UKC

Just read The Phantom Major by Virginia Cowles, about the formation of the SAS and L-Detachment by Stirling during WW2. Great story badly told. Anyone recommend any decent books on the early history, especially the Western Desert period? Cheers.

In reply to Steve Parker:

I read that one aswell, cant remember if i found it poor told but some storys for sure.

I gave my dad a book about Stirling for christmas i will find out what it was called.

If you can find it in English a great book is the one about Anders Lassen.

In reply to Steve Parker: There is a fairly good and affectionate bio of him written by an ex regiment chap. I'll dig it out if I still have it and try and find the title and author. Its very interesting, Stirling made a lot of money selling seasame street to the Arabs if I remember rightly.

In reply to Steve Parker:

I you haven't read this book, you MUST - for all sorts of reasons.

Eastern Approaches by Fitzroy Maclean.

In reply to Steve Parker:

Some more info on Maclean.

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzroy_Maclean

That book changed my life, it's what first gave me the urge to travel.

In reply to Steve Parker:

There´s a really great book of a parallel organisation also in the Western Desert called "Popski´s Private Army"

Pete

In reply to Pete W: I forget which book I read it in, but there was a wonderful description of Col. Orde Wingate receiving a member of the General staff into his hotel room in cairo while laying naked on his bed and brushing his pubic hair with a toothbrush.

In reply to DougG: He was my clan Chief and the original James Bond was an ornithologist, as am I. Sadly Doug, despite the connections, I dont suit a tuxedo and I've never owned an Aston Martin.

In reply to callum:

Heard the one about James Bond in the bar? Sean Connery's sitting there on his own, looking at his watch. Attractive lady across the way notices this and says "Been stood up then?".
"Not at all, I'm just examining my latest plaything from Q. This may look like an ordinary watch to you, but it's actually a device that uses alpha particles to communicate information to me about my surroundings."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Right now, for example, it's telling me that you're not wearing any underwear."
"Well I'm sorry Mr Bond, but there's obviously something wrong with it, because I am."
Upon which Sean Connery starts tapping his watch with 2 fingers of his other hand.
"Damned thing's half-an-hour fast again!!".

In reply to DougG: Groan!

In reply to Pete W:

That's great book! One of the best I have read about the early special forces

In reply to Steve Parker:

'Who Cares Who Wins' by Andy McGrabb. Seriously, it does exist, brings the SAS into a whole new light.

In reply to all: Cheers, guys. Some interesting suggestions there.

In reply to DougG

Agreed, outstanding read. I would highly recommend this book.

regards

Pete

In reply to Steve Parker: I reckon you would be better sticking to some of the older books, and steer clear of anything by the two Johnny come latelys and all the fabricated bollocks about non existant contacts in the gulf, but they have made some dosh.

In reply to TWINKLETOES:

Who are the 2 Johnny come latelys? Andy McNab and who?

In reply to Steve Parker: Geordie Armstrong, aka Mr C Ryan.

In reply to TWINKLETOES:

Ah, the longest self-evacuation since WW2 guy. Not read any of his stuff, not too interested either. Good story about his walkout, though.

Cheers.

In reply to Steve Parker: No doubt its probably all good reading, but other patrols in the area achieved their objective, but these people got more fame and fortune for failing to heed advice.

In reply to Steve Parker:

I recommend "David Stirling" the authorised biography by Alan Hoe, with a forward by Gen Sir Peter De La Billière, published by Little Brown & Co. It is an excellent factual account, over half of which is devoted to the formation of the SAS, operations in the desert and the early years.

If you're interested in the regiment's more recent history, try "Ghost Force the Secret History of the SAS" by Ken Connor (longest serving soldier in the SAS). He expresses some interesting thoughts on the future of the regiment which are increasingly relevant to current debates about the future of our armed forces in general.

In reply to all those who belive/ dont belive in 'black bag' jobs and hidden adgenda's within the secret organisations that Really run the country and the role of certain units within British special forces:

http://www.larouchepub.com/other/1995/2241_sas.html

http://www.aboutsudan.com/action/geopolitical/executive_outcomes.htm

In reply to Steve Parker: I read "Rogue Warrior of the SAS: The Blair Mayne Legend", thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cheers,

FT.

In reply to Anonymous:

Yes, I particularly enjoyed this from their Oct 5 2001 Article (Osama Bin London):


"Bin Laden sometimes attempts to disguise his British affiliation, or the fact that the international headquarters of his movement is in London, and not, as absurdly claimed by the U.S. media, in Afghanistan or Sudan. "

Probably The Royal Family

In reply to Anonymous:

what a bunch of loons

In reply to Dr.Strangeglove:

Larouche has strange views on Britain to say the least!

In reply to Anonymous:
I'm quite concerend as my clan badge refers to
defending the crown - am I part of some
secret royalist control squad?

In reply to Anonymous:
'Oh what a tangled web we weave'
it would'nt surprise me if he was in the UK, as after the US decided to blow up the WTC and then have to arse around moving most of the Arab nations gold from the rubble, and then blaming the whole lot on Bin Laden, even though his group were'nt responsible, it would make sense for the british to try and smooth relations with Bin Laden and give him safe stay in the UK, seen as the british trained all his troops and funded him.This might help a british wind down of operations in Iraq... it will be interesting to see what happens when Gordon Brown becomes prime minister, Im sure Bush will be pretty pissed of at having to try and make friends with someone who probably wont want to be his puppet or 'yes sir no sir man'.

In reply to Anonymous:

He's the author of my favourite conspiracy theory: That Queen Elizabeth II controls the global cocaine trade.

In reply to Dr.Strangeglove:
It depends what your 'clan badge' is/was, unless your a walter mitty?

In reply to KeithW:
Well, 'one has got to recover the money we lost when we burnt all our works of art, and then got shafted by the insurance company'

In reply to Anonymous:
cant recall the full description,
demi-savage naked holding a crown and sword
motto
"this I'll defend"

clearly I must be part of some royalist conspiracy
and a member of an SAS spin off unti.

oh yes.

In reply to Dr.Strangeglove:

so your ancestry is from the clan mac farlane, who knows , but seen as your only 28 and probably havent served in UKSF and 'done a little and seen a lot', then I guess you dont have to worry about being part of an army that answers to the crown ,when the crown needs it.

In reply to Anonymous:
phew, thats a relief.
I'll just keep my crown derived rights
of entry and search for when needed next.

In reply to TWINKLETOES:

Correct

In reply to Steve Parker:


Have read a lot of military books. Quite a lot on the role of SF. Earlier writings tend to be generally more realistic and beleivable. Current stuff is too sensationalist.

Also alough SF are obviously on the ground right now, so are regular forces and engaging the enemy as we speak. Everyones got a story to tell.

Orde Wingate is a personal hero of mine. His ideas on Insurgency and counter insurgency seem to be long forgotten by the current commanders in Iraq & AGN

I read a story years ago about an ex German SS soldier who managed to escape Europe and I think ended up in South Africa or SOuth America. One of his tales is about having no means of iluminating an area for aerial attack so he remembered a tactic he used in WW2, He perched some SF machine guns on hillsides around the target and made them fire tracer fire at right angles into the sky around the target thus creating an illuminated square it for the aircraft to zero in on. (also avoiding the aircraft I assume)

For me it is fascinating reading.

Andy McNab has lost any credibility he ever had and he has made a lot of dough from a total f*ck up of a mission. All credit to them but as a soldier I find most of his stories hard to swallow at the best of times.

No Mean Soldier is a good read - very dated now though in the current climate..

In reply to Pacific:

Yeah, no disrespect to the regulars - as you say, everyone's got a story, and lots of them are pretty f*cking awesome. ATM I'm just quite interested in Stirling, as he seems like half genius, half nutter. Interesting character.

Interesting about the SS guy's idea about using tracer. The technology etc quite fascinates me too.

Just finished reading We were Soldiers Once by Hal Moore. about Ia Drang etc. You read it? Probably. He kind of talks himself up a bit (or he lets others do it for him), but I like the way he's got so much respect for his guys. Pretty gutsy read.