Overview

A frightened boy pursued by racist bullies who grew up to become a trailblazing soldier in the British Army and then the SAS, Melvyn Downes was one of the first British-born Black men to join the elite regiment. During his 24 years of service, he was involved in secret missions across more than 50 countries and since leaving active duty has travelled to some of the world’s most dangerous places, protecting charity workers and journalists amidst natural disasters and in brutal conflict zones. In this gripping memoir, Melvyn takes us behind enemy lines and onto the front line of war, never shying away from the darker side of what he endured, such as losing friends, experiencing psychological traumas and facing racial harassment head-on. Yet, he believes that with the right willpower and mindset, anyone can overcome life's challenges. Melvyn wasn’t born fearless, strong or confident; these traits were forged through hard work, a willingness to learn from his mistakes and a desire to push himself out of his comfort zone. Inspired by the founding principles of the SAS – humility, integrity, humour, classlessness and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence – Melvyn embodies these values in every aspect of his life. And in Unbreakable, he shows that you don’t need to be a soldier to follow these ideas – we can all use them to build resilience when life throws us curveballs, and to live a life without limits.

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9781529961096

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Melvyn Downes signed up to the British Army aged 16 and served with distinction for 24 years. He led his patrol into combat in the first Gulf War and completed three tours of duty in Ireland, in charge of a platoon of 30 men. He was selected for the SAS in 1994 on his first attempt and during his 12 years, led top-secret missions, served behind enemy lines and achieved the rank of Warrant Officer. He also appeared on series six of SAS Who Dares Wins. Throughout his time in the military and beyond, Melvyn has been involved in secret missions and training across more than 50 countries, including recently conducting humanitarian work in Ukraine. His aim is to inspire people to achieve their goals through hard work and resilience. Billy Billingham joined the Parachute Regiment in 1983 and the SAS in 1991. He spent nearly three decades in the British Military, twenty years of which were spent in the SAS; the pride of the UK’s elite special forces. He held an array of positions, culminating as Staff Sergeant Major, leading countless operational tours all over the world. Later, he served as a training instructor for the Regiment in counter terrorism, sniper, tracking, jungle warfare, navigation, demolition and sabotage, mountaineering, combat survival, and battlefield medical life. Billy led countless hostage rescues. Throughout his military career, he received numerous awards, including the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery and an MBE presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. After his military career ended, I became a bodyguard and looked after A-list celebrities before becoming Head of Security for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for many years. Now he works as Chief Instructor on Channel 4’s hit TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins, and as one of the Directing Staff on Fox’s version of the show, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

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