The Originals: The Secret History of the Birth of the SAS: In Their Own Words Paperback - 2006

From the publisher

A military history exclusive: The most important book ever written about the SAS, in the words of its founding members. "We've been approached something like twenty-five times since the war. I kicked each out the window because they weren't going to make it with the integrity we require the story of the SAS to be told."
-Colonel Sir David Stirling, OBE, DSO, Founder of the SAS Based on over 120 hours of recently uncovered video and audiotape, The Originals tells the story of the birth of the Special Air Services in the words of its founding members. Even David Stirling, founder of the regiment, contributed to the project (most historians believe he died without giving a single interview). But here, for the first time, is their own story of how the SAS was formed. It is a surprisingly human story about a gang of misfits coming together to create a unit like no other. There was the maverick son of a Scottish laird; a boy who lied about his age to enlist; a policeman; a cheeky cockney; a Lincolnshire boxer; an Irish rugby international imprisoned for beating up his commanding officer; an Oxford rowing president and a quietly-spoken man of God. The Originals covers the regiment's formation in 1941 to its supposed disbanding in 1945. With only two founding members alive today, it is not only an important document but also a thrilling and moving read that will leave you reeling.

About the author