... author is Ben Macintyre, on the staff of the London Times, published in 2016. I had requested it from the library, knowing it had something to do with WW II and activities in Europe. It went with me when I was traveling this week, even though it is a large, hardback book. When planning to be hauling my clothing around with me, I usually make an effort to stock up on paperbacks, that can be donated or left in the seat pocket on an airplane.
Though I did not remember where the reference came from, or what piqued my attention to make me interested enough to request the book, it was well worth reading. If you are even slightly interested in history of that period, or have a desire to know more about the war in the European theater, you will be fascinated reading this. A very well researched and documented history of the precursor to Special Forces, Green Berets and Seal Teams. The author read many journals, diaries as well as a vast amount of military paperwork, recently declassified, and searched out survivors to conduct first person interviews with some of the individuals involved.
The subtitle on the cover lets the reader know it is "The history of the SAS" and describes the orgins of 'Britian's Secret Special Forces that sabotaged the Nazis and changed the nature of war'. A quote from the middle of the nearly four hundred pages:
"Traditional warfare tends to follow straight lines: advances, retreats, fields of fire, front lines, vanguards, rear guards and points of engagement. The SAS was pioneering a new sort of war, so asymmetrical as to be almost lopsided. Increasingly confident in their tactics and terrain, the independent jeep units selected targets as they appeared, with little deliberate planning. This was war on the hoof, invented ad hoc, unpredictable, highly effective and often chaotic."
These desert pirates were not popular with the chain of command, and tended to buck the system at every opportunity, with their attire, mannerisms, and attitudes. But they were very successful at what they did, point men, behind enemy lines, masters of hit and run missions, joyfully sabotaging German and Italian aircraft, ammo dumps and fuel convoys. They did some parachuting, but most often traveled by jeep over great distances in harsh desert conditions.
As I began to read the book, I realized that there was a series on TV years ago, based on these characters, glorifying their methods and missions in opposing the forces of German General Rommel and the Afrika Korps. My brother loved that show: lots of jeeps driving a break-neck up hundred fot high sand dunes and flying of the top, machine guns blasting away at the bad guys. I thought of him constantly as I read the book.
When I got to the last chapter, I put the book down and did not finish it. When we got to the place where some of the SAS men entered Germany ahead of Allied forces and discovered Bergen Belsen camp, I had to quit reading. It was a very interesting, revealing book that I would highly recommend for anyone interested in the military history.
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