Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War by Ben Macintyre

Oct 05, 2016 Matthias rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-reviews

"With correct timing and in suitable country, with or without the help of the local population, a small specially trained force can achieve results out of all proportion to its numbers."
- Major Roy Alexander Farran DSO

The territory of military history books in bookshops is mostly undiscovered terrain for me. All these pages that glorify, rationalise and romanticise the biggest atrocities mankind has committed never managed to ignite my interest much. Both the intellectual and the romantic appro "With correct timing and in suitable country, with or without the help of the local population, a small specially trained force can achieve results out of all proportion to its numbers."
- Major Roy Alexander Farran DSO

The territory of military history books in bookshops is mostly undiscovered terrain for me. All these pages that glorify, rationalise and romanticise the biggest atrocities mankind has committed never managed to ignite my interest much. Both the intellectual and the romantic approach do nothing for me to detract from my conviction that at the root of war there is pure evil, plain and simple, no matter how much yarn you spin around it. People say it's important to read up on wars, on how and why they were conducted, in order to learn from the experience. But what is there to learn? Just play nice and don't go murdering each other. It's a lesson that hardly warrants a full library: an aphorism on a kitchen wall should be enough if the message resounding in your own heart doesn't suffice. I am fully aware I sound like a naive pacifist here, and people with military history or soldiers in the family might even disdain this opinion, this ingratitude in the face of their heroism and sacrifice, but let there be no mistake: I am fully aware I am indebted to all those who took up their arms in order to defend their loved ones and indirectly allowed me to be born, to live, and to live in the society I live in now, but another side of the story is that I'm here despite of all those bullets flying through the air. The irrationality of war happens on such a large scale that it's unfair to make blanket statements on all who, sometimes highly understandably, participate in it, but when I see heroes of the war being praised my thoughts usually go to those who were on the other end of that heroism, in some unmarked grave, their bravery unsung because they were on the "evil" or losing side. I find that narratives on World War II are particularly blunt in that regard because we all agree that the Nazis were the bad guys in that piece of history, and between 1939 and 1945, a dead German was a good German.

Despite my many misgivings on war I am not above being entertained by war-inspired movies and video games. One of these video games was Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, a tactical game where with a small team of specialised soldiers the player had to infiltrate enemy bases and destroy key equipment and buildings. There's something intensely satisfying about the idea of a small unit slipping through nets of patrolling enemies and reaching the target undetected. While I knew this was somehow based on real life war practices I assumed it was heavily spiced up for entertainment value. Now I know better.

Who dares wins
- SAS motto

Thanks to some romantic notions I had around the small commando units and despite my general misgivings on the topic of war I decided to pick up this book which describes the history of the British Special Air Service (SAS) and some of the memorable missions they conducted. The SAS was the first of its kind and has since its conception inspired many future military leaders as well as movie directors. This is the first time the official SAS Archives dealing with World War II could be consulted and with Ben Macintyre an experienced writer with a gift for flowing prose was put in charge of looking into these files and extracting an engaging narrative from them. An exploit in which he succeeded remarkably well, through the well-measured use of a flurry of anecdotes but mainly because the story of SAS is such a gripping one in itself.

Macintyre zooms in on some of the most characteristic members of the regiment that consisted entirely of colourful people with a knack for thinking outside of the box, bending rules and breaking their bones. Colour doesn't come thanks to only qualities. Most of these men had quirks and troubles, sometimes of a most explosive kind, and also these are described in the book, ensuring that while you read these frankly fantastic stories you never forget you're reading about real people in real situations. The narrative starts with the founding of the SAS, goes over the "gentlemanly" operations conducted in the North African deserts against Rommel's troops, moves to missions in Italy and France and ends with the ever more atrocious encounters in Germany during the final stage of the war. The first part of the book largely coincided with my views on the regiment that were based on the game, namely that they were mainly a tactical organisation intent on intelligence gathering and destroying important equipment, fuel depots and transport lines with as little death and injury possible. But soon it's clear that this is war, not a fairy tale, and inadvertently the dead bodies start piling up. Even these "romantic soldiers" dealt in blood and death, and many of the smiling faces you see in this book's photographs have faced gruesome ends. But as the opening quote has shown, the SAS inflicted more damage to the Germans than they had to endure and the death toll on the German side is quite staggering. For the first bunker of Germans that was shot up and cleared out there was a high emphasis on how cruel and vicious it had seemed, but not much later it becomes business as usual, and the chapters are simply rounded off with a quick enumeration of the mission statistics that illustrate the high success rate, which is to say: hundreds of dead nazis. This is clearly a book about those who won the war and little thought is spared for those who lost.

