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SAS Great Escapes Two: Six Untold Epic Escapes Made by World War Two Heroes
by Damien Lewis'Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller' Lee ChildSAS Great Escapes Two recounts the hitherto untold stories of six of the most dramatic and daring escapes executed by the world's most famous fighting force during WWII. From the very earliest SAS missions to the push into Nazi-occupied Europe, they cover some of the key figures in the Regiment, including its founder, David Stirling, plus other lesser-known heroes.With each story comes an edge-of-the-seat, rollercoaster ride in classic Damien Lewis fashion, as readers are plunged into the escapees' experiences - sharing their most terrifying yet inspiring moments. These stunning accounts of survival beggar belief, revealing nerve-racking bluff and deception, knife-edge encounters with enemy hunter forces hellbent on wreaking vengeance and murder, but also incredible acts of mercy and kindness from those who risk all to help the escapees on their way. Each tale of breath-taking derring-do reveals how necessity really is the mother of all invention, as with every step and at every juncture these fugitives defied fate, snatching survival and freedom from the jaws of the enemy, and all the horrors that would have followed capture.Damien Lewis has worked closely with the families of those portrayed, accessing wartime diaries, letters, mission reports, interrogation transcripts and more, to relate how the men of the SAS crossed blazing deserts, evaded enemy hunter forces and escaped through hostile lands, battling against seemingly insurmountable odds. But most of all, these uplifting tales of endurance beyond measure showcase the triumph of the human spirit and the will to survive.'Damien Lewis paints a uniquely vivid picture of the wartime SAS. Packed with detail, this fresh and dynamic book brings us as close to its remarkable members as we are ever likely to get.' Joshua Levine, author of Dunkirk'In these days when we are told to be scared of everything it is a relief to read of steely nerves and cold courage. Damien Lewis has collected examples of exactly these qualities from World War II and they are all thrillers, to be read with pleasure - and a bit of nostalgia!' Frederick Forsyth'The fund of SAS escapes turns out to be too big for one book, and in Damien Lewis there is a writer of rare narrative gifts able to bring alive these epic stories for us today' Mark Urban'An astonishing book: a collection of truly riveting stories of bravery, all brilliantly told. In terms of sheer drama and audacity, SAS: Great Escapes Two goes where no fiction writer would dare venture' Alex Gerlis, author of Agent in the Shadows
SAS Great Escapes Two: Six Untold Epic Escapes Made by World War Two Heroes
by Damien Lewis'Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller' Lee ChildSAS Great Escapes Two recounts the hitherto untold stories of six of the most dramatic and daring escapes executed by the world's most famous fighting force during WWII. From the very earliest SAS missions to the push into Nazi-occupied Europe, they cover some of the key figures in the Regiment, including its founder, David Stirling, plus other lesser-known heroes.With each story comes an edge-of-the-seat, rollercoaster ride in classic Damien Lewis fashion, as readers are plunged into the escapees' experiences - sharing their most terrifying yet inspiring moments. These stunning accounts of survival beggar belief, revealing nerve-racking bluff and deception, knife-edge encounters with enemy hunter forces hellbent on wreaking vengeance and murder, but also incredible acts of mercy and kindness from those who risk all to help the escapees on their way. Each tale of breath-taking derring-do reveals how necessity really is the mother of all invention, as with every step and at every juncture these fugitives defied fate, snatching survival and freedom from the jaws of the enemy, and all the horrors that would have followed capture.Damien Lewis has worked closely with the families of those portrayed, accessing wartime diaries, letters, mission reports, interrogation transcripts and more, to relate how the men of the SAS crossed blazing deserts, evaded enemy hunter forces and escaped through hostile lands, battling against seemingly insurmountable odds. But most of all, these uplifting tales of endurance beyond measure showcase the triumph of the human spirit and the will to survive.'Damien Lewis paints a uniquely vivid picture of the wartime SAS. Packed with detail, this fresh and dynamic book brings us as close to its remarkable members as we are ever likely to get.' Joshua Levine, author of Dunkirk'In these days when we are told to be scared of everything it is a relief to read of steely nerves and cold courage. Damien Lewis has collected examples of exactly these qualities from World War II and they are all thrillers, to be read with pleasure - and a bit of nostalgia!' Frederick Forsyth'The fund of SAS escapes turns out to be too big for one book, and in Damien Lewis there is a writer of rare narrative gifts able to bring alive these epic stories for us today' Mark Urban'An astonishing book: a collection of truly riveting stories of bravery, all brilliantly told. In terms of sheer drama and audacity, SAS: Great Escapes Two goes where no fiction writer would dare venture' Alex Gerlis, author of Agent in the Shadows
