Download or read book Rogue Heroes written by Ben Macintyre and published by Crown. This book was released on 2016-10-04 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The incredible untold story of World War II’s greatest secret fighting force, as told by the modern master of wartime intrigue—now a limited series on Epix! “Reads like a mashup of The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape, with a sprinkling of Ocean’s 11 thrown in for good measure.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • “Rogue Heroes is a ripping good read.”—Washington Post (10 Best Books of the Year) Britain’s Special Air Service—or SAS—was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young aristocrat whose aimlessness belied a remarkable strategic mind. Where most of his colleagues looked at a World War II battlefield map and saw a protracted struggle, Stirling saw an opportunity: given a small number of elite men, he could parachute behind Nazi lines and sabotage their airplanes and supplies. Defying his superiors’ conventional wisdom, Stirling assembled a revolutionary fighting force that would upend not just the balance of the war, but the nature of combat itself. Bringing his keen eye for detail to a riveting wartime narrative, Ben Macintyre uses his unprecedented access to the SAS archives to shine a light on a legendary unit long shrouded in secrecy.
Download or read book The Complete History of the SAS written by Nigel McCrery and published by Headline Welbeck Non-Fiction. This book was released on 2021-07-20 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Specializing in covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism and hostage rescue, the SAS is one of the world's most famous, feared and respected elite fighting forces. This book tells the full, fascinating story of the regiment, from formation in the sand dunes of Africa during World War II to present action in the Middle East, and incorporates jungle, desert and urban warfare, counter-terrorism and an insider's view at the selection and training methods employed by this usually secretive unit. As well as an insightful foreword by Andy McNab - one of the most famous members of the SAS - this revised, updated edition includes completely new chapters, features and information, including Key Missions of WWII, The Battle of Mirbat, Iranian Embassy Siege, Kenyan Hotel Rescue and Victoria Cross Awards.
Download or read book The SAS in World War II written by Gavin Mortimer and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-06-20 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping history of the SAS in World War II, supported by a collection of rare images from the SAS Regimental Association. The SAS are among the best-trained and most effective Special Forces units in existence. This book is the incredible story of their origins, told in their own words. During the summer of 1941, a young Scots Guard officer called David Stirling persuaded MEHQ to give its backing to a small band of 60 men christened 'L Detachment'. With a wealth of stunning photographs, many from the SAS Regimental Association, the book captures the danger and excitement of the initial SAS raids against Axis airfields during the Desert War, the battles in Italy and those following the D-Day landings, as well as the dramatic final push into Germany itself and the discovery of such Nazi horrors as Belsen. An exhaustive account of an elite organization's formative years, The SAS in World War II is the fruit of Gavin Mortimer's expertise and his unprecedented access to the archives of the SAS Regimental Association. Incorporating interviews with the surviving veterans, it is the definitive account of the regiment's glorious achievements in the years from 1941 to 1945.
Download or read book Ghost Force written by Ken Connor and published by Phoenix. This book was released on 1998 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Containing explosive details of operations unknown even to 99% of serving SAS men, this is the definitive history of the regiment written by an ex-SAS soldier of 23 years' experience. Connor reveals how the assassination of President Kennedy gave the SAS truly global significance. He tells the truth about SAS involvement in the Falklands War and the Gulf War and about their operation against the IRA in Gibraltar. Compiled from personal experience and the eye-witness accounts of friends and colleagues, this book reveals the inside story of SAS operations in both conventional war and counter-terrorist operations. 'Controversial, blistering and unique' - Andy McNab
Download or read book SAS Phantoms of War written by David Horner and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2002-04-01 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SAS: Phantoms of War is the history of the Australian Special Air Service. Originally published as SAS: Phantoms of the Jungle in 1989, and a bestseller since then, this edition has been updated to include details of the SAS's activities in the 1990s and into the 21st century. Based on patrol reports and interviews with participants, this Australian military classic tells the fascinating story of the formation of the SAS, its secret role in Borneo during confrontation with Indonesia and its operations in Vietnam. The SAS operated deep behind enemy lines, conducting surveillance at close range, poised to spring into violent action at need. It was with good reason the Viet Cong came to call them Ma Rung-'phantoms of the jungle'. After Vietnam, the SAS formed a crack counter-terrorist force, ready to defend Australia. It became involved in action in Somalia, Kuwait and East Timor in the 1990s and, in 2000, the security of the Sydney Olympic Games. SAS: Phantoms of War tells the story of a highly disciplined force operating secretly at the cutting edge of Australia's defence in war and peace.