The anecdotes range from funny stories about bagpipes on the battlefield to traumatizing experiences of murdered children and the liberation of a concentration camp. It offers a good balance between the personal perspective of some of the soldiers on the one hand and the broader context in which they operated on the other, so that the end result is an easy-to-follow narrative that, while maybe too romantic in some instances, will keep you on the edge of your seat and teach you more about how David Stirling, the founder of SAS, changed the war paradigm of two opposing fronts looking each other in the eye. Armies needed to watch their backs from then on. While this book is based on historical archives and deals in facts, it doesn't read like a dry history book because it's just so damn entertaining.

I don't know how this book compares to the (auto)biographies of the soldiers who were part of this daring regiment, but I can definitely recommend it as a first read on what it's like to fight behind enemy lines. Exciting, frightening, adventurous, romantic, tragic, sometimes morally dubious and, most of all, disturbingly real. ...more

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Jun 28, 2017 happy rated it really liked it

Shelves: history-world-war-ii

Mr. Macintyre has written a well-researched and engaging look at the British Special Air Service (SAS – the forerunner of modern Special Forces) in World War II. He follows them from their inception in the Egyptian Desert, the expansion into 2 regiments with different nationalities - although the author focuses on the British contingent, their work in the Italian campaign and finally their support of the D-Day landings and the final campaigns in Germany.

In telling the story of their beginnings, Mr. Macintyre has written a well-researched and engaging look at the British Special Air Service (SAS – the forerunner of modern Special Forces) in World War II. He follows them from their inception in the Egyptian Desert, the expansion into 2 regiments with different nationalities - although the author focuses on the British contingent, their work in the Italian campaign and finally their support of the D-Day landings and the final campaigns in Germany.

In telling the story of their beginnings, he looks at the personality of the founder of the unit – David Sterling. Sterling, a junior Guards officer, was a misfit in the tradition bound British army in Africa. He saw an opportunity for a specialized raiding force and had the political connections to be given the chance to form such a force. As Mr. Macintyre tells the formation story, he looks at the unusual training regimen for learning to parachute, (view spoiler), the unusual recruits they attracted, (view spoiler). among other things. First designated Detachment L of the SAS, the author explains the reasoning behind the unit designation. (view spoiler)

Eventually they became a very good asset for the British in North Africa, but their first attempt at a raid was an absolute disaster. They were supposed to parachute in and destroy an Axis airfield, but the weather was very bad. Sterling decided the raid must go on and the people jumping in along with their equipment and were scattered from "Hell to breakfast" as my mother used to say and unable to accomplish their tasks. More than half never made in back. This caused a rethinking of tactics and the airborne method of insertion was abandoned and the SAS formed a partnership with the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) to ferry them to their targets and back. This particular item was new to me, I had always thought the SAS and the LRDG were the same unit. The author does a very good job of telling of the SAS experiences in the Desert and how the dance between the Axis and the SAS went as the Germans/Italians adapted to the threat of the SAS on both airfields and port facilities and the SAS adapted back.

As the Desert War ends, Mr. Macintyre looks at how the SAS was used in Italy. He feels that they were misused, becoming a much more conventional assault force and taking very heavy casualties as a result.

The author then moves the story to Northern France and the D-Day landings. In this section, the author looks at how the SAS supported the French Underground and how that support assisted in delaying the march of the 2nd SS Panzer Division from Southern France to Normandy. In this role they run into Hitler’s commando execution order and at least 60 members of the SAS are summarily executed by German Forces. As the Allied forces break out of Normandy, how the SAS was used changes once again and they become the eyes and ears of the advancing Allied Armies ( okay mainly the British forces) In this role they are the first allied troops into the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. The story is especially heart breaking! The men of the SAS said they could smell the camp for miles before getting there and couldn’t figure out what it was.

In addition to the combat record, the author does a good job of painting the personalities of various members of the SAS. These include LTC Sterling and his replacement as commander of the SAS after he is captured in Africa - Paddy Mayne.

