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SAS: My Trial By Fire: True Stories and Life Lessons from SAS Selection
Des Powell left school with no qualifications and little in the way of formal education. At nineteen he signed up to join the Parachute Regiment.
Famously, the Paras is home to the UK military's second-toughest training regime after the SAS. Des Powell knows all about both. In fact, Des knows SAS selection better than anyone because he's done it twice. In Trial by Fire he tells the story of those gruelling how Para training turned him into a soldier but, more crucially, how the SAS process turned him into a member of the elite.
Des describes exactly what it takes to be an elite special forces operator. From raw recruit to trained fighting machine - including the heart-breaking moment he was forced to withdraw, only to begin the process again - Des shares the details of his personal journey, itself a tale of prevailing against almost overwhelming odd. He teaches us valuable life skills by taking us deep into the training regime fitness, navigation, endurance, weapons and combat training, survival techniques in hostile climates, the terrifying jungle phase, the dark arts of escape and evasion, the secret of surviving interrogation.
No one's lifted the lid on what it takes to join the SAS and become the best of the best. Until now.
Praise for Bravo Three Zero
'A must read. Honesty, integrity and real experience that puts you in the thick of the action.' Billy Billingham
'The story that needed to be told' Jason Fox
'The attention to detail is unbelievable' Tim Lovejoy
'Thrilling' Express
Famously, the Paras is home to the UK military's second-toughest training regime after the SAS. Des Powell knows all about both. In fact, Des knows SAS selection better than anyone because he's done it twice. In Trial by Fire he tells the story of those gruelling how Para training turned him into a soldier but, more crucially, how the SAS process turned him into a member of the elite.
Des describes exactly what it takes to be an elite special forces operator. From raw recruit to trained fighting machine - including the heart-breaking moment he was forced to withdraw, only to begin the process again - Des shares the details of his personal journey, itself a tale of prevailing against almost overwhelming odd. He teaches us valuable life skills by taking us deep into the training regime fitness, navigation, endurance, weapons and combat training, survival techniques in hostile climates, the terrifying jungle phase, the dark arts of escape and evasion, the secret of surviving interrogation.
No one's lifted the lid on what it takes to join the SAS and become the best of the best. Until now.
Praise for Bravo Three Zero
'A must read. Honesty, integrity and real experience that puts you in the thick of the action.' Billy Billingham
'The story that needed to be told' Jason Fox
'The attention to detail is unbelievable' Tim Lovejoy
'Thrilling' Express
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2025
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31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 6, 2025
There’s a good book in here; but and it’s a big but..the early chapters have some solid takeaway life lessons but the book feels disjointed - almost like the editor dropped the pages and put the chapters back together any old way…the final chapters feel padded out with takeaways that are more forced.
October 7, 2025
Well written account of Des’s time in the Paras & SAS.
Chapters were a good length- didn’t bang on too much about each topic.
Very enjoyable read.
Chapters were a good length- didn’t bang on too much about each topic.
Very enjoyable read.
December 17, 2025
Pretty good read and would recommend if you enjoy reading about the training and mindset of elite special operations.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews