Specializing in covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism and hostage rescue, the SAS is one of the world's most famous, feared and respected elite fighting forces. This book tells the full, fascinating story of the regiment, from formation in the sand dunes of Africa during World War II to present action in the Middle East, and incorporates jungle, desert and urban warfare, counter-terrorism and an insider's view at the selection and training methods employed by this usually secretive unit. As well as an insightful foreword by Andy McNab - one of the most famous members of the SAS - this revised, updated edition includes completely new chapters, features and information, including Key Missions of WWII, The Battle of Mirbat, Iranian Embassy Siege, Kenyan Hotel Rescue and Victoria Cross Awards.

The full story fromits foundation in World War II, and updated to include the regiment in Afghanistan and IraqThere have been many books written on the SAS, most telling of individual events in the regiment's history, but this book tells the full story, from formation in the sand dunes of Africa through eightdecades of covert warfare in some of the world's toughest battlefieldsto present action in the Middle East. The author has interviewed many ex-members, making for compelling first-hand accounts of daring raids, missions behind enemy lines, hostage rescues, and acts of incredible bravery.This historyprovides an inside look at modern selection and training and the combat engagements that have made the SAS such a unique and internationallyrespected special forces unit."

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The incredible untold story of World War II’s greatest secret fighting force, as told by the modern master of wartime intrigue—now a limited series on Epix! “Reads like a mashup of The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape, with a sprinkling of Ocean’s 11 thrown in for good measure.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • “Rogue Heroes is a ripping good read.”—Washington Post (10 Best Books of the Year) Britain’s Special Air Service—or SAS—was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young aristocrat whose aimlessness belied a remarkable strategic mind. Where most of his colleagues looked at a World War II battlefield map and saw a protracted struggle, Stirling saw an opportunity: given a small number of elite men, he could parachute behind Nazi lines and sabotage their airplanes and supplies. Defying his superiors’ conventional wisdom, Stirling assembled a revolutionary fighting force that would upend not just the balance of the war, but the nature of combat itself. Bringing his keen eye for detail to a riveting wartime narrative, Ben Macintyre uses his unprecedented access to the SAS archives to shine a light on a legendary unit long shrouded in secrecy.

There have been many books written on the SAS, most telling of individual events in the Regiment's history. This book tells the full story, from formation in the sand dunes of Africa in World War II to present action in the Middle East. You'll get an inside look at modern selection and training and the combat engagements that have made the SAS one of the most feared and respected special forces units. Contents: 1) 1940s Early History, WWII, disbanding; 2) 1950s Re - forming, Malaya, Oman; 3) 1960s Borneo, Aden; 4) 1970s Oman, Northern Ireland; 5) 1980s Falklands, Embassy Siege, Gibraltar Gambia; 6) 1990s Gulf War, Central America; 7) 2000s Selection, Training, Modern Operations, Afghanistan, Iraq; 8) After the regiment; Appendix Organization, Chronology, Names of the Dead, Index.

From its origins during World War II to its modern role as the world's premier anti-terrorist unit, Britain's Special Air Service has been home to the most highly trained and deadly soldiers ever to do battle. This encyclopedia aims to penetrate the legend to provide a reference to every aspect of the history of the British Army's elite fighting force, and that of its brothers-in-arms in the Australian, New Zealand and Rhodesian SAS.

The authorised illustrated history of the SAS by the number one bestselling author of Dunkirk, Joshua Levine. With never-before-seen photographs and unheard stories, this is the SAS’s wartime history in vivid and astonishing detail.