In a world flooded with video game novelizations, only one man has the background to develop the back-story of RU Special Forces operator Dima, one of Battlefield 3's playable characters. That man is not Sean Bean, but he was played by Sean Bean, which is pretty much the same thing.
The man Sean Bean is portraying in the above picture is one Andy McNab, special forces consultant, bestselling author, and a former member of Britain's 22 Special Air Service Regiment. The SAS serves as the model for Special Forces around the world, and McNab is the model SAS member, one of the country's most decorated soldiers. During the Gulf War he commander Bravo Two Zero, a patrol immortalized in McNab's novels and the movies of those novels. In the film version of novel Bravo Two Zero McNab was portrayed by Sean Bean in one of his rare non-dying roles.
In Battlefield 3: The Russian, McNab and co-author Peter Grimsdale tell the story of Dmitri "Dima" Mayakovsky, aka The Cleaner, one of many characters the player will take control of during the flashback-laden single-player campaign of Battlefield 3. The book picks up after the events depicted in the game, giving players further insight into a very interesting character.
"It is impossible for any single medium to fully capture the emotion and intensity of war. The Battlefield 3: The Russian novel is one window into the experience, and the game is another. They complement each other perfectly," said Andy McNab. "Working with DICE has been a fantastic ride. Battlefield 3 is going to surprise people this autumn. The story, the characters, the world and the intense action come together to create a resonant, memorable experience."
Fans can pick up Battlefield 3: The Russian alongside the game on Oct. 25, giving them something to read on bathroom breaks during extended play sessions.
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