After the war the SAS is disbanded until the British military realizes the need for that type of unit in the Malaya insurgency and it is reactivated.

All in all this is an excellent look at the beginnings of modern Special Forces and a really good read. 4.25 stars if Good Reads allowed so I rounded down ...more

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Oct 16, 2016 Mike rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, ww2, europe, xcharity-2017, military, non-fiction, giveaways

I received this book at no cost through the GR Giveaway program in the expectation of a review.

According to the author, much of this book has been held in secrecy for 70 years. He had full access to the WWII archives of the Special Air Service, better known as the SAS. A damn shame if this is the first time some of these stories have been told. There is little here that would have compromised the post-1947 modern SAS (SAS was disbanded in ’45 and reborn a few years later). This book only deals I received this book at no cost through the GR Giveaway program in the expectation of a review.

According to the author, much of this book has been held in secrecy for 70 years. He had full access to the WWII archives of the Special Air Service, better known as the SAS. A damn shame if this is the first time some of these stories have been told. There is little here that would have compromised the post-1947 modern SAS (SAS was disbanded in ’45 and reborn a few years later). This book only deals with the unit through the end of WWII.

The brainchild of David Stirling (although he gives credit to Jock Lewes), the SAS gets a start in North Africa with the Brits fighting the Italians and Germans. The first mission, Operation Squatter, does not go well.

(view spoiler)

Only 21 of 55 men return from the mission, having never fired a shot or caused any damage. Things go better later and the SAS grows into a formidable force, striking from the shadows and disappearing into the vast deserts. The men and the stories are epic, daring, crazy. Toward the end of the desert campaign, Stirling is captured by the Germans as he tries to link up with the US forces from Operation Torch. This had a major, negative impact on the SAS in the Italian campaign.

The SAS is renamed the Special Raiding Squadron and (mis)used as commandos in Sicily and Italy. They suffer awful casualties assaulting various hard targets. This would continue throughout the war, at various times. Eventually, the SAS reappears, grows larger and is used in Europe starting on D-Day. The missions in Europe are tremendously aggressive. Hitler’s order to execute commandos takes a heavy toll of the SAS and allies fighting this new guerilla war. It was interesting to learn that the French were one of the SAS squadrons in North Africa, and would form 2 SAS regiments while the Belgians would have another when the war moved to Europe. The French SAS are occasionally mentioned and they were just as brave and daring (and crazy) as the Brits. Many stories are told of incredible daring and bravery.

This book gets 4 Stars because it has no maps or photos. However, it is an uncorrected proof copy and I suspect the retail version with reference material would earn the fifth star. Recommended!
...more

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Oct 17, 2016 Charlie - A Reading Machine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: awesome, death, military, sniper, 4-5-stars, non-fiction, sas

Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War
by Ben Macintyre

This is one of the best written books to explore the origins of the SAS and the first ever to do so with not only it’s blessing but full access to it’s library of notes, recordings, maps and an incredible amount of first hand accounts. It makes for compelling and unforgettable reading.

It unflinchingly captures both the romance and the tragedy of being i ...more

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Aug 30, 2017 Book Riot Community added it

Shelves: new-books-liberty-s-recs

Macintyre has a knack for finding outrageous stories from history and turning them into fascinating books that read like thrillers. This one is about the SAS, Britain’s secret fighting force that helped turn the tide of World War II and shaped how special forces units operate still to this day. I am always riveted by these tales!

Backlist bump: Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre

Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 HBalikov rated it really liked it

You can look through a lot of World War II history books written between 1945 and the end of the 20th century and not find more than a mention of the S.A.S. This group consisted of a small number of British Army soldiers (later linked with other countries' forces) that were primarily functioning in North Africa during the time the Allies were battling with Rommel to control this vast territory.

According to Ben Macintyre, their role and actions have required a high security clearance to review t You can look through a lot of World War II history books written between 1945 and the end of the 20th century and not find more than a mention of the S.A.S. This group consisted of a small number of British Army soldiers (later linked with other countries' forces) that were primarily functioning in North Africa during the time the Allies were battling with Rommel to control this vast territory.

According to Ben Macintyre, their role and actions have required a high security clearance to review the documents that detail S.A.S. missions. Rogue Heroes may be the first book to look deeply and exclusively into their origins and how these troops may have affected the outcome of some familiar campaigns.

