Andy McNab used family and friendship as a common idea throughout this book. Right from the start, he talked about his own background. His mother had abandoned him on the steps of the hospital when he was a baby. His foster parents adopted him, and he had a much older brother who told him stories about being a member of the Royal Fusiliers. Andy loved the stories about the faraway places his brother had traveled to with his job. His father had been part of the National Service in the Catering Corps.