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Alpha Force is a novel series authored by England-born man of letters Chris Ryan. Did you know that Chris Ryan is the pseudonym of a scribbler whose legal name is Colin Armstrong? Furthermore, Armstrong has also penned a romantic book under the nom de plume Molly Jackson. Ryan also works as a TV presenter, video game developer, and security consultant. Ryan, who was born in 1961, is in his fifties. Ryan was born in the English city called Newcastle. Ryan’s bibliography comprises of particularly children’s books and mystery-thrillers. Author Chris Ryan has had a decorated military service; he served in the Special Air Services (SAS) unit of the British Army, a stint that inspired him and forms the basis of his literary work. As you can tell from the name of the series, the books revolve around a group known as Alpha Force, who are a group of young adults, all equipped with special skills and individual personalities. They meet in the first book in the series when they become shipwrecked, and form a friendship that sees them meet up outside of school time to use their skills to complete various tasks, which invariably ends up in the group having to solve some form of injustice of crime because of their desire to punish wrongdoers. In total, there are ten books in the Alpha Force series.
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Order of Alpha Force Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Survival | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Rat-Catcher | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Desert Pursuit | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Hostage | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Red Centre | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Hunted | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Blood Money | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Fault Line | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Black Gold | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Untouchable | 2005 | Description / Buy |
The name Alpha Force refers to a group that is made up of five uniquely talented and skilled teenagers. For starters, there are ten books in Alpha Force series. There are ten editions of the earliest book in Alpha Force series. The first edition of the earliest book was initially published in 2002, titled Survival; and the book is shelved under the action, young adult, adventure (especially survival sub-genre), fiction, spy fiction, thriller, and juvenile literature genres.
Chris Ryan’s 2002 book Survival features child characters. The characters often handpick one of them, named Alex, to be the team leader. Meet protagonist Alex: a tall blonde-haired and grey-eyed boy who hails from Northumberland. Alex is an intelligent survivalist courtesy of his father who serves in the Special Air Service and who inspired Alex’s desire to join the military unit the future.
The watershed is when the five teenagers embark on an ill-fated sea voyage and experience a boating accident. Fortunately, they wash up ashore, albeit in an island teeming with dangerous animals of prey such as komodo monitors and a haven for pirates; what’s more, food is problematic in the island. The teenagers’ common quest for survival prompts them to forge a steadfast friendship. The teenagers’ strong will to overcome the calamities and assisting the pirates’ prisoners all the while is a stamp of approval that the characters are precocious.
The first book in the Alpha Force series, Survival, was published in 2002. The heroes of the series, the Alpha Force, meet each other in the first book in the series, when they end up shipwrecked on an island in Asia. They must learn how to use each other’s skills to compliment each other’s unique talents to survive on this island until help arrives. However, things are not that easy, and the group must overcome the native wildlife, as well as pirates in order to escape the island to safety. Chris Ryan incorporates his own experiences of survival techniques into the book, to educate readers should they ever face the same kind of situation the Alpha Force finds themselves in.
In the same year, the second book in the Alpha Force series was published, Rat Catcher. This time, the group end up in South America on the request of the Special Air Service to help catch an international drug kingpin. The Alpha Force use their skills and cunning to find out information from the local kids by going undercover. However, when the undercover mission goes wrong, the Alpha Force must use all their skills to save their friend and try and stop the drug lord.
Two books in the Alpha Force series were published in 2003: Desert Pursuit, which was set in the Sahara Desert, and Hostage, which was set in the icy north of Canada.
Red Centre is the fifth book in the Alpha Force series and, like the rest of the series, we see the group in a foreign country, this time Australia. The Alpha Force team have gone down under to help a local television production. However, in a town not far from the group, they spot a well-known terrorist who had been using the remote location as a discrete hideaway. Things do not go to play, and when the terrorist takes people hostage and vanishes into the bush, the Alpha Force team must work with the Australian special forces to save the day. In Red Centre, Chris Ryan uses his knowledge to educate the reader on how to evade capture and escape dangerous scenarios.
Hunted is the follow-up book to Red Centre, which was also published in 2004, which sees the team head to Zambia to participate in an extreme sports challenge, but end up trying to save the local wildlife and end up embroiled with a group who will stop at nothing to stop Alpha Force in their tracks.
Blood Money, set in India, is the seventh book in the Alpha Force series, and it was published in 2005. Fault Line, set in Belize, was also published in 2005. The penultimate book in the Alpha Force series, Black Gold, which was also published in 2005, was set in the Caribbean. And the final book in the Alpha Force series, Untouchable, is set in the remote Scottish highlands, and was also published in 2005.
Alpha Force Awards
Writer Chris Ryan’s 2010 book entitled Agent 21, which is the first book in Agent 21 series, was shortlisted for the Grampian Children’s Book Award in 2012.
Alpha Force Books into Movies and TV Shows
Two of the works authored by Chris Ryan have been made into a TV series and a TV movie. There is a TV series called Strike Back, which is based on Ryan’s 2007 also titled Strike Back; this is the first novel in the trilogy called Strike Back. This TV show comprises of five and 46 episodes, respectively; the first episode of this TV Show initially aired in May 2010. English actor Richard Crispin Armitage, American actor Philip C. Winchester, and Australian Sullivan Stapleton are the starring actors, appearing as central character John Porter in different parts of the series.
In 1995, Chris Ryan published a book named The One That Got Away which is based on a real-life story during his military service. The said book has a similarly titled TV movie that was produced in 1996 and starred Paul McGrann, who acts as Corporal Chris Ryan’s role.
Best Alpha Force Books
Survival: These are the best three books in the Alpha Force series. The first book is Survival.
Rat-Catcher: The second is called Rat-Catcher; it was initially published in 2003 and is the second book in the Alpha Force series. This book revolves around a SAS team, comprising of young members on their mettle after being dispatched to South America wherein they are mandated to apprehend a drug lord.
Desert Pursuit: This book was also originally published in 2003 and is the third book in the Alpha Force series. Hereby, the Alpha Force team members travel to the Sahara region, seeking proof of young people who have fallen victim to landmines. When they chance upon young slavers, they find themselves in a high-speed pursuit aimed at freeing the captured children from slavery.
Other Book Series You May Like
Readers who liked the Alpha Force series also liked the following suchlike series of books. The first is called “Boy Soldier” series, a tetralogy penned by Andy McNab alongside Robert Rigby. It features protagonist Danny Watts alongside his grandfather, a miscreant former SAS military man who seemingly betrayed his fellow soldiers.
The second is named “Henderson’s Boys” series, authored by Robert Muchamore. Set during the second war, it features a British undercover agent called Charles Henderson who enlists the assistance of juveniles in his undercover operations. The third is entitled “Steel Trapp” series, a duology penned by Ridley Pearson. It features protagonist Steven “Steel” Trapp, a gifted juvenile enlisted by federal agents to foil a terror attack and, later on, unknowingly enrolled in an academy that trains spy kids.
Alpha Force FAQs
Q: Who writes the Alpha Force series of books?
A: The Alpha Force series of books is written by British author Chris Ryan, who is a former member of the SAS.
Q: What is the first book in the Alpha Force series?
A: The first book in the Alpha Force series if Survival, which was published in 2002.
Q: What is the last book in the Alpha Force series?
A: The last book in the Alpha Force series is Untouchable, which was published in 2005.
What Is The Next Book in The Alpha Force Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Alpha Force Series. The newest book is Untouchable and was released on September, 25th 2005.