Security Correspondent Frank Gardner on the books that have influenced him

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Reading lists

Security Correspondent Frank Gardner on the books that have influenced him as a writer

The explosive thriller from the No. 1 bestseller

Ultimatum

‘It grips like a python from the first page, squeezing the breath out of the reader’ DAILY MAIL 
 
‘Outstanding’ SUNDAY TIMES 
 
‘Breathless action’ THE TIMES 
 
Hidden from prying Western satellites, Iranian scientists are at work on a banned device . . . 
 
They are acting on the orders of a renegade cell within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose objective is to transform their country into a nuclear-armed nation, and so seal its domination of the Middle East. 
 
Britain’s intelligence agencies know something is up. Someone on the inside is ready to hand over information - but the rendezvous with SIS officer Luke Carlton goes bloodily wrong . . . 
 
Then MI6 sees an opportunity to recruit an individual with unique access to the IRGC hardliners. Luke is chosen to reel them in. Going into Iran undercover is dangerous enough, but then there’s a killing and a kidnapping and the British government is presented with a shocking ultimatum. 
 
With time running out, it seems only Luke can stop a cataclysmic new war in the Gulf . . . 
________ 
 
Readers love Ultimatum: 
 
***** ‘An action-packed thriller . . . very authentic’ 
***** ‘A real page turner . . . thrilling adventure’ 
***** ‘Gripping page turner that keeps you glued to the story’

SIS officer Luke Carlton returns in the explosive, action-packed and bestselling new thriller from BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner, author of the No.1 bestseller Crisis.

Confirms Frank Gardner’s place among the pantheon of distinguished reporters who have become excellent thriller writers, including Gerald Seymour and Frederick Forsyth . . . utterly authentic . . . it grips like a python from the first page, squeezing the breath out of the reader.

Frank Gardner’s second thriller is even closer than his first, Crisis, to dealing with the world’s most immediate fears . . . current international events do not necessarily turn into exciting novels, but Gardner skilfully mixes knowledge garnered as the BBC’s security correspondent with breathless action.

Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. Good stuff.

Crisis, the debut two years ago by the BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, was much admired, and the second in his Luke Carlton series is even better . . . its themes of Iranian bomb production and divisions in the country’s elite have great topicality.

A terrifying and topical novel . . . Gardner's style is addictive . . . [his] riveting plot really does illuminate both the past and today's headlines. It would be a spoiler to reveal the shocking climax, but there is a hint of more to come: roll on novel three.

It’s no surprise that a BBC correspondent should write knowledgeably, but this action-packed thriller has a rare authority and authenticity.

Gardner . . . tells the story with a verve and expertise born of long experience of the subject . . . convincingly authentic. It is the thriller writer's trick to blur the boundary between current affairs and invention, to make the unthinkable thinkable and exciting. In this, Gardner succeeds triumphantly.

‘Confirms Frank Gardner’s place among the pantheon of distinguished reporters who have become excellent thriller writers, including Gerald Seymour and Frederick Forsyth . . . utterly authentic . . . it grips like a python from the first page, squeezing the breath out of the reader.’

Born in 1961, Frank Gardner has been the BBC's Security Correspondent since 2002. He holds a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In 2004, while filming in Saudi Arabia, he was ambushed by terrorists, shot multiple times and left for dead. He survived and returned to active news reporting within a year. He still travels extensively. Awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to journalism, Frank published his bestselling memoir, Blood and Sand, in 2006. His first novel, the thriller Crisis, which introduced readers to SIS operative Luke Carlton, was a No.1 bestseller. The second Luke Carlton thriller, Ultimatum, was also a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller, as was the third, Outbreak. Frank Gardner lives in London.

the action-packed Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller

Crisis

'Fast, taut, tense, accurate. A terrific read' FREDERICK FORSYTH 
 'Authenticity seeps from every page . . . this is a promising start' DAILY MAIL 
 
 Introducing Luke Carlton - ex-Special Boat Service commando, and now under contract to MI6 for some of its most dangerous missions. 
 
 Sent into the steaming Colombian jungle to investigate the murder of a British intelligence officer, Luke finds himself caught up in the coils of a plot that has terrifying international dimensions. 
 
 Hunted down, captured, tortured and on the run from one of South America's most powerful and ruthless drugs cartels and its psychotic leader thirsting for revenge, Luke is in a life-or-death race against time to prevent a disaster on a truly terrifying scale: London is the target, the weapon is diabolical and the means of delivery is ingenious. 
 
 Drawing on his years of experience reporting on security matters, CRISIS is Frank Gardner's debut novel. Combining insider knowledge, up-to-the-minute hardware, fly on the wall insights with heart-in-mouth excitement, CRISIS boasts an irresistible, visceral frisson of authenticity: smart, fast-paced and furiously entertaining, here is a thriller for the 21st century. 
 
