The authorized illustrated history of the SAS from Dunkirk's number one bestselling author, Joshua Levine. With never-before-seen photographs and unpublished stories, this is the wartime history of the SAS in vivid and dramatic detail.

The SAS began as a lie, a story of a British parachute unit in the North African desert, meant to convince the Axis they were under immediate threat. The lie was so effective that soon a small group of men was assembled to make it a reality. These recruits were the toughest and most enlightened of their division, the most resilient, the most dynamic, and the most self-reliant. Their first commanders, David Stirling and Paddy Mayne, would go down in history as unconventional visionaries. Yet, this book tells much more than the standard origin story of the unit, seeking out lesser-known leaders like Bill Fraser, who was instrumental in helping the SAS gain a reputation for their devastating raids. Looking beyond the myth, the book brings to life a group of men who showed boundless courage and endured incredible risks behind enemy lines.

Written with full collaboration of the SAS and exclusive access to SAS archives, Levine draws upon individual stories and personal testimonies, including interviews with veterans and family members. On every page, the book offers a vivid sense of what it means to fight and train in the SAS both in North Africa and Europe during the Second World War, focusing on their failures as well as their successes.

This book is alive with the characters of the men, their diverse personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and many disagreements. Levine has uncovered a remarkable portrait of this elusive unit with photographs and stories that were once thought lost to history.