This book goes into detail on the personalities involved in creating and running the S.A.S. By the way, the initials stand for Special Air Service, a total misnomer. It was meant to fool the Nazis into thinking that these guys were going to be parachuting behind enemy lines to do their damage. In fact, they spent a lot of the early war in North Africa doing sabotage (using whatever transportation was available) on Rommel’s supply lines and generally trying to keep the Nazis distracted while Montgomery and the main British/Allied armies tried to counterattack and prevent a complete Nazi takeover of North Africa from Algeria to Egypt.

As a veteran of “rat patrol” dramatizations, I was glad to note how fair and balanced Macintyre makes his book. There is no attempt to make the S.A.S. more than it was – a very limited number of action-oriented soldiers who were willing to go into high-risk situations and create havoc. Many of them were captured and not treated well. Many of them had narrow escapes.

The story concerning Corporal “Jack” Sillito grabbed and held my attention. Sillito was part of a small group trying to sabotage a rail line being used by the Nazis. They came under attack by a night patrol and in the battle he became separated. He didn’t know if any of his comrades had survived, been taken prisoner or killed. He had only a few items, no weapon, just a compass and a small canteen of water meant to last less than 24 hours. His choice was between surrendering or trying to make it across 180 miles of desert (not a typo) to where the rest of his S.A.S. group was camped. In choosing the latter, he endured some incredible experiences, near capture, heat stroke and was finally found barely alive almost two weeks later. Most of his buddies never made it back, and he never was the same.

Macintyre provides new details about this legendary WWII group and presents their goals and accomplishments in a way that never seems to compromise historical accuracy while relating the details in a compelling narrative. There is more to the history of the S.A.S. (known for its covert reconnaissance, raids and surveillance) because the UK has resurrected it several times, but if you are interested, this book is the place to begin. ...more

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Dec 19, 2016 Thomas rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Military history fans

Recommended to Thomas by: LibraryThing

Shelves: librarything, military

This was an informative book about the SAS, the British Special Air Service, formed in WWII, in North Africa. It was the brainchild of David Stirling, an eccentric Scottish aristocrat who was not a very good soldier in the traditional sense. But his offbeat, unusual mind came up with the idea of a small mobile force that go behind German lines and wreak havoc on the unprepared Afrika Corps.
Stirling was a terrible University student: "If he ever opened a book, the event was not recorded."
He was ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 A.L. Sowards rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history-1900s, 2019, audio-book, nonfiction, history-wwii

Five big stars for this book! I loved MacIntyre’s telling of the founding and WWII service of the SAS. It’s quite the story, and MacIntyre does an excellent job showing both successes and setbacks. He chooses a cast that is wide enough to cover the story, but small enough for a reader to follow. The men, like their mission, were unconventional, complicated, flawed, interesting, and sometimes very funny.

The SAS began in the deserts of North Africa, focused on attacking Axis air fields and suppli Five big stars for this book! I loved MacIntyre’s telling of the founding and WWII service of the SAS. It’s quite the story, and MacIntyre does an excellent job showing both successes and setbacks. He chooses a cast that is wide enough to cover the story, but small enough for a reader to follow. The men, like their mission, were unconventional, complicated, flawed, interesting, and sometimes very funny.

The SAS began in the deserts of North Africa, focused on attacking Axis air fields and supplies. The thinking was that a few men could cause a lot of havoc for the Germans and Italians. If they were successful, they would help the Allied war effort. If they weren’t successful, well, it was a comparatively small gamble in terms of lives and equipment.

The SAS didn’t always succeed, but they succeeded often enough to make a difference. Their partnership with the Long Range Desert Group helped them appear where the enemy wasn’t expecting them to blow up planes and fuel. Some of their exploits were jaw-dropping. The enemy gradually changed their defenses, and the SAS changed their tactics. The SAS was a persistent thorn in the enemies’ side, so effective that Hitler issued his infamous commando order calling for the summary execution of any Allied commandos and parachutists who were caught, even if caught while in uniform.

After the desert war, the SAS played roles in Italy, France, and Germany. They gathered information and struck the Nazis from within enemy lines. Their success took a toll, on the enemy, but also on the SAS men—physically and mentally.