 Readers are gripped by Crisis: 
 ***** 'An excellently written page turner, full of intrigue.' 
 ***** 'It kept me engrossed and on the edge of my seat.' 
 ***** 'Superb writing style. Gripping story line.' 
 
 Luke Carlton returns in Frank Gardner's third, explosive thriller OUTBREAK. Available for pre-order now.

Full of tomorrow’s headlines, Crisis is a nerve-shredding thriller with an intimate knowledge of the world it portrays. This is intelligent, high-voltage story-telling of the very highest order.

Written by someone who has been there, done that and knows what it’s about, Crisis is a thriller you just can’t put down.

Gardner knows his subject – and it shows. A rattling good read.

Fast, taut, tense, accurate. A terrific read.

Frank Gardner has written a fast and exciting story rooted in the present horrifying dangers that surrounds us. Crisis is brimful of an insider's insights and reeks of authority.

Follows the path pioneered by Frederick Forsyth . . . authenticity seeps from every page . . . this is a promising start.

Impressive . . .Gardner's debut begins at speed and scarcely draws breath thereafter.

Few thriller debuts possess the confidence and verve of Frank Gardner's CRISIS . . . a book of exhilarating panache.

Combines insider knowledge with heart-in-mouth excitement.

Action-packed . . . the book’s title scarcely does justice to such a thrilling read.

Irresistible . . . smart, authentic and always entertaining . . . high-voltage storytelling at its best and worthy of Frederick Forsyth or John le Carre.

Gardner obviously has an up-to-the-minute understanding of contemporary warfare and he is also a very good writer. This is a thrilling adventure.

Gardner is a dab hand at ratcheting up the tension . . . a must read.

The BBC security correspondent’s own extraordinary and inspiring story

Blood and Sand

On the June 6, 2004, while on assignment in Riyadh, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner and cameraman Simon Cumbers were ambushed by Islamist gunmen. Simon was killed outright. Frank was hit in the shoulder and leg. As he lay in the dust, a figure stood over him and pumped four more bullets into his body at point-blank range... 
 
Against all the odds, Frank Gardner survived. 
 
Today, although partly paralysed, Frank continues to travel the world, reporting and making documentaries for the BBC. This acclaimed memoir was brought up to date with a new chapter that recounted his return to Saudi Arabia for the first time since he was shot and the story he tells continues to move and inspire, and remains an affirmation of his deep understanding of - and affection for - the Islamic world in these uncertain times. 
___ 
 
 
'Gardner tells his remarkable tale well and bravely, with an astonishing lack of anger and enduring love and respect for the Islamic world' SUNDAY TIMES 
 
'Brave, unsentimental and genuinely inspiring' EVENING STANDARD 
'What makes Gardner's moving, often humorous, deeply personal story so important is the fact that he has woven into it a brilliantly dispassionate, clear-eyed account of the Islamic world' SCOTSMAN 
'A witty, self-deprecating, inspiring testament' DAILY TELEGRAPH

June 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the attempt on BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner's life - his bestselling memoir is reissued with a new chapter recounting his return to Saudi Arabia for the first time since that near-fatal day in 2004...

Gardner is a superb reporter; his terrible experience only make his analysis all the more telling

Gardner tells his remarkable tale well and bravely, with an astonishing lack of anger and enduring love and respect for the Islamic world

Chilling, graphic and admirably unsentimental... Gardner comes across as a modest, thoroughly decent man... an exemplary foreign correspondent

A witty, self-deprecating, inspiring testament

Vivid detail... entertaining anecdotes... Gardner is a tremendous model for what relations between East and West can be... a fine introduction both to journalism and to the culture of the Middle East

What makes Gardner's moving, often humorous, deeply personal story so important is the fact that he has woven into it a brilliantly dispassionate, clear-eyed account of the Islamic world

Recounting his injuries and painful rehabilitation, Gardner is witty and moving, capturing without any self-pity the horror of learning his legs don't work

The book stands on its own merits... as a fine account of journalistic life and a brave account of Gardner's continuing struggle

Blood and Sand is a remarkable book from a remarkable man

Frank's honest account of his life-changing experiences offers a message of hope in a dangerous and divided world

What makes Gardner's moving, often humorous, deeply personal story so important is the fact that he has woven into it a brilliantly dispassionate, clear-eyed account of the Islamic world which offers a unique insight into al-Qaeda

His story, mixing the personal and the political, is both moving and insightful - a testament to one individual's will to overcome a terrible experience, and a powerful piece of reportage

The most endearing element of this book is the voice with which Gardner tells his stories - honest, compassionate and unassuming, he is a thoroughly likeable storyteller, ensuring that Blood and Sand makes for a fascinating read

Written with honesty, integrity and humour, this is a powerful, haunting account of survival, of over-coming adversity and a determination to carry on - a moving and inspiring personal story

Brave, unsentimental and genuinely inspiring

Far Horizons

Lost on a remote Sumatran volcano...pursued through a Tokyo backstreet by a Japanese gangster...picnicking with the French Foreign Legion in the Horn of Africa: Frank Gardner's idea of a holiday is not everyone's. But ever since his student days, the BBC security correspondent has done some epicly hard travelling in a remarkable number of countries. Drawing on the diaries, sketches and photos he kept during his travels, his immaculately observed accounts of these often strange, sometimes daring, adventures form the backbone of his new book. 
 
