The Dogs of War

While researching the novel in the early 1970s, author Frederick Forsyth pretended he was actually financing a coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea. The pretense allowed Forsyth access to a number of underworld figures, including mercenaries and arms dealers. Forsyth has since commented that the arms dealers were the most frightening people he has ever met.

Derek wears his former SAS beret incorrectly. He wears it with the flash/peak in the center of his forehead and the sides sloped down to the right and left. Military personnel wear the beret with the flash/crest and corresponding peak over the left eye, and the beret sloping down to the right.

The character portrayed is a mercenary and not "military personnel," thus not subject to any military regulations. Also see Ian Yule's character in The Wild Geese (1978), another mercenary wearing an SAS beret "incorrectly" (and Yule is an actual SAS veteran).

Although the cinema version was uncut the 1986 UK video was cut by 5 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of broken glass being forced into the mouth of Endean's man before being beaten up by Shannon. The 2001 MGM DVD restored the film to its original 119 minute UK length, which had additional character development, including an early scene of Shannon attending the baptism of a fellow mercenary's child, a bed scene between Shannon and Jessie, a scene of the raiding party being delayed by a closed drawbridge, Shannon pressuring Hackett to deliver the Valencia shipment, and extensive footage between Shannon and Lockhart where the latter persuades Spanish officials to allow the cargo on to the boat.

Edited into Stealth Fighter (1999)