A chatty, witty and compelling account of how the SAS came to be formed, and of its adventures during the Second World War. Nowadays the SAS is a watchword for military excellence and audacity, but in its early days its members were a bunch of unknowns who were not always looked upon kindly by more established units. However, they possessed the great advantage of having Winston Churchill on their side, and with his encouragement they carved out a formidable reputation that survives to this day. Mortimer has interviewed nearly 60 surviving SAS members from the war, who talk about life in the unit and about the gruelling training that broke many a good man. The story opens with the formation of the SAS by David Stirling and runs through to the end of the war when its soldiers were engaged in desperate fighting during the last great battles. The account is well illustrated with 40 black-and-white photographs and eight maps. (Kirkus UK)