SAS Heroes
by Pete ScholeyFrom WWII to Iraq the SAS has been at the forefront of armed conflict, though most people wouldn't realise it was even there. Universally acknowledged as the best special forces in the world, every member of the Regiment is a hero in his own right. However, even amongst these remarkable soldiers there are those who stand out. SAS Heroes contains former SAS soldier Pete Scholey's memories of 20 such warriors who are true heroes, although many were never recognised as such during their lives or even in death. It is a collection of stories about soldiers who fought for their country with no desire to be famous, f¿ted or rewarded, some of whom died in action. A few received medals, and all earned the respect and admiration of their fellow soldiers, their names and faces etched into the true history of the SAS.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The SAS in Occupied France: 1 SAS Operations, June to October 1944
by Gavin MortimerThe author of Stirling’s Men recounts the WWII exploits of Britain’s legendary special forces unit in thefirst volume of this authoritative history.The British Army’s Special Air Service was formed during World War II as a commando unit for operations behind enemy lines. Their exploits in France inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans and left a trail of destruction and disorder in their wake. In 1944, they trained the French Maquis into an effective fighting force, delayed German reinforcements at Normandy, and sewed confusion for the German withdrawal.In this volume, historian Gavin Mortimer focuses on 1 SAS, describing operations Titanic, Houndsworth, Bulbasket, Gain, Haggard and Kipling in graphic detail. Using previously unpublished interviews with SAS veterans and members of the Maquis as well as rare photographs, Mortimer allows readers to walk in the footsteps of SAS heroes and see where they lived, fought and died.
The SAS in World War II
by Gavin MortimerThe 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 Archives, 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 SAS Regimental Archives. Incorporating interviews with the surviving veterans, it is the definitive account of the regiment's glorious achievements in the years from 1941 to 1945.
SAS Insider: An elite SAS fighter on life in Australia's toughest and most secretive combat unit
by Robert Macklin Clint PalmerThe true story of Australia's SAS and the soldier who was there from the start.Clint Palmer has spent much of his adult life in the SAS and has fought in this elite military unit as it developed from its fledgling beginnings into the highly trained, specialised fighting force it is today. He is an insider with the long view and this is his unique story of life in the SAS.As a bush kid in the Northern Territory of Australia, growing up in a one dog mining town, Palmer?s best friends were mostly Aboriginal kids, and the outside world barely existed. But he always had one driving ambition - the army. Enduring the toughest of tough training, Palmer soon demonstrated his fighting capabilities and became part of the Australian SAS. So began almost thirty years of service.We go with him to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he is at the heart of some of the worst fighting in Operation Anaconda in the Shahi-Kot Valley in 2002. He lets us in on what it?s like to have made well over a thousand parachute jumps, many of them in terrible conditions and into treacherous terrain which may have ended not just his career but his life. And he shares with us how this adrenalin fuelled world has become a lifelong commitment.Palmer is the man who knows the Regiment almost better than anyone, so SAS Insider really is the inside story of the SAS - and a gripping account of one Australian soldier?s life at the sharp end.Robert Macklin is a well-known Australian biographer and historian with more than twenty books to his credit. His most recent books include ONE FALSE MOVE, DARK PARADISE and the bestselling SAS SNIPER which he co-wrote with Rob Maylor.