Download or read book Special Force written by Alastair MacKenzie and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-10-30 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The exploits of the British Army's elite 22nd Special Air Service Regiment - the regiment of the SAS that forms part of the Regular army - are shrouded in mystery and myths abound about its members. But what is the truth behind the public facade of clinical professionalism? How has such a small regiment attracted so many weighty legends? And what is the purpose of the SAS in the 21st century? "Special Force" provides an original and unusually critical overview of the activities of the SAS from the Malayan Emergency of 1950 to the present day. In the context of a detailed and often controversial analysis of the post-war activities of the Regiment, MacKenzie establishes that the Regiment's almost legendary professional competence is often not backed up by reality. Far from being part of a structured deployment of strategic military assets, MacKenzie argues that the use of the SAS in recent years has been primarily driven by the 'entrepreneurial' actions of a few SAS commanding officers. "Special Force" not only offers a revelatory history of the SAS in the modern period, it is also a disturbing expose of the truth behind the myth. It will be essential reading for anyone with an interest in the British military - past, present and future.
Download or read book Rogue Warrior of the SAS written by Martin Dillon and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011-10-14 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than half a century after his death, Lt Col. Robert Blair Mayne is still regarded as one of the greatest soldiers in the history of military special operations. He was the most decorated British soldier of the Second World War, receiving four DSOs, the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d'honneur, and he pioneered tactics used today by the SAS and other special operations units worldwide. Rogue Warrior of the SAS tells the remarkable life story of 'Colonel Paddy', whose exceptional physical strength and uniquely swift reflexes made him a fearsome opponent. But his unorthodox rules of war and his resentment of authority would deny him the ultimate accolade of the Victoria Cross. Drawing on personal letters and family papers, declassified SAS files and records, together with the Official SAS Diary compiled in wartime and eyewitness accounts from many who served with him, the picture emerges of a soldier who, although a flawed hero, was unquestionably one of the most distinctive combatants of the campaigns in the Western Desert and Europe.
Download or read book Secret Operations of the SAS written by Mike Ryan and published by Leo Cooper Books. This book was released on 2003 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Secret Operations of the SAS charts the early days of the Regiment, and follows their major combat actions right through to their current deployment in the war against terrorism. With specially commissioned colour artwork and rare action photographs, it is a highly illustrated guide to the combat history of the SAS.
Download or read book The History of the SAS written by Chris Ryan and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2019-11-14 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Drawing on the stories of the soldiers who were there, this dramatic history of the SAS is full of bravado. Forged to fight guerrillas in the sweltering jungles of Malaya... Ryan writes with the authority of a man familiar with every nuance of the regiment's tactics, training, weapons and equipment.' - Sunday Times Culture Tasked with storming mountain strongholds in the desert. Trained to hunt down the world's most wanted terrorists. This is the extraordinary story of 22 SAS. The history of the modern SAS is one of the great successes of post-war Britain. Since it was revived in 1950 to combat Communist insurgents, the Regiment has gone from strength to strength, fighting covert wars in Oman, Borneo, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Persian Gulf and beyond. In the process, it has become one of the most indispensable, and at times controversial, units in the British army Today, the SAS is regarded as the world's leading Special Forces unit, renowned for its demanding Selection course and its relentless ability to adapt to the changing nature of warfare. More than anything else, however, it is the determination and ingenuity of the SAS soldiers that has made the Regiment what it is today. Drawing on his extensive network of contacts and his own experiences, Chris Ryan tells the story of the men on the ground. From the earliest patrols in the Malayan jungle, through to the storming of the Iranian Embassy, the daring raids behind enemy lines in the Gulf War, and up-to-minute missions to capture or kill notorious terrorists - this is the gripping, no-holds-barred account of Regiment operations. Above all, it is a story of elite soldiers fighting, and triumphing, against seemingly impossible odds.
