The BAC is an arduous 5-day assessment phase that briefs on the qualities and standards required for service within UKSF and conducts an initial assessment of candidates’ suitability for continued progression on the selection pathway. 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.

My friend's brother, who is still serving, is typical: while still at school he would steal a car to drive home after a night on the tiles. An excellent read and a must for anyone interested in an in-depth look at the Special Air Service operation on Pebble Island. My neighbour Chris is now in his late 50s and saw 15 years' service in Northern Ireland, Colombia, Africa, the Balkans and elsewhere. McNab's gripping account of the troubled Bravo Two Zero patrol is full of fascinating detail, including insights into the planning and execution of SAS missions. All I got was a playful smile and the fact that after six weeks of living in the jungle, a human's senses were so heightened they could smell things as keenly as an animal.A non fiction book about a little known event during Vietnam War in which Australia sent members of the Australian Army Special Services (SAS) soldiers to Cambodia. In agreement with the United States. Needless to say this was also another event in American history that I knew nothing about no surprise there. This book was very informative and eye opening. NetGalley, Carissa Miller

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. 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. Well, it’s typical SAS – let’s get down the pub and get pissed. Once you are on the booze you can tell us the story down there! So that is basically what happens. Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount.

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He was contemptuous of mid-level military bureaucracy, referring to it as "layer upon layer of fossilized shit." I was totally immersed from the get-go with Major Pete and his SAS team starting with their covert operations in Cambodia till the final chapter on the Islamic terrorists on Aussie soil .

The operation is recounted in a superbly detailed way. Nicols focuses on several key characters and the reader follows them through the battle. But while attempting to be accepted as a don at Oxford's Worcester College, he finds fate has other plans for him. Overall, The SAS ‘Deniables’ offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into the covert world of intelligence and special operations, and is a must-read for anyone interested in military history or international relations. Was it a similar deal when you were celebrating your successful mission to release the hostages from the Iranian Embassy in London and Margaret Thatcher came to visit you? Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of WarI know that many of you from the SAS say that it is really impossible for civilians to understand the type of situations you go through, but can you try and describe what it is like. The SAS (Special Air Service) was founded during WWII when Britain was on the verge of losing the battle against Hitler and information about it was classified for years after the war. The author finally gained access to it and in conjunction with personal diaries, interviews, etc. has provided the reader with a riveting tale of bravery and deception. This is an excellent book all about survival. That is the survival of the human spirit against adversity. When the chips were down Andy and the other men with him had to escape and evade detection across hundreds of miles of open desert in the extreme cold before they could get to safety. And they weren’t really equipped for that kind of harsh weather.