SAS Italian Job: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress
by Damien LewisPraise for Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author Damien Lewis' SAS mission series:'One of the great untold stories of WWII' - Bear Grylls on SAS Ghost Patrol'The untold story' - Daily Mail on SAS Nazi Hunters'A tale of bravery against desperate odds' - Sunday Times on Churchill's Secret Warriors'True adventures laced with staggering bravery and sacrifice' - Sun on Hunting the Nazi BombAn impossible mission in wartime Italy: the next explosive bestseller from Damien Lewis.In the hard-fought winter of 1944 the Allies advanced northwards through Italy, but stalled on the fearsome mountainous defences of the Gothic Line. Two men were parachuted in, in an effort to break the deadlock. Their mission: to penetrate deep into enemy territory and lay waste to the Germans' impregnable headquarters.At the eleventh hour mission commanders radioed for David 'The Mad Piper' Kilpatrick to be flown in, resplendent in his tartan kilt. They wanted this fearless war hero to lead the assault, piping Highland Laddie as he went - so leaving an indelible British signature to deter Nazi reprisals.As the column of raiders formed up, there was shocking news. High command radioed through an order to stand down, having assessed the chances of success at little more than zero. But in defiance of orders, and come hell or high-water, they were going in.Damien Lewis's new bestseller tells the incredible story.
SAS Italian Job: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress
by Damien LewisAn impossible mission in wartime Italy: the next explosive bestseller from Damien Lewis.In the hard-fought winter of 1944 the Allies advanced northwards through Italy, but stalled on the fearsome mountainous defences of the Gothic Line. Two men were parachuted in, in an effort to break the deadlock. Their mission: to penetrate deep into enemy territory and lay waste to the Germans' impregnable headquarters.At the eleventh hour mission commanders radioed for David 'The Mad Piper' Kilpatrick to be flown in, resplendent in his tartan kilt. They wanted this fearless war hero to lead the assault, piping Highland Laddie as he went - so leaving an indelible British signature to deter Nazi reprisals.As the column of raiders formed up, there was shocking news. High command radioed through an order to stand down, having assessed the chances of success at little more than zero. But in defiance of orders, and come hell or high-water, they were going in.Damien Lewis's new bestseller tells the incredible story.(P)2018 Quercus Editions Limited
SAS Nazi Hunters
by Damien Lewis'A humbling, inspiring account of some of the real founders of modern day Special Forces soldiering' Bear GryllsThe Nazi Hunters is the incredible, hitherto untold story of the most secret chapter in the SAS's history. Officially, the world's most elite special forces unit was dissolved at the end of the Second World War, and not reactivated until the 1950s. Among their last actions was a disastrous commando raid into occupied France in 1944, which ended in the capture, torture and execution of 31 soldiers.It can now be revealed that the SAS never was dissolved: it lived on, commanded personally by Churchill and hidden even from the British government. They were tasked with hunting through the ruins of the Reich for the SS commanders responsible for the murder of their comrades, including many who had escaped the failed justice of the Nuremberg trials. Along the way, they discovered before anyone else the full horror of Hitler's regime, and the growing threat from Stalin's Russia.Still studied by the SAS today and a central part of their founding myth, the story of the Nazi hunters is now told by bestselling author Damien Lewis.
SAS Operation Bulbasket
by Paul McCueThe story of Operation Bulbasket is one of such tension and drama that any resume which revealed its outcome would rob the reader of the vital element of suspense. Suffice it to say that on 6 June, 1944, known to history as D-Day, two members of the SAS were dropped by parachute deep behind the lines in enemy-occupied France. Shortly to be Followed by others, amounting in all to fifty-five men, their task was to disrupt in every way possible the movement of German troops to the north to repel the Allied invasion of Normandy.Only now, with the release of hitherto classified documents and thanks to a remarkable amount of painstaking research on Paul McCue's part, can the full story of Operation Bulbasket be told. The author has traced the surviving main participants and, by their various but often contradictory accounts and much careful detective work, has managed to piece together what really happened in those dramatic eight weeks after 6 June. Indeed, thanks to this book, those survivors have only learned the full story which was hidden from them for over fifty years. This has to be one of the most remarkable stories ever to be written about the Second World War.
