Based on the real life story of Bob Denard
The book and movie are based on the real life story of Bob Denard.
http://www.answers.com/Bob%20Denard
Not really much more similarity than say there is to Mike Hoare or Bob MacKenzie. It's all just mercs fighting wars.
shareDenard was an entirely different kettle of fish. He was a policeman, not a soldier, and operated under the blessing of the French intelligence services. He was involved in a couple of coups in the Comoros Islands, finally installing himself and his cronies in power, before the French government finally kicked him out. Shannon is a far more noble character. he was actually based on Taffy Williams, a mercenary in the Biafran speratist war in Nigeria, which Forsyth was involved in and detailed in his book The Biafra Story.
shareI am sure Mad Mike claimed to be the inspiration!
Its that man again!!
May have claimed it, but Forsyth stated directly that Taffy Williams inspired Shannon and that the others were all based on mercenaries in Biafra. The books even dedicated to them. The "General," in the novel, is based on Col. Ojukwu, the leader of the Biafran seperatists. In the film, his role is replaced by Dr. Okoye, though "The General," was an outsider, not a rival of Kimba. The Okoye character was basically swiped from Winston Ntshona's role in the Wild Geese, Limbani. From a story standpoint, installing a more sympathetic local made more sense than bringing in an outsider, even with the numbers of his people who had come to Zangaro; but, Forsyth loves his twist endings.
"Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency!"