STIRLING'S MEN: The Inside History of the SAS in World War II

by Gavin Mortimer

Description

The story of the greatest Special Forces unit the world has ever seen, told by the men who fought together. In 1941, maverick officer David Stirling -- adventurer, gambler, rake -- created the Special Air Service. The soldiers came from all walks of life: miners, desert explorers, Guardsmen, bored clerks in the pay corps. All felt frustrated by the conventional army and were determined to make their mark on the war. Together they created a tradition that would survive the capture of their show more leader, the death of so many of their comrades and even the disbanding of the SAS after the end of the war. With the co-operation of the regimental association, Gavin Mortimer interviewed nearly sixty veterans, including many of the desert 'Originals', many of whom had never before revealed their role. They spoke openly, with honesty and humour, about life in the SAS; the gruelling training that broke all but the toughest; the thrill of raiding desert airfields; the danger of parachuting into occupied France; and the fear of being caught by the Germans, knowing that Hitler had ordered the 'liquidation' of captured SAS soldiers. This is the SAS at war, in their own words. show less

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DinadansFriend 3,991 reviews

An interesting account drawn mostly from the survivor's memories and memoirs. It deals evenly with both the successes and the failures. The high failure rate is the most educational part of the story. The group comes across as as competent as possible given the circumstances.

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