SAS Operation Storm: Nine Men Against Four Hundred
by Roger Cole Richard BelfieldOPERATION STORM is the inside story - told by those who took part - of the greatest secret war in SAS history. The tipping point, Mirbat, South Oman, 19 July 1972 is one of the least-known yet most crucial battles of modern times. If the SAS had been defeated at Mirbat, the Russian and Chinese plan for a communist foothold in the Middle East would have succeeded, with catastrophic consequences for the oil-hungry West. OPERATION STORM is a page-turning account of courage and resilience. Mirbat was a battle fought and won by nine SAS soldiers and a similar number of brave local people - some as young as ten years old - outnumbered by at least twenty-five to one. Roger Cole, one of the SAS soldiers who took part, and writer Richard Belfield have interviewed every SAS survivor who fought in the battle from the beginning to the end - the first time every single one of them has revealed their experience. OPERATION STORM is a classic story of bravery against impossible odds, minute by minute, bullet by bullet.
SAS Operation Storm: Nine men against four hundred
by Roger Cole Richard BelfieldOPERATION STORM is the inside story - told by those who took part - of the greatest secret war in SAS history. The tipping point, Mirbat, South Oman, 19 July 1972 is one of the least-known yet most crucial battles of modern times. If the SAS had been defeated at Mirbat, the Russian and Chinese plan for a communist foothold in the Middle East would have succeeded, with catastrophic consequences for the oil-hungry West. OPERATION STORM is a page-turning account of courage and resilience. Mirbat was a battle fought and won by nine SAS soldiers and a similar number of brave local people - some as young as ten years old - outnumbered by at least twenty-five to one. Roger Cole, one of the SAS soldiers who took part, and writer Richard Belfield have interviewed every SAS survivor who fought in the battle from the beginning to the end - the first time every single one of them has revealed their experience. OPERATION STORM is a classic story of bravery against impossible odds, minute by minute, bullet by bullet.
SAS: Sea King Down
by Mark Aston Stuart TootalThe thrilling, edge-of-your-seat true story of one soldier's Special Forces operations in the Falklands War'BRILLIANT. A ROLLERCOASTER OF BLISTERING ACTION, SURVIVAL AND BEHIND-THE-LINES DARING' DAMIEN LEWIS________THE BIGGEST SINGLE LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE SAS SINCE WORLD WAR TWO . . .1982, the British task force sails to liberate the Falkland Islands. Aboard: SAS D Squadron, determined to make their mark.No one more so than Mark 'Splash' Aston.But they have barely seen action when their Sea King helicopter crashes in freezing South Atlantic waters, killing 22 of Mark's comrades.The last out of the sinking wreck, he suffers a broken neck. But defying medical evacuation orders, Mark sneaks off ship, re-joins his SAS comrades to land on a mountain near Port Stanley - to defend it against days of attacks by Argentine special forces . . .SAS Sea King Down is a pulse-pounding account of D-Squadron's tragic loss and subsequent heroic stand in one of the most hostile places on Earth.A story told by a man who barely survived to tell it.________'A gripping untold story of heroism, hardship and sacrifice within the SAS' BEAR GRYLLS 'Gripping, fast moving and completely authentic. A brilliant piece of work. Better than Bravo Two Zero' - Mike Rose, former Commanding Officer of the SAS
SAS Shadow Raiders: The Ultra-Secret Mission that Changed the Course of WWII
by Damien LewisFrom bestselling true military author Damien Lewis: the incredible story of the radar wars, Britain's most secret battle.'Nail-biting action all the way - the explosive true story' - Mark 'Billy' Billingham'A true story that reads better than any thriller' - Dan Snow'One of the most important special forces books written. It traces the daring, ingenuity and sheer courage that is the foundation of the modern service' - Colonel Tim CollinsIn the winter of 1941 an alien-seeming object was captured in a death-defying dash by an RAF reconnaissance pilot flying a lone unarmed Spitfire across the French coast. Balanced upon the cliffs near Le Havre was what appeared to be a giant convex dish, directed across the Channel at the war-torn British coastline.With Britain's cities being pounded by fearsome bombing raids, teams of experts studied the photograph worriedly. Might the dish constitute a highly secret form of radar - one that had the capacity to tip the balance of the war decisively in the enemy's favour? If so, Nazi Germany would have leapfrogged British technology many-fold.A top-secret mission was devised to steal what had become known as the 'Wurzburg Dish' after Enigma intercepted coded German messages. Appropriately christened Operation Biting, this was to be the first-ever Allied raid using airborne forces. Commanded by legendary Major John 'Johnny' Frost, he demanded blind loyalty from his band of piratical raiders. 'A wild crew ... they looked horrible,' he admitted. Each and every rehearsal had proved disastrous; it was a suicide mission in all but name.On the French coast agents of the Special Operations Executive - Churchill's shadowy ministry for ungentlemanly warfare - risked all to map the target's defences. At the eleventh hour, two unwelcome additions joined Frosts's crew. One was a shadowy German cloaked in mystery; the other a British radar specialist who could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands. Relying on files declassified for the purposes of writing this book, eyewitness testimony, and working with the families of key figures involved, Lewis reveals an untold epic of daring, ruthless rule-breaking and ferocity, coupled with bravery and ingenuity beyond measure. The results of Operation Biting would resonate throughout the war and beyond, changing the course of twentieth-century history.
