SAS trooper Christian Craighead is famous for his response to the 2019 DustiD2 terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya. In country as an advisor and trainer, Craighead received permission from his British commander to join Kenyan forces who requested his assistance to neutralize the terrorists. Operating nonstop for hours and amidst heavy small arms fire, Craighead helped clear the complex and carried civilians out to safety. Wearing a balaclava, pictures of Craighead were posted on the internet and he earned nicknames like “Obi-Wan Nairobi” and “The Nairobi Ninja.” For his heroic actions during the attack, the SAS trooper was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross and appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Since retiring from the SAS, Craighead has been interviewed on podcasts and YouTube videos where he recounts the events that propelled him to fame as well as his life leading up to and through 28 years of military service. Prior to passing selection and joining the elite 22 Special Air Service Regiment, Craighead served in the British Army’s Parachute Regiment, equivalent to the U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment. “For me, military service was definitely a calling,” he told Mike Jones on the Garand Thumb YouTube channel. “[For] as long as I could remember, that’s all I wanted to do.” Having dedicated his life to perfecting his skills in combat, Craighead sees himself as a sheepdog: a protector who will fight to the death to protect a flock of sheep from wolves who would do them harm.
Following the revealing of the Nairobi Ninja’s identity, readers have anxiously anticipated the release of his book. Some people may have been surprised when Craighead announced that his first book release would be a children’s book. “I am proud to announce the publication of my first book, The Wrong Wolf, illustrated by my good friend Matthew Klein,” Craighead posted on social media. Klein is a U.S. Army veteran who later retired as a detective from the New York Police Department’s Forensic Sketch Artist Unit. “It’s not the book you’re all waiting for, but nevertheless I’m still extremely proud of it.”
Craighead describes The Wrong Wolf as a “metaphoric story about a WOLF who becomes a SHEEPDOG. The book was inspired by episodes in my life and was written by me, from the heart.” Despite being written and illustrated for a young audience, Craighead notes that everyone can get something from his book. “Whilst principally a children’s book, it sends a positive message that will resonate with both the young and old,” he said.
Now residing in the United States, Craighead has become a champion of his American brothers and sisters in arms. Proceeds from the sale of The Wrong Wolf will go the Frontline Healing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that subsidizes the cost of treatment for veterans and first responders who do not have insurance or to pay for their healing. The Wrong Wolf is available for pre-order and releases on November 29, 2023.