The Second World War was a tragedy that led to many of the things the modern world has today, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice. It was also the period in which one of the most ruthless, well-known and well-trained military regiments in history was formed, and played a crucial role in the defeat of the Third Reich.
SAS Rogue Heroes is a detailed exploration of the formation, activities and importance of the British Special Air Service during World War II. From their initial operations in North Africa, to their push through Italy, central Europe, France and eventually Germany, this book explores the people who made up the SAS, the missions they carried out and the importance of the characters to form one of the world’s most reputed, and feared, special forces units in history.
This book was a very interesting one, especially given how much public interest in the SAS has grown since their formation, particularly in the past few years with the television show SAS: Who Dares Wins. It was great to be able to read and see first-hand accounts of how this unit functioned, particularly with respect to its founder David Stirling, and as I progressed through the book, I found myself more and more intrigued. To be able to look at a unit such as this in ways that are so personal and so characteristic of their brotherhood was very moving.
However, there were several parts that I wasn’t fully engaged with, and some parts felt very repetitive. Of course, when recounting real-life operations of a highly specialised unit, the events are bound to be largely of similar scope, but variations on how it was explained may have been useful. It’s also worth pointing out that there are several photographic inserts in this publications, which were fun to look at, but be aware, the last one in particular has a very graphic image included, that being very unprepared for was a major shock.
If you are at all interested in British military history, World War II or even a little bit of wartime dynamics and interrelationships, this book is definitely worth reading. But it’s worth keeping in mind that the book is very explicit quite often, so be prepared for that if you decide to pick up this book – it doesn’t shy away from details, no matter how graphic.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
SAS Rogue Heroes (ISBN: 978-0-241-99690-4) was published in 2016
