2SAS

Bill Stirling and the forgotten special forces unit of World War II

Gavin Mortimer

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Hardback

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English

Osprey
03 April 2024

History; Second World War; Special & elite forces; Military tactics; Battles & campaigns; Military life & institutions

Drawing on recently declassified files and interviews with veterans, this is a fascinating history of Bill Stirling and 2SAS – pioneering founders of modern special forces.

David Stirling is the name synonymous with the wartime SAS, but the real brains behind the operation was in fact Bill Stirling, David’s eldest brother. Bill was described in the SAS War Diary as a ‘man from the shadows’; it was an apt description for, unlike his attention seeking brother, Bill shunned the spotlight. Now for the first time the truth – and the triumph – of 2SAS is revealed.

Having originally joined the SOE in March 1940, Bill Stirling sailed for Cairo in 1941 and there had the idea for a small special forces unit to be led by his mercurial brother. But despite some success, David allowed the legendary 1SAS to drift under his leadership. Following his capture, Bill re-directed 2SAS, under his personal command, to the strategy he had originally envisaged: parachuting behind enemy lines to gather intelligence.

Fully illustrated with rare and previously unpublished photographs, this compelling history details how 2SAS fought with ingenuity and aggression, from Italy and then into France before heading through Holland into Germany. The unit was capable of attacking by parachute, jeep or landing craft, establishing a template for future special forces’ operations. Their feats have been overshadowed by the many books that have focused on David and 1SAS. 2SAS corrects this oversight, revealing that the real innovator was Bill Stirling – the true pioneer of Who Dares Wins.

By: Gavin Mortimer
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 242mm, Width: 190mm,
ISBN: 9781472856739
ISBN 10: 1472856732
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 03 April 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgements Chronology Prologue: Stirling and Stirling Chapter 1: Commando College Chapter 2: Territorial Dispute Chapter 3: Cleaning up the Chaos Chapter 4: Warmer Climes Chapter 5: Training-ville Chapter 6: The Best Die First Chapter 7: Eyeing Up Italy Chapter 8: Use Your Initiative Chapter 9: Hitler's Henchmen Chapter 10: The Farren Phenomenon Chapter 11: The Hell of Termoli Chapter 12: Blinded by Science Chapter 13: Difference of Opinion Chapter 14: Hushed Up Chapter 15: Hell Raisers Chapter 16: Thick with Germans Chapter 17: The Winter War Chapter 18: Up Close to Evil Chapter 19: Boy's Own Finale Epilogue Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

Gavin Mortimer is a writer, historian and consultant whose groundbreaking book Stirling's Men remains the definitive history of the wartime SAS as a whole. He has also written histories of the SBS and the LRDG, again drawing heavily on veteran interviews. His most recent book, David Stirling: The Phoney Major, was critically acclaimed and featured in several national newspapers. He was the National Army Museum's consultant for their major exhibition on history of special forces.

Reviews for 2SAS: Bill Stirling and the forgotten special forces unit of World War II

Vivid and meticulously researched... Gavin Mortimer has certainly done the history of the SAS justice in this book. -- Paul de Zulueta * The Spectator *