In the Combat Zone: History of Special Forces Since 1945

by Robin. Neillands

A history of the special forces worldwide since 1945 from the SAS to the US Navy Seals, and other International Special Forces from Europe and beyond. A thorough investigation of the rise of the armed forces elite groups from their inception during World WarII to the present day. - including an examination of their operational role during wartime and at peace; their use as anti-terrorist specialists and their future as instant response units. The book also looks at the basics - how members of the Special Forces are recruited and how the recruits are trained. Using numerous 1st hand accounts, this is a book not glorifying the heroics of the gung ho squaddie , but a rational look at the most professional of the professional soldiers and their role in a world which is becoming ever more high tech and sophisticated.

Genres: Military Fiction, History

361 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[Nick Boldrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

As readable as all his books, this is a good book. Starting with the prehistory of Special Forces in the 18th century, this is a good round up of post war actions, but focused mainly on British and US forces, presumably for pragmatic reasons. It is also interesting as the narrative involves times when SF have drifted into more political territory, and whilst his sympathies are clear, Neillands does try and give an even handed account of why that is a bad idea. The final chapter on the future seems a bit dated, but then the book is over 20 years old

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for military readers. Dated, 199y7. But informative history of some of the recent wars that SS was involved in. A few misspellings and the United States Marines were founded in T
UN Tavern in Philadelphia, not TUG Tavern.