special ops, oil and gold dealings in africa.

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