SAS

An astonishing book * Simon Mayo * He brings his familiar mix of thrilling anecdotes, meticulous accuracy and bizarre humour to a book that should appeal to many readers beyond military history buffs. An instructive, as well as an engrossing, read * Observer Book of the Week * So good and so much more than the boys own adventure you might think it will read like. Ben is a brilliant writer * Dermot O'Leary * A wonderfully refreshing account of the origins of the regiment of balaclava-clad silent killers during the Second World War... The sharp style and sly wit reveal some pretty acute insights into the politics of the nation's favourite undercover boys * Evening Standard Books of the Year * Macintyre provides a riveting history of a revolutionary fighting force. Using unprecedented access to British Special Air Service regimental archives, Macintyre has gleaned fascinating material. A ripping good read * Washington Post 10 Best Books of 2016 * Thrilling ... An extraordinary book -- The Times Book of the Week on 'A Spy Among Friends' Meticulously researched, splendidly told, immensely entertaining and often very moving -- John le Carre on 'Agent Zigzag' A master at setting the pulse racing, Macintyre relates stories of raw courage and daring by extraordinary men -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail * Ben Macintyre's coverage of the SAS in north Africa and, later, Italy, France and Germany, is brilliant, blending gripping narratives of fighting with descriptions of the fears of individual soldiers before battle and their reactions to its horror... Britain's martial pantheon is full of outnumbered heroes who wouldn't throw in the sponge. Henry V's band of brothers at Agincourt, the redcoats at Waterloo, the defenders of Rorke's drift, and the paras who charged at Goose Green are part of the tradition that embraces the SAS. This book explains why * Times * Excellent... accessible yet authoritative. Delivers stories of tremendous adventure and derring-do, but also offers more than straightforward military history. This book has many strengths but perhaps its greatest is how thought-provoking it is -- Laurence Rees * Sunday Times * Impeccably researched, superbly told - by far the best book on the SAS in World War II -- Antony Beevor Thorough and highly entertaining. It would be nigh on impossible to praise it too highly * Daily Express * Told with deceptive brilliance... one the finest books of its kind * Evening Standard *