“The Secret of Flight 149” by Stephen Davis

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Can anyone suggest where I might obtain a copy of this book?

I have (extensively) exhausted all internet options.

Thanks.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1200x630/030f5fcc_0667_407a_83db_6db078b2956b_e150d8a8815830794cef43e 6cc70a5902f602843.jpeg

[El Bunto]

Ah... that's going to be hard to get.

The author is on Linked In, you could drop him a line and see if he has a spare copy or PDF. At this point he'd probably be keen on just getting the story out.

Alternatively set an alert on ABE Books but it'll probably be a long, long wait.

[India Four Two]

Would anyone care to let me in on the "secret"? :)

[Newforest2]

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Flight-149-Saddams-Shields-ebook/dp/B005KMV94Y

Not hard! (https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Flight-149-Saddams-Shields-ebook/dp/B005KMV94Y)

[Mike6567]

"This title is not currently available for purchase"

I have always ben interested in this but never had much luck in finding books or Articles by people who were "guests" of Sadam

Is this because of NDAs?

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Not hard! (https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Flight-149-Saddams-Shields-ebook/dp/B005KMV94Y)

Hmm, if only...
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/436x222/b0380898_0879_43d3_92ea_1e2afafb0f13_171636e3a188d0f61c295ce 9c01f2d7e981ef5b6.jpeg

[Quemerford]

Very interesting: Amazon kind of spoils the plot but it would be interesting to know how it played out.

[Planemike]

"This title is not currently available for purchase"

I have always ben interested in this but never had much luck in finding books or Articles by people who were "guests" of Sadam

Is this because of NDAs?

Surely, he is not around to enforce an NDA.....??!!!

[megan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS0fM5cuzGk

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

To anyone who has had their interest sparked by this thread, I have today communicated with Stephen Davis, who advises that there was a “powers that be” element to the scarcity of his book (!).

However, in a somewhat amazing coincidence, he advises that there is an update to the story in his latest book, just published in the UK, Australia & New Zealand (USA & Canada in May):


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/400x602/2df4bf42_0e7e_4eb5_85e3_1ee3a78bd38c_ee1040590b410b89298bd90 62dfb6096f5318912.jpeg

The following link from Quist Solicitors in London, relating to the book and BA149 might also be of interest:


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/400x442/da4ebb29_d919_4a1d_ac0b_795cabafbc81_a1e64d3a94aebc321a6356d bb963a875281d21fa.jpeg

https://www.quistlaw.com/news-posts/the-case-of-the-ill-fated-flight-ba149-the-mystery-continues1/

[Bergerie1]

I also have a personal interest in this story, but I do not believe the conspiracy theories. This is what I posted in 2017:-
https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/268835-bbc2-ba149-documentary-2.html#post9698657

And read what KelvinD posted here:-
https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/268835-bbc2-ba149-documentary-2.html?highlight=ba+149#post9695939
and here:-
https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/268835-bbc2-ba149-documentary-2.html?highlight=ba+149#post9696468
and again here:-
https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/268835-bbc2-ba149-documentary-2.html?highlight=ba+149#post9698167

He does know what he is talking about.

[DaveReidUK]

As a general rule, when the two possible explanations for something are either a conspiracy or a c*ck-up, it's almost always the latter. :O

[Mike6567]

I see there is another book by Stephen Davis with a write up in the Mail on Sunday - "Operation Trojan Horse"

I now notice KelvinD has been banned since this discussion started. Strange?

[beamender99]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59388975

[25F]

I completely agree with "when the two possible explanations for something are either a conspiracy or a c*ck-up, it's almost always the latter".
But when there are numerous reports from both passengers and cabin crew that a number (ten, by most accounts) of young men were taken off the aircraft before anyone else, it starts to look like the c*ck-up was thinking that they could get the aircraft out again before the Iraqis arrived.
The second c*ck-up is pretending it didn't happen.
Passenger quote (https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/ba149-passenger-the-government-is-lying-i-remember-what-i-saw-41080941.html)

Who on earth were they, then? Members of a rugby team?
“These were serious guys, you only had to look at them.
“I’m absolutely gobsmacked. I know what I saw going on with that plane. I know they were soldiers.”

This is not a "conspiracy theory". It's a valid conjecture. What would *you* do given one last chance to get some surveillance on the ground?