Download or read book The Nazi Hunters written by Damien Lewis and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2018-11-20 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gripping “untold story” of the Secret Hunters, deep-cover British special forces who pursued Nazi fugitives from justice after World War II (Daily Mail). In the late summer of 1944, eighty British Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers undertook a covert commando raid, parachuting behind enemy lines into the Vosges Mountains in occupied France to sabotage Nazi-held roads, railways, and ammo dumps, and assassinate high-ranking German officers, undermining the final stand of Hitler’s Third Reich. Despite their successes, more than half the men were captured, tortured, and executed. Although the SAS was officially dissolved when the war ended, a top-secret black ops unit was formed, under Churchill’s personal command, to hunt down the SS commanders who had murdered their special forces comrades, as well as war criminals from concentration camps who had eluded the Nuremberg trials. Under the cover of full deniability, “The Secret Hunters” waged a covert war of justice and retribution—uncovering the full horror of Hitler’s regime as well as dark secrets of Stalin’s Russia and the growing threat of what would become the Cold War. Finally revealing the fascinating details of the secret postwar mission that became a central part of the SAS’s founding legend, Damien Lewis “delves into some of the darkest days of the regiment’s history to tell a story of tragedy, valor and revenge . . . [a] remarkable story” (War History Online).
Download or read book On Patrol with the SAS written by Gary McKay and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The stories in this book come from first-hand experiences of the men of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment as they conduct their operations in Borneo and South Vietnam.
Download or read book Born of the Desert written by Malcolm James and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-03-19 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born of the Desert is a classic account of the early years of the SAS. The Special Air Service was formed in 1941 and quickly earned a reputation for stealth, daring and audacity in the Western Desert Campaign. This elite force utilised the endless expanse of the desert to carry out surprise attacks and hit and run raids behind the Afrika Korps' lines, sowing confusion, fear and consternation. Malcolm James served as Medical Officer with the SAS throughout 1942 and 1943, and Born of the Desert is his atmospheric account of his life in the North African desert, the bitter fighting against Italian and German targets and the forging of a remarkable elite unit. James captures the excitement of this dramatic mode of warfare and brings to life the deadly beauty of the desert, the harsh environment and the strong bonds of comradeship and interdependence which resulted. Born of the Desert was written soon after the events depicted and has an immediacy which places it above other Second World War memoirs. The original text has now been augmented by supplementary notes by David List, and appendices on SAS casualties and awards by David Buxton.
Download or read book Fighting Skills of the SAS written by Mike Robinson and published by Lewis International (FL). This book was released on 1998-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Double taps, three-round bursts, tabbing and CasEvac operations. These are but a few of the tactics and procedures used by the men of Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. What do they mean, how do the elite soldiers of Britain's SAS fight and what weapons do they use? Fighting Skills of the SAS is a complete guide to the tactices, operational procedures, training and military hardware used by the SAS. Fighting Skills of the SAS contains individual chapters on weapons skills, using the deadly Browning High Power and the MP5K submachine gun; how SAS teams operate behind enemy lines; SAS sabotage techniques; concealment skills; and observation and intelligence gathering.
Download or read book True Stories of the SAS written by Robin Hunter and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 2013-03-28 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The soldiers of the SAS are among the most ruthless and efficient in the world. Their daring and determination have made Britain's top-secret military unit one of the most feared and respected special forces in existence. True Stories of the SAS is a history of the deeds done by these lethal men as they faced danger with calm courage. From the parachute raids and jeep attacks of World War II to covert activity in the Gulf War, the SAS have fought in each major conflict of the last fifty years. Their every mission is a tale of inspired strategy and decisive action, from the fight for the German-held islands of the Aegean to the struggle against the Communists in the Malayan jungle and their spectacular success at the Iranian Embassy siege in London. These astonishing stories reveal the bravery, endurance and sheer military brilliance that have made the SAS truly a force to be reckoned with.
Download or read book The SAS 1983 2014 written by Leigh Neville and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-12-15 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Special Forces expert reveals the illustrated story of the SAS since the Falklands War, including their operations in the Gulf War and the War on Terror. Highly trained and immensely skilled, the SAS are widely regarded as one of the best Special Forces units in the world. Their missions are uniquely diverse, ranging from counter-terrorist responses at home and abroad; counter-insurgency in collaboration with US Delta Force and other foreign Special Forces; mobile operations in support of conventional forces; targeting terrorist leaders and man-hunting war criminals, to 'direct action' raids. This book charts the changing organization and operational emphases of the Regiment over the past 25 years; its individual deployments and operations, including those planned but aborted, joint missions with other British and foreign units. It sheds light on the SAS's involvement in the Troubles of Northern Ireland, their operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the widespread use of the SAS in counter terrorism and counterinsurgency operations since 9/11. Illustrated throughout with colour photographs and superb artwork plates.
Download or read book Across an Angry Sea written by Cedric Delves and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In early summer 1982--winter in the South Atlantic--Argentina's military junta invades the Falklands. Within days, a British Royal Navy Task Force is assembled and dispatched. This is the story of D Squadron, 22 SAS, commanded by Cedric Delves. The relentless tempo of events defies belief. Raging seas, inhospitable glaciers, hurricane-force winds, helicopter crashes, raids behind enemy lines--the Squadron prevailed against them all, but the cost was high. Eight died and more were wounded or captured. Holding fast to their humanity, D Squadron's fighters were there at the start and end of the Falklands War, the first to raise a Union Jack over Government House in Stanley. Across an Angry Sea is a chronicle of daring, skill and steadfastness among a tight-knit band of brothers; of going awry, learning fast, fighting hard, and winning through.
Download or read book David Stirling written by Gavin Mortimer and published by Constable. This book was released on 2022-05-26 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aristocrat, gambler, innovator and special forces legend, the life of David Stirling should need no retelling. His formation of the Special Air Service in the summer of 1941 led to a new form of warfare and Stirling is remembered as the father of special forces soldiering. But was he really a military genius or in fact a shameless self-publicist who manipulated people, and the truth, for this own ends? In this gripping and controversial biography Gavin Mortimer analyses Stirling's complex character: the childhood speech impediment that shaped his formative years, the pressure from his overbearing mother, his fraught relationship with his brother, Bill, and the jealousy and inferiority he felt in the presence of his SAS second-in-command, the cold-blooded killer Paddy Mayne. Stirling lived until old age, receiving a knighthood and plaudits from military forces around the world before his death in 1990. Yet as Mortimer dazzlingly shows, while Stirling was instrumental in selling the SAS to Churchill and senior officers, it was Mayne who really carried the regiment in the early days. Stirling was at best an incompetent soldier and at worst a foolhardy one, who jeopardised his men's live with careless talk and hare-brained missions. Drawing on interviews with SAS veterans who fought with Stirling and men who worked with him on his post-war projects, and examining recently declassified governments files about Stirling's involvement in Aden, Libya and GB75, Mortimer's riveting biography is incisive, bold, honest and written with his customary narrative panache. Impeccably researched and with the courage to challenge the mythical SAS 'brand', Mortimer brings to bear his unparalleled expertise as WW2's premier special forces historian to dig beneath the legend and reveal the real David Stirling, a man who dared and deceived.