When the war ended, the SAS was disbanded. But only for a few years. The unconventional warfare they fought was soon recognized as valuable, and the SAS was reborn. They are the model for most Special Forces units in existence today.

Note: I won an arc of this book on Goodreads a few years ago. But for the last while, I haven’t been getting to much in the way of nonfiction (in paper form) unless it’s related to one of my current research projects, so the book is still sitting on my bookshelf. I listened to the audiobook instead. The audiobook is read by the author. Not only is MacIntyre a talented author, but he’s also a talented narrator. ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Nigeyb rated it liked it

I loved the other books I've read by Ben Macintyre so when I heard about Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War I was keen to read it. Whilst not as jaw dropping as Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal, or as edge-of-the-seat thrilling as Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory, it's nevertheless an absorbing read.

Be ...more

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Sep 19, 2016 Kay rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, world_war_ii, giveaways

They Broke the Mold

“At 9:15 p.m., in pitch darkness, they [SAS team leader Bill Fraser and a small group of men] reached the airfield perimeter and slipped through the fence, carefully stepping over some tripwire booby traps; over the next thirty minutes they planted thirty-seven bombs, with staggered timers to ensure that all exploded at roughly the same moment…. The first bomb went off at forty-two minutes past midnight, followed by three more in quick succession as the attackers scrambled off ...more

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Sep 12, 2017 Cheese rated it it was amazing

A fantasticly well researched and written book.

I can't stand books that over dramatise events and embelish them to get more drama out of them. This didn't need embelishing, the writer kept the balance throughout. Astonishing tales of suicidal heroism and extremely moving tragedy on a regular basis make this book a must read.

It really makes you appreciate the idea that was the creation of the SAS, and how change can change the world for the better. A lone unit deployed behind enemy lines, to caus ...more

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Nov 16, 2016 Donna rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

I liked this, so three stars. I liked the history of this particular time frame. It really is interesting how things all played out and fell into place. They were tenacious even when things didn't work. I enjoyed that part of it...the indomitable spirit. So now with that being said, this was a little dry especially the beginning. But once I fell into its rhythm, it worked for me.

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Nov 25, 2017 Chris rated it it was amazing

Really enjoyed this both exhaustive and episodic history of Britain's renegade special forces and the crazy risks they took in North Africa and Europe to help defeat Nazi Germany.

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Jun 02, 2016 Brandon Forsyth rated it liked it

I love Ben Macintyre - I think I have four or five of his books on my shelf, and I love the way he blends personal details with gripping narrative non-fiction. I think he's one of the best in the business.
Which is why it pains me to say this is not his best work. All the hallmarks are there, but there's just something missing. I think it's due to profiling an organization as opposed to specific individuals - some flamboyant characters rise out of the soup of tactics and division names, but not e ...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Glen rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, firstreads

I won an ARC of this book in a goodreads drawing.

A wonderful history of the origins of the SAS, which reads a lot like an Alistair MacLean novel.

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Jun 13, 2018 Bill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-deal

A nice account of the early years of the SAS in World War II with a distinctly British sense of humor that made reading it a joy. Most of the time is spent on defining the characters during the North African desert campaign and then following them through the (spoiler alert) liberation of Europe. I'm sure someone could have written a 700 page version of this history but I appreciated the fast pace, emphasis on personalities over battle specifics, and the in-depth research done by the author to p ...more

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Jun 06, 2016 Andrew rated it really liked it

Never in the field of human conflict has so much been destroyed by so many - misfits, rogues, psychopaths, traitors, savants, and all out geniuses - yet known by so few.

So goes the wartime history of the early SAS, and told from their own archives never before opened up to a historian. Like the saying goes, you couldn't make this stuff up!

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Jun 01, 2019 AnnaG rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, 2019, mind-expander, war

This is a frank and comprehensive account of the SAS during WWII presenting their successes and failures, their brilliance and flaws. They were clearly a remarkable group of men at a remarkable time.

