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SAS The Great Train Raid: The Most Daring SAS Mission of WWII
So secret was this mission, the SAS seizure of a train to raid deep into enemy territory to liberate a concentration camp, that it wasn't until 1968 - twenty-seven years after the formation of the SAS - that a short mention of it was made in the Rover and Wizard annual, under the headline 'Who Dares Wins'. No further published record exists.
Best-selling author Damien Lewis has unearthed the full incredible story from long-hidden files and first hand-testimony, his latest elite forces narrative delivering a scintillating tale of bravery, daring and determination which simply beggars belief. This is the SAS at their very finest; there is no other mission like it from the Second World War.
Best-selling author Damien Lewis has unearthed the full incredible story from long-hidden files and first hand-testimony, his latest elite forces narrative delivering a scintillating tale of bravery, daring and determination which simply beggars belief. This is the SAS at their very finest; there is no other mission like it from the Second World War.
- GenresNonfictionAudiobook
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2025
49 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Damien Lewis
82 books452 followersNot to be confused with the actor, Damian Lewis.
Damien Lewis became an author largely by accident, when a British publisher asked him if he'd be willing to turn a TV documentary he was working on into a book. That film was shot in the Sudan war zone, and told the story of how Arab tribes seized black African slaves in horrific slave raids. Lewis had been to the Sudan war zone dozens of times over the past decade, reporting on that conflict for the BBC, Channel 4 and US and European broadcasters.
His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 lanc guages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.
Over the preceding fifteen years Lewis had reported from many war, conflict and disaster zones – including Sudan, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan and the Balkans (see Author's Gallery). He (and his film crew) traveled into such areas with aid workers, the British or allied military, UN forces or local military groups, or very much under their own steam. He reported on the horror and human impact of war, as well as the drama of conflict itself. Often, he worked alone. Often, he filmed his own material over extended periods of time living in the war or conflict zone.
During a decade spent reporting from around the world Lewis lived in deserts, rainforests, jungles and chaotic third world cities. In his work and travels he met and interviewed people smugglers, diamond miners, Catholic priests 'gone native', desert nomads, un-contacted tribes, aid workers, bush pilots, arms dealers, genocidal leaders, peacekeepers, game wardens, slum kids, world presidents, heroin traffickers, rebel warlords, child prostitutes, Islamist terrorists, Hindu holy men, mercenaries, bush doctors, soldiers, commanders and spies. He was injured, and was hospitalised with bizarre tropical diseases – including flesh-eating bacteria, worms that burrow through the skin and septicemia – but survived all that and continued to report.
It was only natural that having seen so much of global conflict he would be drawn to stories of war, terrorism, espionage and the often dark causes behind such conflicts when he started writing books. Having written a number of true stories, in 2006 he was chosen as one of the 'nation's 20 favourite authors' and wrote his first fiction, Desert Claw, for the British Government's Quick Read initiative. Desert Claw tells of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers sent into Iraq to retrieve a looted Van Gogh painting, with a savage twist to the tale. That fiction was followed up by Cobra Gold, an equally compelling tale of global drama and intrigue and shadowy betrayal.
Damien Lewis's work, books and films have won the Index on Censorship (UK), CECRA (Spain), Project Censored (US), Commonwealth Relations (UK), Discovery-NHK BANFF (Canada), Rory Peck (UK), BBC One World (UK), BBC-WWF Wildscreen (UK), International Peace Prize (US), Elle Magazine Grande Prix (US), Victor Gollanz (Germany), and BBC One World (UK) Awards. He is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Damien Lewis became an author largely by accident, when a British publisher asked him if he'd be willing to turn a TV documentary he was working on into a book. That film was shot in the Sudan war zone, and told the story of how Arab tribes seized black African slaves in horrific slave raids. Lewis had been to the Sudan war zone dozens of times over the past decade, reporting on that conflict for the BBC, Channel 4 and US and European broadcasters.
His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 lanc guages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.
Over the preceding fifteen years Lewis had reported from many war, conflict and disaster zones – including Sudan, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Burma, Afghanistan and the Balkans (see Author's Gallery). He (and his film crew) traveled into such areas with aid workers, the British or allied military, UN forces or local military groups, or very much under their own steam. He reported on the horror and human impact of war, as well as the drama of conflict itself. Often, he worked alone. Often, he filmed his own material over extended periods of time living in the war or conflict zone.
