SAS Forged in Hell: From Desert Rats to Dogs of War: The Mavericks who Made the SAS
£11.00£22.00 (-50%)
A Waterstones Best History Book of 2023
The incredible true story of the SAS’ daring mission to liberate Europe
In the summer of 1943, the largest invasion fleet ever assembled sailed for fortress Europe, aiming to bulldoze its way onto Nazi shores. At its vanguard went a few hundred elite forces soldiers, the Royal Navy warship carrying them bearing the iconic winged dagger emblem on its prow, plus the motto ‘Who Dares Wins’.
Led by the legendary SAS commander Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne, these war-bitten, piratical raiders were tasked to do the impossible – to bludgeon their way through the most heavily defended enemy shoreline, so enabling the ensuing forces to follow on.
If they succeeded, it would mark the turning point in the war. If they failed, the consequences were unthinkable. Against all odds, outnumbered some fifty-to-one, and facing a ferocious series of cliffside defences, they would have to dare all as never before.
So begins the incredible true story of the SAS’s mission to liberate Europe.
Action-packed and filled with heroic endeavour, SAS Forged in Hell is breath-taking combat writing at its best, in true Damien Lewis style.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Quercus (26 Oct. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 416 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1529413826 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529413823 |
by Richard Domoney-Saunders
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book from such a wonderful author.
This is part two of his history of the war exploits of Paddy Mayne and picks up where the first volume ended……..we see the now successful and blooded SAS as they invade Mediterranean Europe right up to just before the invasion of France.
It is detailed and an easy to read book that is surely to be another bestseller, fans of this author will know what to expect but will also enjoy and those new to his work should wait to read the first part and then delve straight into this.
I look forward to the next book due out in autum 2024 and also any other books before then by Damien Lewis but please let me congratulate you on such a readable and enjoying bestseller.
by Christopher Watts
Forged In Hell By Damien Lewis
After reading Brothers In Arms I was very much anticipating this book which is the second installment of a three book set, the third will be released Autumn 2024.
This one covers the SAS missions to spearhead the retaking Sicily and Italy beginning it July 1943.
From the get go Damien is in full flow using his inimitable style which has garnered him many fans over the years, his ability to immerse the reader right in the thick of the action remains unparalleled with perhaps the exception of a handful of other writers I have come across within the WW2 genre. Initially, what is so utterly striking is just how young these guys were, I think the average age was around 22 years, yet as the book progresses and the operations commence with such violence and brutality I sensed a very polarizing effect. They were after all very young men to have to face such life-changing experiences, which undoubtedly they took with them until the end of their days.
It is during the preparations for the Scicily campaign that I believe Colonel Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne truly became the great leader he obviously was. With David Stirling captured and Blair taking over command, his selection process and training of the men became more and more honed, and simply if you didn’t meet his strict requirements then you were not going to make the cut. Obviously, he knew very well what was about to come and prepared his men accordingly. The description in the book further uncovers the complexity of his psyche, he seemed to have an aura surrounding him and a calculating coldness during even the most intense battles, truly a remarkable man and leader.
The approximate ratio turned out to be fifty enemy to one SAS soldier, at the end of operations sixty-nine SAS casualties were reported, I do not know how many enemies were killed or injured, but I would imagine far more than that number as Hitler threw everything he had at keeping Italy under German control, even deploying his best Parachute regiment who were alleged to be the German counterparts of the SAS.
I am not going to give many spoilers away, you should definitely pick this book up if you are a fan, but I will tell you the final battle for Termoli is a great example of the finest military writing to be found anywhere, vivid, exciting and addictive tinged with a little sadness too. Humor is also evident in places, drinking, safe blowing and even a little cross-dressing thrown in. These men were indeed special and we should never forget them.
by David E
The second book in this trilogy focussing on the SRS/SAS as under the leadership of Paddy Mayne fought its way into Sicily and then onto the Italian mainland. The book reads like a novel and admittedly from reading other histories of the Italian campaign by James Holland and Joshua Levine there was no real new information on the battles and the tragedies that occurred it is still a really enjoyable read.
by Kevin Martin
I did wonder how this book was going to be framed out, given the units reduced size, and participation in ‘only’ 4 actions at SE Sicily, Augusta, Bagnara and Termoli during the tenure of the Special Raiding Squadron. The remainder of the book was a homage to their new commanding officer – Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne; of whom quite a number of biographies have been written. There were very few aspects to the story I had not read in earlier books, but as usual the author caters to a modern reading audience. Notional reference to 2SAS was included, however it will be interesting to see how the third and final part of the trilogy will play out – will it follow exclusively 1SAS, or capture the growing involvement of the other units under the SAS Regiment umbrella.
I did find the admiration of Mayne by his many colleagues (and the author) quite exhausting, with the battle sequences difficult to follow closely, given there were no detailed maps of any of the actions. I had to dig out my copies of books quoted in the bibliography (and Google maps) to make sense of some passages. It was for these reasons i struck off a star.
As the middle book in a trilogy, the author still had to commence the book assuming a standalone offering, therefore the first few chapters introduced characters who did not feature later, but gave a historical introduction to the SAS from inception in the North African theatre.
The author drew heavily from a few key books; notably the Peter Davis account, and I was impressed he managed to draw some material from the William Deakins book.
If the reader wishes to read more extensively on the role of SRS throughout their Italian campaign, I do draw their attention to Stewart McClean’s SAS – The History of the Special Raiding Squadron, which is my earlier published go-to book on this middle period of the units WW2 history. It has a family history feel to the narrative, but commendably it lists every serviceman on the Nominal Roll, and also covers the 4 battles well.
by Paul Hazzard
Damien Lewis hits the spot once again in this riveting tale of Blair Paddy Mayne and his SAS warriors as they form the tip of the spear as the Allies take and advance through Sicily, then upwards into Italy itself.
Be aware reader this is fighting on a level not seen in his previous books about the SAS in North Africa. The fight descriptions here are brutal , there is carnage and a darkness to the actions whilst all along the ethos of Mayne and his SAS is being forged.
This is a tale that sits equally as a story on its own as well as being the middle part of a trilogy. Truly looking forward to the next instalment.