Andy Oppenheimer AIExpE MIABTI
Andy is an author, editor, public speaker and subject matter expert in counter-terrorism and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear weapons & explosives).
In 2019 he published his first in a trilogy of science fiction novels. Fields of Orion: An Odyssey is set in London in the near-future world of terrorism, espionage and alien contact. This has now been followed up with the second book in the series Fields of Orion: The Mission which continues the story.
In November 2021 he published a beautifully illustrated astronomy book – Stars of Orion – featuring stunning photographs and awe-inspiring stories by 45 amateur & professional astronomers of the Orion Constellation. With a Foreword by Irish astronomer John Flannery, a host of fun facts & how to view the Mighty Hunter in the sky make Stars of Orion a perfect gift for Christmas!Available as an ebook & paperback from Amazon
and as a paperback from the Book Depository
His first major book on explosives and terrorism, IRA: the Bombs and the Bullets: A History of Deadly Ingenuity was published by Irish Academic Press in 2008.
He is Editor-in-Chief of CBNW (Chemical, Biological & Nuclear Warfare) and CBNW Xplosive magazines.
He is an Associate Member of the Institute of Explosives Engineers and a Member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians & Investigators. A former Editor of Jane’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence, he has written hundreds of articles for specialist defence and security journals, provides consultancy and interviews to media, and is a speaker at conferences worldwide.
He has also been a singer/songwriter of electro pop music since 1982, and a painter of surrealist pictures since childhood.
Only after nearly 20 years as an author and editor specialising in defence did I think of writing fiction. After a brief spell in government service I went into science publishing – working on an American futuristic magazine which included science fiction. I had read mainly ‘old school’ sci-fi authors, and met several famous ones, such as Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury, in that first job. I also love astronomy, which is where the Orion connection comes in, and ‘psychological’ sci-fi. ‘The Twilight Zone’ is my favourite TV science fiction series and ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ – David Bowie’s first film as a beautiful, enigmatic extraterrestrial – is a huge influence on my image, imagination, and identity.
I decided to write the first novel on pure impulse, however. I had just painted a picture called ‘Nine Lives’ to donate to a favourite military charity. It shows a bomb tech in a surreal setting. As I looked at the painting, the plot of Fields of Orion came to me in that moment.
Speaker
Invited speaker to more than 100 events on counter-terrorism and CBRNE since 2002. Visiting Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton 2011-18 and Instructor, Workshops on Counter-IED, SMi Group, London 2009-13.
Featured Events
- NATO-US Office of Naval Research Workshop, 17 June 2013 – The IED Threat from Chechen and other Groups
- Counter-Terror Expo, Olympia London, 29-30 April 2014 – Training and Equipment for First Responders in Dealing with CBRN IEDs
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Visiting Lecturer in Master CBRNe Directorate, July 2014 – Day of Lectures on CBRNe
- Airport 2017 Security Conference, Hilton Vienna, 12-13 Sept 2017 – CBRN Threats to Airports and Aircraft
- Annual Conference Institute of Explosives Engineers, Sept 2018 – Terrorist Explosives: From IRA to ISIS
- Annual Conference, Institute of Explosives Engineers, March 2020 – Dissident Irish Republican Bombings
- Maritime Explosive Safety Forum 15, MOD Abbey Wood, February 2019 – Terrorist IEDs: Evolving Modus Operandi
- International Security Expo, Olympia London, December 2019 – Reading the Bombmaker’s Signature
- Fulmination 2020 – Annual Conference Institute of Explosives Engineers, March 2020, Dissident Irish Republican Bombings
Consultant
Media consultancy:
Spooks (BBC 1); Mountbatten: Death of a Royal (History Channel, RTE, Sky 3); Critical Times (Border TV/Discovery Channel); The World’s Deadliest Arms Race (ITV); Terror Attacks That Shocked Britain (Current TV/Sky), Silent Witness (BBC1)
Expertise
CBNW (Chemical, Biological & Nuclear Warfare) https://cbnw.co.uk/
Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) https://cstpv.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/
Institute of Explosives Engineers https://iexpe.org/
International Association of Bomb Technicians & Investigators https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-bomb-technicians-&-investigators-iabti-
Felix Fund Bomb Disposal Charity https://www.felixfund.org.uk/
Help for Heroes https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/
Veterans in Action http://www.veteransinaction.org.uk/
Jane’s Information Group https://www.janes.com/
Military Periscope https://www.militaryperiscope.com/
Military Technology https://www.monch.com/mpg/publications/military-technology.html
Royal United Services Institute https://rusi.org/
Change Step http://www.changestepwales.co.uk/
Editor
CBNW & CBNW Xplosive https://cbnw.co.uk/
The leading journals for CBRN and Counter-IED defence, countermeasures and analysis of threats worldwide.
Former Editor, Jane’s Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Defence.
