The History of the SAS

Gripping and insightful, the ideal gift for Christmas 2025

By: Chris Ryan

Narrated by: Jamie Parker

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

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.

Excelent book about the history of the SAS

well written and narrated, not focus on just personal experiences but in the regiment as a whole. incredible facts about the evolution of the squadron. I highly recommend!!

To the point account

Great to hear a SF operator have such deep knowledge of history and cover these in honest, matter of fact tales. The calling and dedication of any soldier risking their lives to protect those that they do not know can never be taken for granted, sharing these stories is the only way of giving people a glimpse into their realm.