Firebird

Michael Asher

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

HarperCollins Publishers, Ltd

The Eye of Ra

Thrillers & Suspense

Harpercollins

FIREBIRD

The new atmospheric thriller by the author of the outstanding The Eye of Ra. The murder in Cairo of Dr al-Ghali, Egyptian-born adviser to the US President, brought both the local police and the FBI to the scene. Feisty, country-born Lieutenant Sami is paired with the FBI agent, arrogant, attractive Daisy Brooke, with her degree in middle eastern studies from California. The only thing the dying man said was 'Firebird'. The explosive mix of character and national interest was fuelled by the discovery at the murder scene of an amulet traced to the Sanusiya Brotherhood, a fundamentalist Muslim sect thought to have disappeared at the turn of the century. The Sanusiya appear to have been involved in the excavation in the Western Desert of a remarkable site where Camyses III, King of Persia, and his vast army, armour and gold bullion, disappeared in a powerful sandstorm. And the words Operation Firebird seem enough to have every door slammed against you...The activities of a renegade group of Americans, apparently working for a secret organisation, of a strange Bedouin woman, always present just before violence occurs, and of the US Embassy and the various elements of Cairo police, make Sami and Daisy's investigations both difficult and dangerous. The combination of Egyptian myth and history with contemporary politics and violence, the author's deep and authoritative knowledge of the peoples and places of Egypt, the strength of the storytelling and characters make this, as it did his first novel, The Eye of Ra, a fascinating thriller.

Literature & Fiction

Action & Adventure

HARPER/COLLINS

Rare Earth

Contemporary

Another dramatic, contemporary novel from the author of Rare Earth. Morocco, 1943: 14 year old Billy Sterling regains consciousness to find himself alone in the desert. Beside him is the wreckage of a light aircraft and the corpse of the pilot. Terrified, Billy soon realises that he is utterly stranded, alone, in a vast and hostile wilderness. He does not see the human eyes, watching him from a distance. London, 1950: George Bridger Sterling is still experiencing profound anguish over the disappearance of his son, who hasn't been seen for seven years. His terrible feeling of guilt allows him to persist in the belief that Billy is still alive. Then George is contacted by a mysterious stranger, who claims to be the co-pilot of the crashed plane, and has information that could lead to Billy -- for a price. Travelling to a vast, dangerous desert, accompanied only by a man he barely knows, let alone trusts, Sterling must retrace the vague footsteps left nearly a decade before. But why was the plane anywhere near the Western Sahara? And why are they not the only people interested in what was on board?The action is fast and furious, from the plane crash to tribal traditions, and the desert scenes are powerful and lyrical. Visually brilliant, with a wonderful range of characters from tribal warriors to double-agents, it will appeal to fans of Wilbur Smith and Andy McNab.

Sandstorm

Harper Collins Pb

In 1979 Asher read a book "Arabian Sands" by Thesiger which had an impact on him and turned him into desert explorer. He later said he had Thesiger to thank for the most valuable experience of his life. His wonder, admiration and Thesiger's influence over him led Asher to write this book. Thesiger was different from other travellers/explorers in that he tried to share lives and hardships of the natives. His aim was not be spectator but become one of them. Thesiger had rare quality among explorers - he ventured alone and found companionship with savage tribes of Africa and he tried to see the world through the eyes of these peoples. Born in Abyssinia in 1910, he grew up in imperial court.

Thesiger

Biographies & Memoirs

Penguin

'Bravo Two Zero' was the code-name of the famous SAS operation: a classic story of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. BRAVO TWO ZERO by patrol commander 'Andy McNab' became an international best-seller, as did the book by 'Chris Ryan' (THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY). Both men became millionaires. Three members of the patrol were killed. One, veteran sergeant Vince Phillips, was blamed in both books for a succession of mistakes. As Michael Asher reveals, the stories in BRAVO TWO ZERO and THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY grew considerably in the telling. Their heroic tales of taking out tanks with their rocket launchers, mowing down hundreds of Iraqi soldiers, the silent stabbing of the occasional sentry, were never mentioned at their post-war debriefings...In an investigation literally in the footsteps of the patrol, one step ahead of the Iraqi police, Michael Asher tells the true story.

The Real "Bravo Two Zero": The Truth Behind "Bravo Two Zero"

History

Asia

Cassell Military

The true story of the most famous SAS operation in history.
'Bravo Two Zero' was the code-name of the famous SAS operation: a classic story of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. BRAVO TWO ZERO by patrol commander 'Andy McNab' became an international bestseller, as did the book by 'Chris Ryan' (THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY). Both men became millionaires. Three members of the patrol were killed. One, veteran sergeant Vince Phillips, was blamed in both books for a succession of mistakes.
As Michael Asher reveals, the stories in BRAVO TWO ZERO and THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY grew considerably in the telling. Their heroic tales of taking out tanks with their rocket launchers, mowing down hundreds of Iraqi soldiers, the silent stabbing of the occasional sentry, were never mentioned at their post-war debriefings... In an investigation literally in the footsteps of the patrol, Michael Asher tells the true story.

The Real 'Bravo Two Zero : The Truth Behind 'Bravo Two Zero

Leaders & Notable People

Impossible journey: Two against the Sahara

VIKING

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Books by Michael Asher