During a decade spent reporting from around the world Lewis lived in deserts, rainforests, jungles and chaotic third world cities. In his work and travels he met and interviewed people smugglers, diamond miners, Catholic priests 'gone native', desert nomads, un-contacted tribes, aid workers, bush pilots, arms dealers, genocidal leaders, peacekeepers, game wardens, slum kids, world presidents, heroin traffickers, rebel warlords, child prostitutes, Islamist terrorists, Hindu holy men, mercenaries, bush doctors, soldiers, commanders and spies. He was injured, and was hospitalised with bizarre tropical diseases – including flesh-eating bacteria, worms that burrow through the skin and septicemia – but survived all that and continued to report.
It was only natural that having seen so much of global conflict he would be drawn to stories of war, terrorism, espionage and the often dark causes behind such conflicts when he started writing books. Having written a number of true stories, in 2006 he was chosen as one of the 'nation's 20 favourite authors' and wrote his first fiction, Desert Claw, for the British Government's Quick Read initiative. Desert Claw tells of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers sent into Iraq to retrieve a looted Van Gogh painting, with a savage twist to the tale. That fiction was followed up by Cobra Gold, an equally compelling tale of global drama and intrigue and shadowy betrayal.
Damien Lewis's work, books and films have won the Index on Censorship (UK), CECRA (Spain), Project Censored (US), Commonwealth Relations (UK), Discovery-NHK BANFF (Canada), Rory Peck (UK), BBC One World (UK), BBC-WWF Wildscreen (UK), International Peace Prize (US), Elle Magazine Grande Prix (US), Victor Gollanz (Germany), and BBC One World (UK) Awards. He is a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 31, 2025
Another belter of a book from the author The historical aspects are truly astounding and I love the extras at the end with what happened to everyone afterwards
December 29, 2025
The central story, the one the title refers to, is the audacious breakout of detainees at the first concentration camp the Allied forces came across at Pisticci near Taranto. This was a camp with the usual collection of Jews, Slavs, communists, intellectuals and dissidents, interred in brutal conditions. Whilst still in enemy hands, there remained the danger that many would be sent to the extermination camps in the East. It was an escapee from the camp that alerted the SAS to its existence and being the unit to act quick and think on its feet, within 48 hours it had a plan. Bold, reckless but incredibly simple. They would commandeer a locomotive, steam to the nearest location to the camp, yomp to the camp, free the prisoners and return by the same route.
The bulk of the stories included are a direct result of the infamous ‘stay put’ order issued by MI9 in opposition to other direct orders. When the Italian forces surrendered early into the Allied invasion and liberation of Italy MI9 made a very bad judgement call, telling the POWs in the Italian camps to ‘stay put’ and wait for the allied forces to reach them. The Italians may have capitulated, but the Germans doubled down, reinforcing their lines and taking over the camps. Prisoners were relocated to Germany and those who had escaped were hunted down, sometimes using lethal force. It was against this backdrop the SAS went behind enemy lines to locate these escapees and guide them back safely to the safety of the Allied lines.
If you have read any of the Author’s earlier SAS books you will have a good idea how they operate, hiding up during daylight, improvising and using what is available, striking quick and hard before retreat and capturing any enemy arms and ammunition. Here new skills are developed, and the men are in their element. Extraction by sea brings in a piratical element, even down to attire, the regiment never being one for strict uniform code. To aid the capture of escaped POWs the German’s issued bounties for information leading to their discovery. Summoning the spirit of Robin Hood the SAS located these individuals, often the local fascist bigwigs, who would then be relieved of their reward, which the SAS used to finance their activities, such as providing boots and warm clothing to the escapees. It may all sound romantic and swashbuckling, with a sprinkling of ex French Foreign Legionnaires and the odd US don added to the mix, but mistakes would be fatal.
The bravery wasn’t restricted to the soldiers, many Italians, especially farmers, risked life and property to help the SAS and the POWs. Their spirit and generosity are rightly recognised.
The bulk of the stories included are a direct result of the infamous ‘stay put’ order issued by MI9 in opposition to other direct orders. When the Italian forces surrendered early into the Allied invasion and liberation of Italy MI9 made a very bad judgement call, telling the POWs in the Italian camps to ‘stay put’ and wait for the allied forces to reach them. The Italians may have capitulated, but the Germans doubled down, reinforcing their lines and taking over the camps. Prisoners were relocated to Germany and those who had escaped were hunted down, sometimes using lethal force. It was against this backdrop the SAS went behind enemy lines to locate these escapees and guide them back safely to the safety of the Allied lines.
