Wilson's reign of terror was finally brought to an end the following September when he and a new partner, Bombardier John Brittlebank, were captured after trying to sink a ship in Crotone harbour, southern Italy, with mini hand-operated torpedoes. You may know Asher from various tv documentaries, including Channel 4's ' The Real Bravo Two Zero' in which he demythologized the infamous Gulf War SAS foot patrol's mission. Unlike many other SAS authors, Asher pays a great deal of attention to the human story. Ever since Operation Nimrod in 1980, the British press have fostered a mythological image of the SAS as some super warrior elite with almost superhuman abilities. Asher's history of the SAS is a refreshing change from the norm. By focusing on the SAS men's humanity, by grounding the stories in reality, Asher shows their achievements to be even more remarkable. The section on World War 2 is especially interesting and well told and highlights the sheer determination and inventiveness of the SAS's founding fathers. He wrote it, in part, because he feels the SBS deserves some of the admiration his previous books have won for the SAS, and also to pay tribute to the huge number of people - "air assets, medical assets, communications assets" - involved in such a complex operation. All his books have to be vetted by the Ministry of Defence, but hardly anything was changed in this one because he jokes: "It makes them look good!" Put ashore in the wrong place, the American troops were massacred. More than 2,000 died on Omaha on June 6, 1944. The value of beach markers was demonstrated a short way to the east of Omaha where Coppist teams in two midget submarines ‑ X20 and X23 ‑ successfully guided in British and Canadian landing craft. A compact but fact-filled book which charts SAS history from World War 2 all the way until the current war on terror. There's plenty of colour photos throughout, along with little snippets of info on weapons, tactics etc, which makes this a great resource for dipping into every now and then.

During the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003, SBS teams, working with US Navy Seals, secured and scouted the beaches on the Al Faw Peninsula, paving the way for amphibious landings. Other SBS teams secured the southern oil fields. One Land Rover column of around 60 SBS men, operating in the North, were ambushed by Iraqi forces and had to fight their way out of trouble. The book is a fascinating and compelling insight into the men of the LRDG and much is revealed in the tale's telling of both their tactics and their character. It's evident that the author has really done his homework. Books introduce us to new worlds, exciting characters and possibilities that ignite our imagination. Whether it’s a dangerous Thriller that gets your heart racing, or a quirky debut with a distinct voice you just can’t put down; a great book can whisk you away somewhere new and stay with you for a lifetime. Montanaro who, on April 12, 1942, pulled off one of the most astonishing missions of the war. Tasked with sinking a German tanker filled with copper ore in Boulogne Harbour, Montanaro and his paddler Sergeant Freddie Preece were dropped off by motor launch three miles from the harbour entrance just after midnight.

Falconer joined the British Royal Marines at the age of 18. At 19 years of age, he attended SBS selection in Poole Dorset and was one of nine Marines to successfully complete the course out of 147 men. Most candidates are required to serve some time in a Commando unit before applying, however Duncan was given an exception. This was due to many SBS operatives leaving to instead work as deep sea divers in the North Sea for the lucrative salaries. The SBS briefly allowed recruits from CTCRM to apply for selection before serving the usual minimum time in a commando unit. Later he was posted to 42 Commando as a career broadening opportunity. [2] The SBS traces its roots to WWII, just as the SAS do, but their ancestors are the Canoe borne and submarine launched raiders drawn originally from the Commandos. Impressed by Italian Frogmen/MiniSub raiding, Churchill supported several small groups trying those methods. Then the allied liberation of Europe and the Far East required a group to do beach reconnaissances. By the end of the war all these groups were amalgamated into one group. The skills were going to die there, when the Cold War made their retention a priority. The parallels with the US SEAL program are there to see. The book ends with the Falklands and Gulf War II deployments, showing how those skills were essential to those Victories. His autobiography, and first literary publication, First into Action included accounts of the actions carried out by the SBS and 14 Intelligence Detachment. The tone of this work was in contrast to a number of biographies of other ex- special forces personnel at the time – the tales not just about the heroic actions of those he served alongside, but also showed the more humorous, realistic side of the troops. The book also highlighted the rivalry and antagonism between the Special Boat Service and Special Air Service and the history behind their conflict.

An excellent read and a must for anyone interested in an in-depth look at the Special Air Service operation on Pebble Island. The book is a mix of chapters between planning/organizational and operations. I'd say 65% of the book was devoted to operations. And these are the star of the show. A history of the Special Air Service by ex-23 SAS member, Michael Asher which covers the unit's first 50 years, including World War 2, campaigns in the Middle and Far East, The Falklands War and Operation Desert Storm. We discover recommendations for the best books to read in all sorts of places, whether it’s our bookworm friends, a Saturday morning spent browsing our favourite bookshop, the Richard & Judy Book Club, a new book-to-screen adaptation, or BookTok! The authors we find, the books we fall in love with and even the genres that we immerse ourselves in all have an impact and accompany us through life. Falconer continues to write books and screenplays. In 2017 the film Stratton, [4] based on the main character of his books, was released. It stars Dominic Cooper as Stratton as well as Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi and Thomas Kretschmann.

Supporting Elements

Partly as a result of the Coppists' report, the number of invasion beaches was raised from three to five. Nervous about giving the game away, the Americans chose not to accept the Coppists' offer to signpost their beaches ‑ Omaha and Utah ‑ on D-Day. Struggling against a strong tide and headwind, they took more than an hour to reach the outer harbour where they paddled in a prone position to avoid being spotted. A party was in progress and they were almost hit by a beer bottle thrown into the water. This is the story of a unit that seems very difficult to tell. Part of the problem may be the missions of the unit itself. The other part may be the secrecy that the unit maintains; but telling the story of the Special Boat Service seems to be quite problematic. They eventually placed seven limpets on the tanker's stern before making their getaway, arriving at their rendezvous more than an hour late, and with the canoe so filled with water that it would have sunk within 15 minutes.