Speed, Aggression, Surprise
The Untold Secret Origins of the SAS
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Speed, Aggression, Surprise
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Narrated by:
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Tom Petch
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By:
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Tom Petch
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
The Who Dares Wins Pioneers
The origins story of the SAS is a myth.
This is the real story of how the world's preeminent Special Forces came into existence.
Speed, Aggression, Surprise is a fly-on-the-wall, character-driven story of how, from the wreckage of Dunkirk, emerged the idea of guerrilla Commando units who could inflict devastating 'mosquito stings' on larger, and better-armed opponents.
It's a story of how the shock of defeat propelled an unlikely group of renegades into the frontline of the war. An adventure that reaches back from the trenches of the Western Front to high piracy in the deserts of North Africa to the final assault on Germany. It's a story that comes together in the corridors of headquarters, on long nights at the long bar in Shepherd's Hotel in Cairo, and on the deadliest battlefields in history, around a cast of insubordinate mavericks who didn't fit into the tight military hierarchy.
Jumping between dramatic accounts from the field and back-channel power negotiations, and pulling in a cast of characters that includes Evelyn Waugh, Ernest Hemingway and Randolph Churchill, as well as a lot of alcohol, amphetamines and grenades, this is the real story of the SAS as you have never seen it before.
©2022 Tom Petch (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Speed, Aggression, Surprise
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jimzxcv
- 07-02-23
Excellent new take on the early days of the SAS
A well researched new look at the early days of the SAS, with a lot of original material and insights.
Well written and narrated by the author
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rachel merrell
- 13-11-22
Alternative View
I enjoyed hearing a alternative view to some of the stories about the formation of the SAS and of Operation Mincemeat. Maybe the story pushes the accuracy of these other views a little bit too hard but it’s very interesting all the same. The recording has some faults in it in places and some of the pronunciation goes a bit astray - produced, maybe, on a bit of a budget? That, and the delivery, grated with me slightly, but it is still a great audiobook
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr Maurice A. Henry
- 06-02-24
Outstanding
A brilliantly detailed history of the secret origins of the SAS. Excellent writing! Hope SAS Rogue Heroes goes on to tell Dudley Clarke story one day
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cc
- 19-01-24
really good telling of subject which is often misrepresented
this is probably the best telling of Dudley Clarke military life you will come across and does justice to Bill Fraser a often overlooked character in the SAS story really tastefully done.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- duncan monte
- 05-12-23
Compelling
Well researched, detailed, superbly written and wonderfully read. Read it or listen to it, you won't be disappointed or use your time better
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-11-22
An amazing story
it took me a while to tune into this book, but worth the perseverance. The story of Clarke, Frazer and Sterling is captivating and an eye-opening account of these often flawed, but utterly incredible men.
Thanks to the author for the detailed research that is evident in every chapter.
I would highly recommend this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dikidido
- 16-06-23
A Different Take on the Founders of the SAS.
A good companion history to some other WW2 - based SAS histories in that it gives centre stage to Dudley Clarke and Bill Fraser and the importance of the backing of generals such as Wavell and Auchinleck. A different angle and well received by myself.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- george
- 17-11-24
very compicated
Couldn’t follow the plot. Anti David Sterling. Ruined a beautiful story/myth about the SAS. Read SAS: Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre, a masterpiece.
This book was very disappointing.
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