SAS Shadow Raiders: The Ultra-Secret Mission that Changed the Course of WWII
by Damien LewisThe incredible story of the radar wars: Britain's most secret battle.In the winter of 1941 an alien-seeming object was captured in a death-defying dash by an RAF reconnaissance pilot flying a lone unarmed Spitfire across the French coast. Balanced upon the cliffs near Le Havre was what appeared to be a giant convex dish, directed across the Channel at the war-torn British coastline.With Britain's cities being pounded by fearsome bombing raids, teams of experts studied the photograph worriedly. Might the dish constitute a highly secret form of radar - one that had the capacity to tip the balance of the war decisively in the enemy's favour? If so, Nazi Germany would have leapfrogged British technology many-fold.A top-secret mission was devised to steal what had become known as the 'Wurzburg Dish' after Enigma intercepted coded German messages. Appropriately christened Operation Biting, this was to be the first-ever Allied raid using airborne forces. Commanded by legendary Major John 'Johnny' Frost, he demanded blind loyalty from his band of piratical raiders. 'A wild crew ... they looked horrible,' he admitted. Each and every rehearsal had proved disastrous; it was a suicide mission in all but name.On the French coast agents of the Special Operations Executive - Churchill's shadowy ministry for ungentlemanly warfare - risked all to map the target's defences. At the eleventh hour, two unwelcome additions joined Frosts's crew. One was a shadowy German cloaked in mystery; the other a British radar specialist who could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands. Relying on files declassified for the purposes of writing this book, eyewitness testimony, and working with the families of key figures involved, Lewis reveals an untold epic of daring, ruthless rule-breaking and ferocity, coupled with bravery and ingenuity beyond measure. The results of Operation Biting would resonate throughout the war and beyond, changing the course of twentieth-century history.(P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited
SAS South Georgia Boating Club: An SAS Trooper's Memoir and Falklands War Diary
by Tony ShawMany aspire to serve with the Special Air Service, arguably the world’s most prestigious regiment, but few achieve their aim. In this inspiring memoir the author describes how he left school without any qualifications and embarked on a 30 year career much of it spent in Hereford, including four years in ‘The Regiment’. Against the odds he rose through the ranks before being commissioned and eventually retiring as a Major. Initially attached to 22 SAS as a signaller, he volunteered for and passed ‘Selection’, the most gruelling and demanding of tests. He was posted to D Squadron Boat Troop with whom he saw active service in the Falklands War, Northern Ireland and the UK counter-terrorist team. Thanks to the diary he kept during the Falklands War, the reader is treated to a gripping first-hand account of the intense action that he and his colleagues experienced, including recces, diversionary attacks, raids and ambushes both on South Georgia and the Falklands Islands. Later he commanded the Royal Signals troop supporting D Squadron, 22 SAS before commissioning and later on pursuing a second career as a security consultant in various Middle Eastern hotspots. It is a privilege to read this commendably modest account of one man’s unique career which provides a fascinating insight into elite special forces soldiering.
