Nick Stone Books In Order

Publication Order of Nick Stone Books

Nick Stone Biography:

Nick Stone is a popular character in about fourteen fictional books authored by Andy McNab. This fictional character is known to have embarked on dangerous missions across many countries for the British SAS, and occasionally for the American CIA, in earlier novels in the series. Later books now depict Nick as a paid mercenary trying to evade capture from enemies around the world while also undertaking a series of intriguing missions.

Nick Stone’s childhood was a lonely and unhappy one. As a child growing up in England, Nick had a difficult experience with his parents who he perceives to be uncaring and abusive. His father, particularly, was abusive towards young Nick and some passages in the earlier books in the series show examples of such abuses.
His mother, although not directly portrayed as violent as his father and step-father, did nothing about the violent experiences Nick suffered from both men even though she was aware of the little boy’s predicament.

Nick endured the trauma he faced at home until he left and join the army. Through the army, he was recruited into the British SAS where he started what would later be a troublesome life and career.

The name and childhood of the character are allegedly inspired by one of the author’s childhood friends.

In one of the books, Nick revealed he got married but later divorced his wife. Some passages in subsequent books also revealed he developed a romantic interest in a fellow operative called Sarah. In fact, this was listed in his file at the SAS as the main reason for his failed marriage and eventual divorce.

Now without a family of his own, Nick had to take in a seven year old girl, Kelly, who is the daughter of a fellow SAS soldier, after her father was murdered along with her family. He became the guardian of the little girl and protected her against those that killed her parents.

Between 1987 and 1995, Nick retired from the British SAS after he publicly shot three PIRA officials during a mission gone awry in Gibraltar. In an attempt to foil a plot by the PIRA officials to detonate a bomb, Nick engaged them in a gun duel and subsequently killed them, sparking a controversy and a public outcry. This led to his early retirement from the British SAS and the beginning of career as a mercenary.

A passage in the book, ‘Aggressor’, reveals that the ‘Waco siege’ mission in 1993 was his last official job for the MI6. His former love interest and colleague, Sarah, convinced him to take on unofficial missions for the British security service later on.

During the period after his official retirement, Nick became involved in a series of events which took him all over the world, from Asia to America and even the most remote parts of the globe. While many of those missions were taken under the order of ‘The Firm’, others were as a result of pure circumstance, pursuit of personal vendetta or a means to evade captors.
The early career of Nick Stone as a British Intelligence operative saw him involved in various intriguing assassinations and espionage. In later novels, he becomes involved in more politics, government business and race issues without losing combat skills.

Nick Stone Book Series

As much as fourteen books have been written about the fictional character Nick Stone. The earliest of those book, Remote Control, was published in February 1998 and the latest, Dead Centre, was published more than a year ago. A new book, Silencer, is due to be out later in the year.
Other titles in the Nick Stone book series include Crisis Four, Firewall, Last Light, Liberation Day, Dark Winter, Deep Black, Aggressor, Recoil, Crossfire, Brute Force, Exit Wound and Zero Hour.

Remote Control

Remote Control is the first book in the series based on the Nick Stone character. This book documents the events after an infamous mission, and subsequent retirement of Nick Stone from the SAS, in Gibraltar.

With his renowned vigor, ruthlessness and skill, Nick Stone is approached and employed by the British Intelligence service as a deniable operative assigned only to unfashionable missions.
The plots centers on Nick and a seven-year-old girl whose parents were killed during a mission in Washington DC. Nick was on the tail of two terrorists when he discovered the girl’s father, an ex-SAS officer, has been killed by unknown assailants.

With the girl being the only survivor of the ordeal, she is the only one who can identify the killers. Nick tries to protect the girl from her parents’ killers while also solving a mystery from a previously complicated SAS mission.

Crisis Four

Crisis Four is the second of the series. The book details the hunt for Sarah Greenwood, a former operative who has a romantic history with Nick Stone. Sarah Greenwood is one of the very few people who has had a close relationship with Nick but he is now ordered to track her down.

Now considered a rogue agent, the witty Sarah Greenwood cannot be trusted but Nick’s history with her is sure to complicate the situation. In what became a complex mesh of conspiracy theory, Nick tries to find an answer but only Sarah appears to have it.

Other books in the series document various missions including one where he discovered a terrorist threat against New York and some major American cities. Many of his encounters often lead to a dilemma where he has to make quick but difficult decisions.

Film Adaptation

The rights to the Nick Stone series was initially bought by Miramax Films in 2001 and the second book of the series, Crisis Four, was scheduled for production until the project was eventually abandoned. Miramax Films passed on and sold the rights to another company but was later bought back again when the project stalled.

Producers from Miramax Films have already announced that the third book in the series, Firewall, will be adapted into screenplay. The author of the series, Andy McNab, will be involved in writing the script for the movie while popular hollywood actor, Jason Statham, originally assigned the role of Nick Stone, has bowed out of the project due to conflicting schedules.