SAS

My Trial By Fire: True Stories and Life Lessons from SAS Selection

Des Powell

$34.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Quercus Publishing
10 June 2025

Autobiography: historical, political & military; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Military history; Special & elite forces; Military life & institutions

Des Powell left school with no qualifications and little in the way of formal education. At nineteen he signed up to join the Parachute Regiment.

Famously, the Paras is home to the UK military's second-toughest training regime after the SAS. Des Powell knows all about both. In fact, Des knows SAS selection better than anyone because he's done it twice. In SAS: Trial by Fire he tells the story of those gruelling tests: how Para training turned him into a soldier but, more crucially, how the SAS process turned him into a member of the elite.

Des describes exactly what it takes to be an elite special forces operator. From raw recruit to trained fighting machine - including the heart-breaking moment he was forced to withdraw, only to begin the process again - Des shares the details of his personal journey, itself a tale of prevailing against almost overwhelming odd. He teaches us valuable life skills by taking us deep into the training regime itself: fitness, navigation, endurance, weapons and combat training, survival techniques in hostile climates, the terrifying jungle phase, the dark arts of escape and evasion, the secret of surviving interrogation.

No one's lifted the lid on what it takes to join the SAS and become the best of the best. Until now.

Praise for Bravo Three Zero

'A must read. Honesty, integrity and real experience that puts you in the thick of the action.' Billy Billingham

'The story that needed to be told' Jason Fox

'The attention to detail is unbelievable' Tim Lovejoy

'Thrilling' Express

By: Des Powell
Imprint: Quercus Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 154mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 417g
ISBN: 9781529441925
ISBN 10: 1529441927
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 10 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Best-selling author (Bravo Three Zero) and speaker Des Powell served in the Paras and the SAS, working in Northern Ireland, Southeastern Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East. Des took part in many clandestine operations around the world, and at the conclusion of his military career went on to work in the international security scene known as The Circuit.

Reviews for SAS: My Trial By Fire: True Stories and Life Lessons from SAS Selection

Des has been there and done it multiple times. There's no substitute for real experience and his book has it all -- Billy Billingham Explosive. Gripping. Revelatory. Experience the blood and guts trial of SAS selection at first hand. Des is the real deal -- Damien Lewis