Monty Halls' Great Irish Escape

Travel star Monty Halls escapes to Connemara on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast – to accompany the hit BBC2 series

Monty Halls has filmed three series of The Great Escape for the BBC. The first was set in Scotland and chronicled in his book The Great Escape: Beachcomber Cottage. A successful explorer, marine biologist and writer, Monty has led numerous expeditions and projects throughout the world, including three circumnavigations of the globe. He presented Channel 4's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Discovery's Rebuilding the Past and Five's Great Ocean Adventures, for which he wrote the accompanying book. Monty operates the adventure travel company, Full Circle Expeditions and is also a leading motivational speaker.

Former Royal Marine Monty Halls and his faithful canine companion, Reuben, won the hearts of viewers and readers with his adventures on the west coast of Scotland in Monty Halls' Great Escape. In this adventure, Monty and Reuben escape to Connemara on the wild west coast of Ireland to help the Irish Whale and Dolphin group and get to know the people of this remote and beautiful place. Amid mussel cook-offs and ill-judged corruch races, hair-raising boat-trips with legendary shark fishermen and tales of pirate warrior princesses, Monty races the length of the coastline monitoring the marine animals that are his first love. With a plan to set up a network of local people to continue the good work after he's gone, Monty is on an incredible quest, joined by the kind of amazing people that turn a job into an adventure. 
 
 Published to accompany the major BBC series, Monty Halls' Great Irish Escape is an unforgettable account of a unique expedition, filled with Monty's trademark charm, humour and boundless energy.

The Great Escape: Adventures on the Wild West Coast

A comic and poignant account of recreating the life of a crofter on the West Coast of Scotland

If you ever dream of escaping the nine to five, Monty Halls may just provide inspiration

Where Monty Hall's Great Escape stands out is that Monty explores so many different, and sometimes surprising, aspects of west coast life

A successful explorer, marine biologist and writer, Monty Halls has led numerous expeditions and projects throughout the world, including three circumnavigations of the earth seeking out the greatest encounters in the oceans. His television credits include presenting Channel 4's Journey to the Centre of the Earth (the science behind Jules Verne's novel), Discovery's Rebuilding the Past (an attempt to recreate an Iron Age settlement) and Five's Great Ocean Adventures, for which he was also the author of the accompanying book. Monty operates the adventure travel company, Full Circle Expeditions, and is also a leading motivational speaker.

A diary of adventure in picturesque Sand Bay, The Great Escape: Adventures on the Wild West Coast takes readers on an extraordinary journey as writer and explorer Monty Halls follows his dream of becoming a crofter. With his gigantic (possibly insane) dog Reuben as his companion, Monty raises sheep, pigs and chickens, grows his own vegetables, explores the wildlife, meets the locals, and learns all about life on Scotland's wild west coast. 
 
Living his dream is not without its challenges - whether it's renovating an ancient bothy, climbing a mountain called The Inaccessible Pinnacle, or surviving the daily onslaught of midges - but it's a life-changing experience, set in the most beautiful and dramatic landscape in Europe. 
 
The Great Escape is a book for anyone who has longed to leave the rat race behind.

The Origins of World War II's Legendary Commando Fighting Force

Churchill's Killing House

In the summer of 1940, Britain was under siege. Poland, Belgium, Holland, Norway and France had already fallen, and the British army had been routed on the continent, leading to the chaotic evacuation at Dunkirk. 
 In the rubble of the Allie’s crumbled defence, Inverailort House was established as a new symbol of defiance. Signed off by Churchill himself, this austere building became an academy for the brightest and best of all Allied volunteers, where they were transformed from ordinary foot soldiers into a new breed of warrior – the commando. The list of instructors, advisors, and trainees that passed through the house included some of the greatest fighting men of World War II: Lord Lovat, “Mad Mike” Calvert, Freddy Spencer Chapman, Tommy Macpherson, Fairbairn and Sykes, and both David and Bill Stirling, who would go on to form the SAS. 
Churchill’s Killing House tells, for the first time, the remarkable human story of those who created a new type of soldier, forged new techniques in battle, and ultimately led the way to Allied victory over fascism.

"The epic story of how ordinary men were trained and transformed to set Europe ablaze…”

"Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the true foundations of Elite military operations. Monty Halls vividly brings to life the courage, determination, and innovation that forged these legendary fighting forces."

Monty Halls is a former Royal Marines Officer who served for over a decade. His subsequent career as an expedition leader, writer, and broadcaster saw his travels continue around the world. He is based in South Devon, where he runs Seadog, an adventure and wildlife production company. His ties to the Royal Marines remain as strong as ever. He is an ambassador to the RM Charity, supporting their efforts to raise funds for the veteran community. He is married to Tam and has two daughters, Isla and Molly. Through them he maintains his amphibious heritage, exploring the south coast of Britain in an old ketch on many a family expedition.

In the summer of 1940, Britain was under siege. Poland, Belgium, Holland, Norway and France had already fallen, and the British army had been routed on the continent, leading to the chaotic evacuation at Dunkirk.In the rubble of the Allie’s crumbled defence, Inverailort House was established as a new symbol of defiance. Signed off by Churchill himself, this austere building became an academy for the brightest and best of all Allied volunteers, where they were transformed from ordinary foot soldiers into a new breed of warrior – the commando. The list of instructors, advisors, and trainees that passed through the house included some of the greatest fighting men of World War II: Lord Lovat, “Mad Mike” Calvert, Freddy Spencer Chapman, Tommy Macpherson, Fairbairn and Sykes, and both David and Bill Stirling, who would go on to form the SAS.Churchill’s Killing House tells, for the first time, the remarkable human story of those who created a new type of soldier, forged new techniques in battle, and ultimately led the way to Allied victory over fascism.

Monty Halls

The Inside Story of Britain’s Royal Marines

'Truly incredible' - Bear Grylls 
 
'Barnstorming' - Sir Ranulph Fiennes 
 
The Royal Marine Commandos have become a byword for elite raiding skills and cutting-edge military operations. They are globally renowned, yet shrouded in mystery. With unique insight and authority, Commando captures the essence and heart of this revered military unit then and now, exploring their role patrolling the high seas and policing coastlines around the globe, and revealing their rich history and what it means to win and wear the legendary green beret. 
 
With full and exclusive access to every level of the organisation, author and former Royal Marine Monty Halls tells the real stories of extraordinary individuals through a period of historic global unrest: from Future Commando forces on high-profile drug busts to Mountain Leaders training across glaciers north of the Arctic Circle; from medics who serve as global first responders in conflict to wounded veterans raising vast sums to support their brethren in the Corps Family. These are the modern vanguard of a legendary unit, descendants of the misfits and eccentrics who were so effective and feared in WW2 that Hitler famously ordered them to be shot on sight. 
 
Accompanying a major BBC series on the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, Commandos is an unforgettable glimpse into a rarified world of danger, drama, and valour.

Monty Halls

Books by Monty Halls

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