David Blakeley

Biography:

Captain David Blakeley was a commander in the secretive British military unit The Pathfinders, also known as ‘The Ghost Platoon.’ They are trained to freefall ‘James Bond’ style from extreme high altitude, wearing oxygen masks and special survival suits. They work in small elite teams parachuting behind enemy lines, where they carry out extremely high-risk recce, sabotage, kill or capture missions.

He led the most audacious mission of the Iraq War, commanding a nine-man patrol going deep behind enemy lines – subject of his 2012 Sunday Times Bestselling book, Pathfinder, which has featured in all major British media as “the untold story of a secret elite British unit”. Surrounded by thousands of enemy forces and abandoned by coalition command, they were left to fight their way out of the enemy’s backyard. Miraculously, they did so, without losing a single member of their patrol.

At 21 years of age David was promoted to be the youngest Captain in the British Army since Sir Ranulph Fiennes, going on to serve in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since leaving the military he has worked as a consultant to TV and Film companies. He has also featured in high profile computer games including the latest ‘Alien Verses Predator’ and has fronted a number of advertising campaigns including Harley Davidson.

This year David published his second book Maverick One. The book is unique and extraordinary, chronicling the true story of the making of a warrior. It culminates in David fighting back to full recovery from horrific injuries suffered whilst on operations in Iraq, to go on to face SAS selection.

Best Selling author of PATHFINDER: David’s first hand account of fighting deep behind enemy lines on a Black Ops Mission he lead in Iraq. It is a story of Triumph Over Adversity and details how his team of elite operators were abandoned by higher command and ambushed, alone and surrounded had to fight to survive - 9 men against 2,000 enemy.

David’s story is unique and captures the hearts and minds of both international and UK corporate keynotes and a captivating tailored after dinner speech.

On the back of the success of his books he was signed as a TV Presenter. A show has just been commissioned with Discovery Channel but more significantly he recently completed talent filming with BBC World Wide who have ear marked him as one of their prime Action/Adventure Presenters.

A Hollywood film THE KILL LIST based on the book by Frederick Forsyth is in development with Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) to direct. It features a character named after David and based on him.