And that name is Ben Macintyre, author, historian and columnist, and one of the finest storytellers ever to put pen to paper. So good and so much more than the boys own adventure you might think it will read like.If anyone asked me the age-old question of who I would invite to my fantasy dinner party, there would be a relatively surprising name at or near the top of my list. The sharp style and sly wit reveal some pretty acute insights into the politics of the nation's favourite undercover boys * Evening Standard Books of the Year *
A ripping good read * Washington Post 10 Best Books of 2016 *Ī wonderfully refreshing account of the origins of the regiment of balaclava-clad silent killers during the Second World War. Using unprecedented access to British Special Air Service regimental archives, Macintyre has gleaned fascinating material. Macintyre provides a riveting history of a revolutionary fighting force. An extraordinary book - The Times Book of the Week on 'A Spy Among Friends' Meticulously researched, splendidly told, immensely entertaining and often very moving - John le Carre on 'Agent Zigzag' This book explains why * Times *Ī master at setting the pulse racing, Macintyre relates stories of raw courage and daring by extraordinary men - Tony Rennell * Daily Mail * Henry V's band of brothers at Agincourt, the redcoats at Waterloo, the defenders of Rorke's drift, and the paras who charged at Goose Green are part of the tradition that embraces the SAS. Britain's martial pantheon is full of outnumbered heroes who wouldn't throw in the sponge. It would be nigh on impossible to praise it too highly * Daily Express *īen Macintyre's coverage of the SAS in north Africa and, later, Italy, France and Germany, is brilliant, blending gripping narratives of fighting with descriptions of the fears of individual soldiers before battle and their reactions to its horror. As a work of military history it is thorough and highly entertaining. The author has written about a fascinating subject in a way that would make any thriller writer proud. This book has many strengths but perhaps its greatest is how thought-provoking it is - Laurence Rees * Sunday Times * Delivers stories of tremendous adventure and derring-do, but also offers more than straightforward military history.
No one will ever tell it better than this * Evening Standard *Įxcellent. The SAS are still about the best of their kind, and how they began to achieve this is an exotic saga indeed. At times there is more than a whiff of PG Wodehouse or Evelyn Waugh. Macintyre has a wonderful eye for eccentricity, and the narrative is peppered with extraordinary characters. Impeccably researched, superbly told - by far the best book on the SAS in World War II - Antony Beevor
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