War correspondent, film producer, and writer: many MHM readers will already know Damien Lewis’s work. In his latest book about British Special Forces, he presents five more hair-raising accounts of WWII escapes.
‘Escapes’, that is, in the broader sense, since – while some of the action covers POW breakouts – much of it deals with their missions behind enemy lines and their subsequent efforts to get back to base. The pace is breathless, and the action full-on, to the extent that it can be difficult to remember that this is not fiction. For those who enjoy detailed military adventure, this is hard to beat.
The book is an exciting page-turner, but it is also informative. As if by osmosis, the reader will have a much better grasp of exactly how these pioneering organisations worked by its final chapter. Culture, tactics, leadership, and training are all explored as the stories unfold. For example, one recurring theme is that of social egalitarianism, which several of the accounts mention. By the standards of the British armed forces of the time, it becomes clear that the SAS and SBS had a rather modern feel. Class prejudice was largely absent, as they focused relentlessly on effectiveness. This was what the Special Forces were all about.
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