The book the British government tried to ban, Soldier Five is an elite New Zealand soldier's explosive memoir of his time within the SAS and, in particular, his experiences during the 1991 Gulf War.

As a member of the British SAS patrol famously known by its call sign Bravo Two Zero, Mike Coburn and seven others were inserted hundreds of kilometres behind enemy lines.

Their mission to reconnoitre targets, undertake surveillance of Scud missile sites and sabotage Iraqi communications ended in failure.

The patrol was dogged by problems that contributed directly and indirectly to the demise of the mission.

The patrol's compromise, and subsequent attempts to evade Iraqi troops, resulted in four members being captured and a further three killed. One escaped.

But the story goes further than the Gulf War itself. Despite numerous books, films and articles on the same subject, the British government did its utmost to thwart the release of Soldier Five.

A campaign of harassment that took four and a half years of litigation to resolve has now resulted in this controversial publication. Revealing his conflicts and loyalties, and the relationships he forged both on and off the battlefield, this book is the resolution of a Kiwi soldier's determined fight to see his story told.

Says one reviewer: “This account has a distinctive feel of honesty about it. Bravo two zero was not one of the regiment's proudest moments, and Coburn (a pseudonym) describes what happened with truth and a lack of bravado. He also does an admirable job of rescuing Vince Phillips' [OC2 sergeant, who was killed] reputation which was unjustly sullied and vilified in the aftermath of the mission.”

Soldier Five by Mike Coburn. It is a 15x23.5cm first edition soft cover of 249 pages published by Mainstream Vista, Auckland, in 2004 and is in good condition. There is a series of photographs.

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