Who Dares Wins: The Story of the SAS 1950-1982

by Tony Geraghty

From the origins of the SAS behind Rommel's lines in the Sahara through the Malayan emergency, the Arabian skirmishes in Oman and Yemen, the debacle in Gibraltar and the regiment's unique role in the Gulf War, Tony Geraghty examines their successes and failures, the different ways successive British governments have exploited their expertise, their training methods and the skills the men acquire. He has spoken to the soldiers and officers who took part in the SAS' many operations, gaining insight into their activities, philosophy and morale.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction, War, Military History

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1980

About the author

Tony Geraghty is a British-Irish writer and journalist. He served in the Parachute Regiment, and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his work as a military liaison officer with U.S. forces during the Gulf War (1991). He has been a journalist for The Boston Globe and was the Sunday Times Defence Correspondent in the 1970s.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best, most exhaustive book on the Post World War II SAS history and methods. The book not only addresses all the missions and campaigns of the unit, but also goes into lots of detail about the process of selection for the regiment. It's all here- Oman, Malaya, Aden, The Indonesian "confrontation", Ulster, Gibraltar, The Falklands, and Gulf War II(1991), as well as a few more minor scrapes. But this book has an extra level of detail that some others miss. The reader of any level will find the book engaging, although the junior reader may find some of the content challenging. The Gamers/Modeller/Military Enthusiast will find this a great resource for following the SAS. A very strong recommendation for this one- a classic for sure.

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of the book I felt like I was dropped repeatedly in vague descriptions of conflicts around the world with zero context. Could have been great. Given apparent access to information, what a dismal waste of an opportunity. Part of the difficulty may be that I had just read the magnificent "Say Nothing" by Patrick Radden Keefe. It is striking in how well Keefe provides geopolitical context with understanding of the armed forces involved. Such a stark contrast of the trite, pompous treatment of the SAS, its politics, and the wars in which it participated offered in Geraghty's book. So disappointed.

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time I did a lot of research on the Long Range Desert Patrol from WW2. This is a very amazing group. Most countries have an equivalent. This is a pretty exhaustive account. Not a light read for me.

[BLRBrazil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insights into the history of Britain's elite fighting force. I would love to read the updated version.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Shiran Lavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!!!

[KiplingKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book on a fascinating and surprising topic. The S.A.S. is a highly unusual organization not just in terms of the British Army, but in terms of military thinking with a mandate of surprisingly wide scope. These are more than just gun hands. This book gives a solid account of the (unclassified) history of the major campaigns of the S.A.S. after WWII while addressing interesting topics like selection, mercenaries, and the S.A.S. hot potato like political role within the British Armed forces. This book is well written with an interesting, but not confusing, organization by topic rather than a straight chronology. Campaigns are grouped by their similarity. It is information packed but not dry and sprinkled with enough personal recollections and wry observations to keep the reader entertained. For anyone interested in Special Forces, I highly recommend this.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very informative history of the SAS from its origins in the post-war period up through its action during the Falklands War. Because it's a history, it isn't always the most engaging narrative, though the author does try to give you an up close and personal view of what is happening. I did learn a lot about the SAS though. What jumped out was that its early days were spent engaging in politically controversial missions against Communist rebels in distant lands far away from Britain. When the action heats up in Yemen and in the spy-vs-spy struggles in Northern Ireland, it's a real page turner, but this doesn't always happen. Some details probably didn't need to be included, but if you're interested in war books or history it's worth checking out.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Dares Wins tells the story of the SAS from 1950-1980, ending with the year of publication. The warzones covered – Malaya, Borneo, Arabia, Oman, Ireland as well as the Iranian Embassy siege, ex-SAS mercenaries, SAS training and other equivalent organisations around the world make this engrossing. The regular mentions of Peter de la Billiere a long time before his involvement in the Gulf War are an added bonus, as are the views expressed on counter-terrorism – hasn’t the world changed since then! Brilliant.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some old accounts of the SAS operations in North Africa and the Malaysian jungles. Andy McNab had more up-to-date information on the SAS.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting history but not much in the storytelling.