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The History of the SAS

Gripping and insightful, the ideal gift for Christmas 2025

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About this listen

 Forged to fight guerrillas in the sweltering jungles of Malaya.

Tasked with storming mountain strongholds in the desert.

Trained to hunt down the world's most wanted terrorists.

This is the extraordinary story of 22 SAS.

The history of the modern SAS is one of the great successes of post-war Britain. Since it was revived in 1950 to combat Communist insurgents, the Regiment has gone from strength to strength, fighting covert wars in Oman, Borneo, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Persian Gulf and beyond. In the process, it has become one of the most indispensable, and at times controversial, units in the British army

Today, the SAS is regarded as the world's leading Special Forces unit, renowned for its demanding Selection course and its relentless ability to adapt to the changing nature of warfare. More than anything else, however, it is the determination and ingenuity of the SAS soldiers that has made the Regiment what it is today.

Drawing on his extensive network of contacts and his own experiences, Chris Ryan tells the story of the men on the ground. From the earliest patrols in the Malayan jungle, through to the storming of the Iranian Embassy, the daring raids behind enemy lines in the Gulf War, and up-to-minute missions to capture or kill notorious terrorists - this is the gripping, no-holds-barred account of Regiment operations. Above all, it is a story of elite soldiers fighting, and triumphing, against seemingly impossible odds.

(P) 2019 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd©2019 Chris Ryan Armed Forces Military Special & Elite Forces War Middle East Inspiring Thought-Provoking Veteran Solider

Critic reviews

Praise for Chris Ryan
Ryan chooses fiercely up-to-the-minute plots, and laces them with an exceptional eye for detail and insider knowledge ... Fearsome and fast-moving.
The action comes bullet-fast and Ryan's experience of covert operations flash through the high-speed story like tracer rounds
Nobody takes you to the action better than Ryan, because he's the real deal, and this muscle-and-bone thriller will have fans' blood pumping.
All stars
Most relevant
Really great listen. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to the amazing achievements of the betst SF regiment in the world.

Brilliant!!

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Simply put if you have any interest in the SAS or special forces in general. This is an absolute must listen

The definitive SAS guide

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A Fascinating In Depth Account about the History of the SAS. Interesting and factual throughout. It was eye opening and thoroughly riveting to see how much our Special Forces have evolved since WWII.. Highly recommend reading this you won't be able to put it down.

Pilgrims Cut From A Different Cloth

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it was a very good book to listen to always kept me wanting to hear the next paragraph

fantastic book

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worth a listen, if your interest is British history. Chris Ryan didn't hold back his thoughts.

need to listen

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