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Oct 09, 2016 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: physical-books, january-2020-reading, 2020-rereads, nonfiction

Rogue Heroes The History of the SAS, Britain

The incredible untold story of WWII s greatest secret fighting force, as told by our great modern master of wartime intrigue
Britain s Special Air Service or SAS was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young, gadabout aristocrat whose aimlessness in early life belied a remarkable strategic mind. Where most of his colleagues looked at a battlefield map of World War II s African theater and saw a protracted struggle with Rommel s desert forces, Stirling saw an opportunity: given a small numbe

Rogue Heroes The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War by Ben Macintyre

The incredible untold story of WWII s greatest secret fighting force, as told by our great modern master of wartime intrigue
Britain s Special Air Service or SAS was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young, gadabout aristocrat whose aimlessness in early life belied a remarkable strategic mind. Where most of his colleagues looked at a battlefield map of World War II s African theater and saw a protracted struggle with Rommel s desert forces, Stirling saw an opportunity: given a small number of elite, well-trained men, he could parachute behind enemy lines and sabotage their airplanes and war material. Paired with his constitutional opposite, the disciplined martinet Jock Lewes, Stirling assembled a revolutionary fighting force that would upend not just the balance of the war, but the nature of combat itself. He faced no little resistance from those who found his tactics ungentlemanly or beyond the pale, but in the SAS s remarkable exploits facing the Nazis in the Africa and then on the Continent can be found the seeds of nearly all special forces units that would follow.
Bringing his keen eye for psychological detail to a riveting wartime narrative, Ben Macintyre uses his unprecedented access to SAS archives to shine a light inside a legendary unit long shrouded in secrecy. The result is not just a tremendous war story, but a fascinating group portrait of men of whom history and country asked the most

What did I think:
five stars
First off I want to that this is an authorized history ,not an official one and that the author himself worked with and was aided by the SAS Regimental Association at every stage of its production, now that I've said that lets get to what I thought of the book, at first I wasn't sure if I wanted to pick it up , I have nothing against the book but at the time I kept thinking I already had a big TBR for October, but the more I kept coming back to read the synopsis of it I already know that I was going to request it and see if I could get a copy to review , one of the things that made me want to take it up was that the synopsis it kept bring to my mind my all time favorite WW2 movie called The Devil's Brigade ( 1968) that's about the 1st elite American-Canadian commando unit in World War II, under command of the United States Fifth Army. Which our modern American and Canadian special operations forces can trace their heritage to that unit, this book isn't about them but about Britain's Secret Special Forces which to this day is the grandfather to the US Delta Force and Nave Seals and with out them we would never have those types of heroes. and just like the movie The Devil's Brigade movie is a movie you have to watch ,this is a book that any WW2 buff will have to pick up and add to their book shelf, because its a great reference source for a group (the SAS) that's not well known or recognized. Plus the author himself doesn't just stick to conspiracy and espionage aspects of their story , he brings to life the more straightforward military history of the SAS in its first incarnation , and creation , to the solders that joined and the ones that lost their lives , to the ones that was captured and lost , to the their missions whither they was a successful or not, to the lives they lived doing and between missions , the friend ships that grew ,and so much more, so once again I can not tell you that this is a book that need to be read, so go and pick it up either for your self or for a friend or family member. say that I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest opinion and review and that these are 100 % my own thoughts to what is truly a great book ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Jerome rated it really liked it

A well-written, compelling and very readable history of the SAS during the war, told through the experiences of several members.

Macintyre begins with Stirling’s concept in North Africa and tells how it grew from a handful of eccentric, ill-disciplined men into five regiments (British, French and Belgian), as well as how it evolved from Stirling’s idea of a behind-the-lines raiding outfit to a more regular frontline commando force after Stirling was captured, and then back again to a raiding outf ...more

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Dec 14, 2016 Pamela Huck rated it liked it

I read this book while Aleppo was under siege and finally fell on 13 December 2016. With thousands and thousands of innocents slaughtered in the ruins of their destroyed homes while the whole world was watching, I found it hard to accept that the author doesn't tackle a single one of the many pressing questions concerning the "guerilla tactics" the SAS so famously adopted for warefare.

MacIntyre seems to have stuck completely to the testimony of the SAS and other military. This makes for a quite ...more

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Oct 26, 2016 Michael rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through a Goodreads "First-Reads" Giveaway. I would give this 3.5 stars if possible. An engaging history of Britain's Special Air Service (the SAS), which operated behind enemy lines during World War 2, conducting sabotage and disrupting supply lines. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, which focused on the young officer, David Stirling, who founded the unit and SAS's early exploits in North Africa (which in many cases were quite amateurish and disastrous for ...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Relstuart rated it really liked it

Shelves: military, history, world-war-ii

The SAS began as a small unit dedicated to going behind enemy lines and blowing up their planes or other things. This history of that unit captures the people and their challenges fairly well and includes lots of smaller stories and events to keep things interesting.