If you have read any of the Author’s earlier SAS books you will have a good idea how they operate, hiding up during daylight, improvising and using what is available, striking quick and hard before retreat and capturing any enemy arms and ammunition. Here new skills are developed, and the men are in their element. Extraction by sea brings in a piratical element, even down to attire, the regiment never being one for strict uniform code. To aid the capture of escaped POWs the German’s issued bounties for information leading to their discovery. Summoning the spirit of Robin Hood the SAS located these individuals, often the local fascist bigwigs, who would then be relieved of their reward, which the SAS used to finance their activities, such as providing boots and warm clothing to the escapees. It may all sound romantic and swashbuckling, with a sprinkling of ex French Foreign Legionnaires and the odd US don added to the mix, but mistakes would be fatal.
The bravery wasn’t restricted to the soldiers, many Italians, especially farmers, risked life and property to help the SAS and the POWs. Their spirit and generosity are rightly recognised.
Want to read
January 18, 2026Imagine the conversation in the publishing office:
"The books about a train?"
"Yes, so let's stick a photo of a train on the front."
"Which photo."
"Oh, anyone will do."
"OK. Let's photoshop the number off the front bit. Then nobody will notice."
OK, so that's a photograph of a British steam locomotive. Specifically, it's a Rebuilt Royal Scot (or maybe a Rebuilt Patriot or Rebuilt Jubilee — it's difficult to tell without getting a good look at the cab). The photograph has been mirrored, so (1) the reversing rod is visible on the right-hand side of the engine (it should be on the left of the engine, running from the cab to the valve gear), (2) the vacuum break pipe is on the left of the buffer beam (it should be on the right), and (3) the train appears to be running on the right (trains in Britain usually run on the left). It's passing over some water troughs, so I think the location is Dillicar Troughs on the West Coast Main Line. The engine has had its smokebox door number plate photoshopped off, but not its shed plate (12A Carlisle Upperby). The photo is most likely postwar and may be by Eric Treacy (it's certainly in his style).
This is pretty much the equivalent of writing a book about a Tiger tank and putting a picture of a Cromwell tank on the front.
"The books about a train?"
"Yes, so let's stick a photo of a train on the front."
"Which photo."
"Oh, anyone will do."
"OK. Let's photoshop the number off the front bit. Then nobody will notice."
OK, so that's a photograph of a British steam locomotive. Specifically, it's a Rebuilt Royal Scot (or maybe a Rebuilt Patriot or Rebuilt Jubilee — it's difficult to tell without getting a good look at the cab). The photograph has been mirrored, so (1) the reversing rod is visible on the right-hand side of the engine (it should be on the left of the engine, running from the cab to the valve gear), (2) the vacuum break pipe is on the left of the buffer beam (it should be on the right), and (3) the train appears to be running on the right (trains in Britain usually run on the left). It's passing over some water troughs, so I think the location is Dillicar Troughs on the West Coast Main Line. The engine has had its smokebox door number plate photoshopped off, but not its shed plate (12A Carlisle Upperby). The photo is most likely postwar and may be by Eric Treacy (it's certainly in his style).
This is pretty much the equivalent of writing a book about a Tiger tank and putting a picture of a Cromwell tank on the front.
January 16, 2026
To be honest, I am a little disappointed after reading the book. The title, blurb, and every article about the book talk about learning the story of the Great Train Raid, which is true to some extent. However, the story featured on the cover actually only makes up 10-15% of the book.
Listening to an interview with the author, it turns out that most of the book was already written when he came across the train story. So it's understandable why there's only such a short section about it in the book, but regardless, I feel cheated.
The rest of the book doesn't really find its focus either. We read very short, separate stories with lots of characters. Regardless, I don't regret reading it at all, I just want to warn everyone that you may not get what you expect.
Listening to an interview with the author, it turns out that most of the book was already written when he came across the train story. So it's understandable why there's only such a short section about it in the book, but regardless, I feel cheated.
The rest of the book doesn't really find its focus either. We read very short, separate stories with lots of characters. Regardless, I don't regret reading it at all, I just want to warn everyone that you may not get what you expect.
October 23, 2025
I read the book in a single 14-hour sitting because I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was there with the men, experiencing the war as they did.
It is an incredible story, masterfully written with humour and suspense, featuring plot twists that highlight the unpredictability of situations behind enemy lines.
It is an incredible story, masterfully written with humour and suspense, featuring plot twists that highlight the unpredictability of situations behind enemy lines.
January 13, 2026
Another great SAS historic book, sadly it didn’t go to any great lengths regarding the “train story” but mostly about what it lead onto.
This has not put me off reading other Damian Lewis SAS stories as I have found him to be an excellent teller of their stories.
A good book if you don’t want to read another Paddy mayne or David Sterling book.
This has not put me off reading other Damian Lewis SAS stories as I have found him to be an excellent teller of their stories.
A good book if you don’t want to read another Paddy mayne or David Sterling book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews