The Nature of Honour cover art

The Nature of Honour

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Nature of Honour

By: David McBride
Narrated by: David McBride, Hazem Shammas
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

 Son of the renowned Sydney obstetrician, Dr William McBride, who raised the alarm on the anti-nausea drug thalidomide in the 1960s and was later struck off the medical register for falsifying research results in a bid to challenge the safety of another drug. David chose to study Law, firstly at Sydney University and then at Oxford. There he met some British army officers and decided that soldiering was his calling, going on to train at Sandhurst. He commanded a platoon in Northern Ireland while bomb and sniper attacks on British soldiers were still happening.

In civilian life he worked in security protecting diplomats, journalists and businesspeople in Rwanda in the immediate aftermath of the 1994 genocide and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

After growing tired of the travel and the action, David returned to England, where he worked in reality TV. On moving back to Sydney, he briefly joined a major law firm and then joined the Australian Army as a lawyer, going on to serve two tours of duty in Afghanistan, on the frontline confirming or denying decisions made by soldiers under international laws. He was medically discharged with PTSD in 2017.

In 2018, he was charged with offences relating to national security and is awaiting trial.

David was reregistered to practise law in NSW in 2022 and spends a bit of time defending those facing charges. Crammed with colour, adventure, achievements and some diversions, too David McBride leads a big life. Afghan & Iraq Wars Law Military Military & War Professionals & Academics Africa Solider
All stars
Most relevant
McBride has lived quite the life. He’s found what he believes is right from wrong, and lived by his code of ethics. It’s a shame we live in a world where the people with morals and ethics are killed or sent to prison.

Fantastic read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a story that needed to be told and needs to be heard of a man who is the definition of standing up for what you believe to be right regardless of the consequences

a true Aussie hero

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a great book. had me laughing with some of the escapades he go up to.
keep fighting, only history can judge you.

go david

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
David McBride has lived an extraordinary life. A life of discovery, spectacular growth and discovery. All founded on his own and his families unshakeable conviction to be the best and to do the best for their fellow humans.

An Astonishing Life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Dear David, listening to your story brought back so many memories that I had long forgotten. Thankyou for beautifully capturing Afghanistan in all its complexity, the land, the people and the ‘English’ who were just the latest visitors to that historic place. Those who have not served won’t ever truly understand the subtext in your stories- thankyou for being honest with those of us who get it.
Stay strong- I believe there is still a place for honour in service, even if it’s going to take some brave men to remind us.

Familiar ground

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Interesting life and backstory behind what we’ve heard in the media. Very well narrated, thanks.

Interesting read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I sincerely hope the coverage this case gets is worth it. I hope Defence strives to find more courage and self sacrifice to do what is right, not what is easy As an ex serviceman, I hope we all do better. Good luck mate

Good luck mate

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This audiobook is fantastic! The story about McBride’s life is super interesting and it explains a lot about how his character becomes formed all the way to the events in his recent life that have made him so well known. His foreword at the start is powerful, and the narrator used for the rest of the audiobook does a great job of reading it in an interesting and an engaging way. I highly recommend this audiobook, listening to it was one of the best uses of 10 hours that I’ve ever spent!

Amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
While an interesting story, it’s littered with privilege, entitlement, and unexplained mistrust. In my opinion the author is unable to rationally explain how he got to where he landed, or perhaps his decision making is just a little off or foreign to me.

As documented by the years that follows, the Australian SAS have been found to have committed executions of unarmed farmers and detainees.

It leaves me wondering, why was this person who so righteously sought to follow the law, so quick to shut down changes to the law and even annoyed by investigations when serious incidents occur.

The author ends with this. “It’s political BS”, his response to a restrained detainee being shot by a lone SAS soldier in a mud hut, apparently he was trying to go for his weapon (while the soldier for some unknown reason decided to uncuff him).

I found it to be superficial. I had hoped for some raw reflection on his demons, more on Northern Ireland, and his time (and credences) while in Afghanistan.

Having said that, I kept reading, and finished it.

Superficial story incongruent with the title

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.