SAS Trooper: Charlie Radford's Operations in Enemy-Occupied France and Italy
by Francis MackayA prewar Sapper, Charlie Radford served in North Africa until he returned to the UK for parachute training. He volunteered and joined 2 SAS in Scotland. His first operation was in France (Op RUPERT) cutting railway lines, and he then took park in Operation LOYTON, now in armed jeeps. His next assignment (Operation ZOMBIE) involved parachuting into the Italian Dolomites to disrupt the vital German link north of Verona between Italy and Austria.This operation ended in failure due to foolhardy leadership, inadequate manning and poor preparation. His OC was captured, tortured and executed but Charlie escaped to live with the partisans before being repatriated to the UK. After the war he returned to France to help with the exhumation and reburial of SAS men executed in the Vosges mountains. Postwar he served in Kenya and Somaliland and briefly recounts his experiences.
SAS Ultimate Guide to Combat
by Robert Stirling'I'm not going to teach you how to survive in snowy mountains with only a tea bag; this book will teach you how to fight and survive war in the 21st century.'--Robert Stirling, from the IntroductionIn the tradition of John 'Lofty' Wiseman's SAS Survival Handbook comes a new combat handbook from a seasoned speical forces soldier. Whereas Wiseman initiated hundreds of thousands of readers to the survival techniques developed by the SAS in far-flung covert ops in Burma, the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere, Stirling's focus is on fighting techniques for the contemporary soldier.Stirling, a combat veteran of Northern Ireland, the Bush Wars in Africa, and Afghanistan, provides a fully-illustrated training-manual for combat readiness. This is the stuff they don't teach you in boot camp, but they damn well should. Stirling writes in a aggressive style that will appeal to the warrior in every reader. He also serves up first-hand anecdotes and advice drawn from operations that went well--and those that went wrong. Table of Contents: Why Do You Need This Book - Tools of the Soldier's Trade - Food, Shelter & Dealing with Weather - Medical Aid - How to Avoid Getting Shot - How to Avoid Blast Injury - How to Deal with Suicide Bombers - How to Deal with Bombs Under the Road - How to Survive an Interrogation - Defending a Position - Attacking the EnemyE-book information forthcoming
SAS Urban Survival Handbook: How to Protect Yourself Against Terrorism, Natural Disasters, Fires, Home Invasions, and Everyday Health and Safety Hazards
by John Lofty" WisemanJohn "Lofty" Wiseman is the author of the bestselling SAS Survival Handbook, the definitive guide to survival in the wild from Britain's Special Air Service. Now he has compiled a complete guide to survival in the urban jungle. Every year in America there are thousands of fatal accidents in the home—more than on the roads, and many more than in the great outdoors. Fire, electricity, water, gas, sharp knives, poisons, chemicals—these valuable tools can quickly become dangerous weapons when not treated with proper respect and understanding. Add to these the risks of travel, terrorism, muggings, rape, tsunamis, and earthquakes. We are constantly reminded that the world is a dangerous place. Wiseman shows readers how to think realistically and practically about these perils in order to avoid them, whether they are at home, on the street, in school, or in transit. From self-defense techniques to home security systems to coping with natural disasters, this book will teach readers to recognize risks, make quick decisions, and live confidently in the modern urban world.
SAS with the Maquis: In Action with the French Resistance, June–September 1944
by Ian WellstedOn the night of 5/6 June 1944, D-Day, a Lockheed Hudson dropped a small group of parachutists into the mountainous Morvan area of central France. Their mission was to operate as an advance reconnaissance party 400 miles behind the German lines and to make contact with the French Resistance.One of the team, later to become its commander, was Ian Wellsted, known by his nom-de-guerrre of Gremlin. During the next three months No.1 Troop of the 1st Special Air Service Regiment relayed vital information about enemy troop locations and movements, sabotaged bridges and supply lines, skirmished with German columns and harried the occupying forces as they retreated eastwards in the face of the Allied invasion.Camped deep in the woods of the Montsaughe region, the small force worked alongside the local groups of Maquis, forging strong links of mutual respect and friendship.Ian Wellsteds exciting first-hand account of his operations behind enemy lines is a tale of gallantry and daring, of comradeship and cooperation, full of humour and perceptive insight revealing one of the most significant chapters in the history of the SAS.