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Apr 04, 2019 Rob Thompson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, 2019-challenge, non-fiction, reviewed

The Special Air Service (SAS) Archives is a library of notes, recordings, maps and an incredible amount of first hand accounts. This is the first time an author has gained access to it. And Macintyre does an excellent job at extracting an engaging narrative from them. This is one of the best written books to explore the origins of the SAS. It makes for compelling and unforgettable reading.

The narrative starts with the founding of the SAS. It was a unit of the British Army during the Second World The Special Air Service (SAS) Archives is a library of notes, recordings, maps and an incredible amount of first hand accounts. This is the first time an author has gained access to it. And Macintyre does an excellent job at extracting an engaging narrative from them. This is one of the best written books to explore the origins of the SAS. It makes for compelling and unforgettable reading.

The narrative starts with the founding of the SAS. It was a unit of the British Army during the Second World War which David Stirling formed in July 1941. Its original name was "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade. The "L" designation and Air Service name being a tie-in to a British disinformation campaign. This was an attempt to deceive the Axis into thinking there was a paratrooper regiment with many units operating in the area.

The book runs through the "gentlemanly" operations conducted in the North African deserts against Rommel's troops. The action then shifts to missions in Italy and France. It then ends with the ever more atrocious encounters in Germany during the final stage of the war

Macintyre explains that Stirling conceived the SAS as a commando force. Its primary goal to operate behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign. It consisted of five officers and 60 other ranks. Its first mission, in November 1941, was a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive. Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions, the mission was a disaster; 22 men, a third of the unit, were killed or captured. Its second mission was a major success. Transported by the Long Range Desert Group, it attacked three airfields in Libya, destroying 60 aircraft with the loss of 2 men and 3 jeeps. In September 1942, it was renamed 1st SAS, consisting at that time of four British squadrons, one Free French, one Greek, and the Folboat Section.

In January 1943, Stirling was captured in Tunisia and Paddy Mayne replaced him as commander. In April 1943, the 1st SAS was reorganised into the Special Raiding Squadron. It was placed under Mayne's command and the Special Boat Squadron was placed under the command of George Jellicoe.

The Special Raiding Squadron fought in Sicily and Italy along with the 2nd SAS. This was formed in North Africa in 1943 in part by the renaming of the Small Scale Raiding Force. The Special Boat Squadron fought in the Aegean Islands and Dodecanese until the end of the war. In 1944 the SAS Brigade was formed from the British 1st and 2nd SAS, the French 3rd and 4th SAS and the Belgian 5th SAS. It was tasked with parachute operations behind the German lines in France. It carried out operations such as:
- supporting the Allied advance through France, (Operations Houndsworth, Bullbasket, Loyton and Wallace-Hardy)
- Belgium, the Netherlands (Operation Pegasus), and
- Germany (Operation Archway).

The accounts of battles and raids left me wondering what makes these men do the things they do knowing the consequences if they were caught. Tragically many were and paid the ultimate price. As a result of Hitler's issuing of the Commando Order in 1942, the members of the unit knew Germans would execute them if they were ever captured. In July 1944, following Operation Bulbasket, Germans executed 34 captured SAS commandos. In October 1944, in the aftermath of Operation Loyton Germans executed another 31 captured SAS commandos.

Macintyre is candid about failure as well as the hard-earned successes. He manages to portray the increasing strain and its effect on a cross section of the soldiers. Most of these men had quirks and troubles, sometimes of a violent and explosive kind. He describes these, reminding you that you're reading about real people in real situations.

The anecdotes range from funny stories about bagpipes on the battlefield to traumatizing experiences. These include murdered children and the liberation of a concentration camp. It offers a good balance between the personal perspective of some of the soldiers and the broader context in which they operated on the other. This results in an easy-to-follow narrative.