In June 2004, while on what should have been a routine assignment in Riyadh, his life - never mind his ability to travel the world - was nearly brought to a violent end by Islamist gunmen. Frank survived against all the odds and through force of will, has found himself looking towards far horizons once more. He's not only been skiing in the Alps, scuba diving in the Red Sea and explored the jungles of Cambodia, he is also reporting once more from far-flung destinations like Afghanistan and Colombia - and this is a man who no longer has the use of his legs... 
 
This is Frank Gardner's compelling, personal account of the myriad adventures that made him the man he was on that fateful day - and of the journeys he's made since, and how they've helped him to become the remarkable and inspiring individual he is today.

New in paperback, the Sunday Times bestseller in which the celebrated BBC journalist recalls his extraordinary travels before and after the near-fatal attempt on his life...

Gardner is a good storyteller...an acute observer, a culturally sensitive interlocutor and a genuinely open-minded traveller...his stories are always revealing, often riotous and sometimes moving

An inspiration...to its readers, able-bodied and disabled alike

His adventures fly off the page in an entertaining and often charmingly self-deprecating manner

His terrific new book...absorbing, amusing... some hair-raisingly brave travelling

(Luke Carlton 4)

Invasion

2024, and China is massing troops on its coast across the Strait from Taiwan. This time it looks like they're serious about invasion - an act that would result in war between the People's Republic and the US and its allies, including the UK. 
 
But Britain's Secret Intelligence Service has an agent in play: someone close to the top of the Chinese Communist Party and who's ready to pass on vital secrets that could defuse the escalating situation. But as the handover takes place in a Hong Kong back street cafe, the agent's MI6 handler is snatched before she can transmit the data back to London and disappears. There are few clues as to who might be responsible. Is it China's infamous state security agency, the MSS? Or has another, less predictable player entered the game? 
 
MI6 field operative Luke Carlton is despatched to track down the missing agent. Accompanying him is his Mandarin-speaking colleague, the highly capable Jenny Li. But as they follow a succession of tip-offs that take them from shady Macau casinos to tawdry night clubs, Luke begins to sense that something's not right - that they are being deliberately strung along. 
 
As the clock ticks, global tensions heighten and the two SIS operatives have traced their target to Taiwan - a country frantically preparing for imminent invasion. And there, in a remote mountain temple hideaway, Luke and Jenny stumble across what's really going on. 
 
But China's People's Liberation Army has already begun to flex its hi-tech muscles, in Taiwan and closer to home, and suddenly the world is holding its breath . . . 
 
'Grips from the very first page . . . this is thriller writing of a high order . . . Gardner steadily ratchets up the tension, peppering the narrative with nuggets of expertise to make an enthralling, intelligent read.' Adam LeBor, FINANCIAL TIMES (about Outbreak)

UNTITLED THRILLER (Luke Carlton 5)

Frank Gardner

a terrifyingly real thriller from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author

***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*** 
 
The explosive new thriller featuring MI6 operative Luke Carlton on his most terrifying mission yet. 
 
Deep within the Arctic Circle, three scientists from the UK's Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard in search of shelter. They see a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights. No snowmobile outside. But as they push open the door, the smell hits them. Rank and foetid: there's something bad inside. 
 
Then movement. A man lies slumped, his face disfigured by livid pustules. Blood runs from his nostrils; his chest glistens blackly. The team's medic, Dr Sheila Mackenzie, pushes forward to examine him when the convulsions start. Blood, bile and mucus spray into the air. The doctor knows it's too late - she's been contaminated . . . 
 
Within hours, a full-scale operation to contain this contagion is underway. Samples are rushed to the laboratories at Porton Down on high alert. What they discover changes everything. Supported by phone and data intercepts, British Intelligence reaches a terrifying conclusion: that Russia has been developing a new generation of bio-weapons. 
 
Dispatched to investigate, MI6's Luke Carlton finds himself on a serpentine trail of lies and deception. From a mysterious factory in Lithuania, via arrest and imprisonment, and ultimately back to Britain, he discovers that they've been looking in the wrong place all along . . . 
 
Readers are raving about Outbreak 
 
***** 'A fast-paced espionage thriller with a timely premise' 
***** 'A sharp and fast-paced thriller' 
***** 'A great read for fans old and new' 
***** 'One of the best thrillers of 2021'

Frank Gardner

Outbreak

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