SAS Zero Hour: The Secret Origins of the Special Air Service
by Tim JonesThe historian and author of Postwar Counterinsurgency and the SAS reveals the full story of how the Special Air Service Regiment began during WWII. Britain&’s elite Special Air Service Regiment is one of the most revered special-ops units in the world. Its high-profile operations include the storming of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980 and the hunt for Osama bin Laden in southern Afghanistan following 9/11. Since its inception during the Second World War, the SAS has become a byword for the highest possible standards in both conventional and unorthodox methods of warfare. In SAS Zero Hour, military historian and SAS expert Tim Jones offers fascinating new insight into how this elite regiment began. It is commonly held that the unit was the brainchild of just one man, David Stirling. While not dismissing Stirling&’s considerable contribution, Jones&’s historical investigation reveals many other factors that played a part in shaping the SAS, including the roles of military deception specialist Dudley Clarke, Field Marshals Archibald Wavell and Claude Auchinleck, and others. Drawing extensively on primary sources, as well as reassessing the more recent regimental histories and memoirs, SAS Zero Hour is &“The most comprehensive and enlightening version of these seminal events yet&” (Sir Ranulph Fiennes, from the Forward).
Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224-642
by Angus Mcbride Kaveh FarrokhThe Sassanians ruled the last great imperial Empire of Persia before the Arab conquests of the 7th century. Rome's only equal in the classical world, the Sassanian Empire had an enormous impact on the development of architecture, mythology, arts, music, military tactics and technology. Within the Sassanian military, the cavalry was the most influential element, and Sassanian cavalry tactics were adopted by the Romans, Arabs, and Turks. Their cavalry systems of weaponry, battle tactics, Tamgas, Medallions, court customs, and costumes influenced Romano-Byzantine and medieval European culture, and this book allows the reader to see how a little-studied eastern power affected the development of cavalry traditions in the western world.
Satō, America and the Cold War: US-Japanese Relations, 1964–72 (Security, Conflict and Cooperation in the Contemporary World)
by Fintan HoeyUsing recently released archival material from the US and Japan, this book critically re-examines US–Japanese relations during the tenure of Satō Eisaku, Japan’s longest serving prime minister. During these critical years in the Cold War in Asia, with the Vietnam War raging and the acquisition by China of a nuclear capability, Satō closely aligned with the US. This directly contributed to his success in securing the reversion of Okinawa and other Japanese territories which had remained under US control since Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II. To accomplish this he was also forced to conclude secret agreements with President Richard Nixon, including one on nuclear weapons, which are explored fully. Satō faced the challenge of the Nixon administration’s attempts to shore up the relative decline in American power with policies at odds with allied interests. Satō successfully overcame such challenges and also laid the groundwork for Japan’s anti-nuclear policy.
Satan in Top Hat: The Biography of Franz von Papen
by Tibor KoevesOriginally published in 1941, this is a biography of the former German Chancellor, former head of the German spy network in America, and one of Adolf Hitler’s highest officials, Franz von Papen (1879-1969).“In this volume the reader will not find a single love letter, nor an abundance of intimate details about strictly personal incidents.“Fortunately enough, in Franz von Papen’s case the lack of confidential gossip doesn’t obscure the understanding of the human figure. As it will be seen, he is the par excellence political man who has found a complete self-expression in the practice of diplomacy and politics. It would be vain to try to grasp the full nature of Julius Caesar without knowing what pleasure and vice, what the senses meant to him. Many smaller but important historic figures would never yield the secret of their personalities but for the information we possess about their greed for gold or women, about their appetites.“Ever since his early manhood, Franz von Papen has hungered for one exclusive object: power. The latter being the very essence of politics, this book is a political biography. It studies the awakening of an individual to the call of power, and the course of his strenuous and tortuous struggle for it on domestic as well as foreign forums. Also, since Franz von Papen’s career has transcended national barriers, the story of his life is indissolubly tied to that other, a collective manifestation of the will to power, whose aim is the domination of the world by a nation.”
Satan's Cage
by Len LevinsonOnly the winners survive! To the victor go no spoils in the bloody battle for New Guinea. This is the Rat Bastards' kind of war. They don't fight for glory, but for survival. Reluctant heroes and outlaw soldiers, they hate the steaming, Jap-filled jungles, but they wouldn't trade places with anybody. So for a high kill ratio, the Army calls on the experts. The Rat Bastards. Making history is what comes naturally to them.