An unflinching account of the heroic exploits of the SAS ...more

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Jan 21, 2017 Barry Hammond rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ben Macintyre has now joined the ranks of those authors whose writing I will read automatically, not caring what subject matter he treats, because I know whatever he finds interesting I will, too. His book on the Kim Philby betrayal, A Spy Among Friends, was the best I have read on that particular subject (and I have read several highly acclaimed versions) because of his keen insight into the psychology of the players, his knowledge and understanding of the times, his original research, and the ...more

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Apr 09, 2017 Lou Fillari rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: unemployed hostel owners

Clever and brave human beings abound in this book. It's about the birth of Special Operations units that take on dangerous missions covertly and with varying success rates.

I can tell myself most of these accounts are true, making the actions performed by these ordinary people extraordinarily impressive. Maybe not entirely ordinary people. It would seem one needed to be slightly touched in the head to have performed such deeds. Luckily plenty of people's heads have been touched because commanders ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 Sean rated it it was amazing

I'm not much of a reader, but I know a bit about military topics. This often stifles my already-limited motivation to commit to reading a book, as I frequently find fault with some detail or tone in the military-themed books I pick up. Such was not the case with this excellent work. I enjoyed the honest portrayal of these early special operations soldiers, complete with their personal flaws and quirks that alternately helped them excel and cost them dearly. This book was informative without talk ...more

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Sep 06, 2018 Ron Wroblewski rated it it was amazing

Shelves: war-non-fiction

The history of the SAS - Britain's Special Air Service - during WWII. Covers the years 1942-1945 and the SAS missions in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. Learned about Hitler's Commando Order which ordered the immediate summary execution of any captured enemy soldiers found operating on Nazi occupied soil, in or out of uniform. Most of the captured SAS soldiers were killed in this manner. The book claims that this was the start of Special Forces that spread to many countries. Goo ...more

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May 07, 2017 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: military

I've never really engaged myself in the history of specific units or parts of the army (vehicles/ tanks is another thing) but this was a really nice read. It has a wonderful personal touch and feel to it and really tells the story rather than just listing statistics and facts.

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Sep 20, 2017 John McDonald rated it it was ok

This is a very well written account of the exploits of the British SAS, founded almost by accident and populated by people who were such misfits and so anti-social that you'd do whatever you could to avoid being anywhere near them if you identified them on the bus, in a restaurant, or at Sunday religious services as SAS.

The problem I had with the book (and the low rating) is that it is disguised as a history of the WWI origins of the SAS but is a largely sycophantic account of those origins, com This is a very well written account of the exploits of the British SAS, founded almost by accident and populated by people who were such misfits and so anti-social that you'd do whatever you could to avoid being anywhere near them if you identified them on the bus, in a restaurant, or at Sunday religious services as SAS.

The problem I had with the book (and the low rating) is that it is disguised as a history of the WWI origins of the SAS but is a largely sycophantic account of those origins, commissioned by the SAS Regiment itself. The book's forward is written by the Regimental Commander of the time who "authorizes" McIntyre's account, and at the very end of the book is an advertisement for the sale of the Regimental papers held together by a 25 pound binding of steel or some other impenetrable metal which the Regiment want to sell the reader for hundreds of pounds. I make this to be the first "Authorized History" of the SAS but McIntyre barely mentions his association with the SAS and the Regiment, which is more or less the fraternity of Old Boys who have served and get to wear the Regimental tie and colored plume in its cap. If Joel Osteen wrote a "history" of Evangelical Christianity, it would probably read like McIntyre's account of the SAS.

So, "booyah", if you want, even though I respect McIntyre adept and skillful writing. He is a writer for the BBC, which makes me even more suspicious writing this First "Authorized" History--these guys are natural prospects for British government operations--and he has a number of acclaimed works to his credit, some of which I intend to read. But, an "authorized" history of any sort is not a history at all but a proclamation of the wonders of the organization being written about. I was simply put off by the presentation of romps and escapades by the group of undisciplined warriors on the battlefield, who all too often shot and killed prisoners who had already surrendered to them, making this more of a stain on the British military than a work of historical reference. As usually happens in books like this, McIntyre found in his generous heart a way to justify or enhance every unnecessary battlefield murder, drunken barney, and post-War crimes committed by some of these guys, and even if he didn't justify the most heinous acts--like Farran who, while working as an inquisitor, killed a teenager who had been involved in some rebellious act--he did not condemn them. When the reader reads the short description of what these men did after the War, there seems to be an unusually large thread of Tory politics, anti-communist mercenary work, and in a couple of cases early suspicious deaths which may have been suicide. ...more

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