Barrie 'Baz' Rice served in the New Zealand Special Air Service (1NZSAS) or 'the Unit'. During that time he was an amphibious and counter-terrorist group commander, demolitions, hand to hand (CBC) and tracking instructor. He left the SAS in 1995 and has since worked as a private security contractor, sole operator bodyguard, close protection instructor and team leader (C1) for international security companies such as Blackwater USA or with military units and law enforcement agencies. Baz has worked all over the world, including in Hong Kong, Brunei, Europe, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Colombia, Africa and Latin America. As well as his security services and training, Baz has provided military consultancy and weapons training for Oscar-winning movies such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, Coriolanus and White House Down and for a host of TV shows.
"""A raw, riveting look into the hidden frontlines of the Iraq War and an indispensable first-person account of the secret lives of the mercenaries and contractors who fought and died overseas... Rice does something few have attempted, taking us on an emotional journey that is at once unsettling and revelatory. Excellent."" Mark Boal, Oscar-winning screenwriter and producer of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty ""A riveting tale of a brotherhood of warriors and their descent into hell. Visceral, brutal, raw and very real, We Were Blackwater is a rollercoaster ride of combat on the frontline of death and bloodshed. Unputdownable. Unforgettable. The untold true story."" Damien Lewis, author of SAS Ghost Patrol and Churchill's Secret Warriors"