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Elite
"Riveting stuff. Through the prism of his experience of the military elite, Fiennes presents a dazzling history of the world's best fighting units to amaze and enthral the reader." Damien Lewis, Bestselling author of Zero Six BravoInspired by the heroic war time escapades of his father, as well as drawing on his own experiences in the special forces , acclaimed adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes thrillingly explores the history of elite military units, from ancient Sparta to the War on Terror . The best of the best , these elite units have frequently been immortalised on the big screen, and in computer games, for their daring deeds . Whether it be fighting on the battlefield , storming forts and castles, rescuing hostages , high stakes reconnaissance missions or the dramatic assassination of enemy leaders , these are the men who are relied upon to undertake dangerous missions of the highest stakes. While celebrating the heroics of groups such as the SAS and Navy Seals , Sir Ranulph also reveals the true stories of infamous organisations such as The Assassins and Templar Knights . Uncovering their origins, and examining their weapons and tactics, Sir Ranulph showcases these units most famous missions , and reveals the men behind them. Showing incredible courage , often in the face of impossible odds , these units have also changed the course of history along the way. Sir Ranulph discusses the reasons behind their success and failures, with many notorious conflicts often being decided by these elite units facing off against each other, with the victor not only evolving warfare, but also consigning their opponent to history. While these units traditionally prefer to operate in the shadows , Sir Ranulph brings their remarkable histories to the fore, told with his trademark ability to weave a story which has seen him become one of Britain’s most beloved bestselling authors .
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 2019
About the author
Ranulph Fiennes
101 books302 followersSir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE, better known as Ranulph (Ran) Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records.
Fiennes has written books about his army service and his expeditions as well as a book defending Robert Falcon Scott from modern revisionists. In May 2009, aged 65, he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. According to the Guinness Book of World Records he is the world's greatest living adventurer.
Fiennes has written books about his army service and his expeditions as well as a book defending Robert Falcon Scott from modern revisionists. In May 2009, aged 65, he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. According to the Guinness Book of World Records he is the world's greatest living adventurer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 12, 2020
I am interested in military history so I feel I should have enjoyed this more. It is clearly well researched but something was missing, for me personally anyway. I felt once I was getting into the detail of a certain chapter it would move onto the next a little too prematurely. I could be being bias as there was no mention of the SBS and due to my family connection to the man who formed it, I was a little bit disappointed by this.
On the face of it everything about this book screamed Alan Partridge to me. The fictional character Alan would love it. That is not meant as a sly insult, quite the opposite, I think in this day and age of wannabes many of us are a bit Walter Mitty and perhaps fancy ourselves capable of the things within this books pages. When in reality, we havent got a clue.
All round for me it was quite good and due to the research within the pages anything less than 3 stars would be unfair. if you are interested in the subject you may well enjoy it.
ps The authors own life sounds fascinating life which I will read more about.
On the face of it everything about this book screamed Alan Partridge to me. The fictional character Alan would love it. That is not meant as a sly insult, quite the opposite, I think in this day and age of wannabes many of us are a bit Walter Mitty and perhaps fancy ourselves capable of the things within this books pages. When in reality, we havent got a clue.
All round for me it was quite good and due to the research within the pages anything less than 3 stars would be unfair. if you are interested in the subject you may well enjoy it.
ps The authors own life sounds fascinating life which I will read more about.
November 13, 2019
3.5/5 Stars, were it possible.
I think this book did what it set out to do - give the reader a taste of various elite military forces throughout history.
It seems to be tailored towards a layman more than someone with extensive knowledge on these forces already. Perhaps that’s why some are disappointed?
Beginning with the Persian Immortals and ending win the US Navy SEALs, Fiennes takes us through history with each chapter focusing on a particular force. Usually the format is one of ‘why the force was created’, ‘training/requirements’ and then an example of a famous action where they demonstrated their abilities and skills. Intertwined are anecdotes of his own life experiences.
Personally, I found he spent rather too much time on these personal anecdotes, given each force only has a single chapter. Thankfully, the ratio of time devoted to those relative to the force in question drastically reduced as the book went on. Personally, I also found them a tad bragging in tone which didn’t seem fitting when the book is chiefly intended to discuss others.
There are areas of history I have never covered (Mongols, Japanese Ninja, Assassins) which this book has now wetted my appetite for and I shall be doing some further reading on those topics. This is, again, the main purpose of the book. Instead of reading 20 books, we can read one and have a taste of all these different worlds before going off ourselves to explore one in detail if we so chose.
The book also reads very well, with a narrative tone that reminded me of Saul David’s absolutely wonderful Zulu Wars book.
I did however dislike some of the simplification of history. Again, I understand that a 340-page book covering a time period from the ancient world to the present day cannot be forensic, but one particular line irked me. I believe it was during the WWII Battle of Britain chapter when the author closed with a statement to the effect of ‘the British then went on to defeat the German armed forces and win the war’. Britain did its part and no-one who has read of that war could say otherwise, but this is an exceptionally Anglo-centric view of things. Even a simple addition of “alongside its western allies and the Soviet Union” would have made all the difference. It may seem nitpicking, but I believe in crediting all those who fought that conflict and it wouldn’t have been hard to do or taken up many words..
A quick issue though - the photograph section features a fairly obvious and terrible error. An image of Royal Marines Commandos, indicated by their desert DPM camouflage and Marine-badged green berets, is captioned as depicting US Green Berets. Anyone with a passing knowledge of the Royal Marines will immediately spot this and sadly it does impact a book which is meant to inform us. After all - if this error is present, are there others?
Overall, I would recommend this book, just don’t expect to leave with a forensic knowledge of these military forces. Take it for what it is and you should have a good time. It also isn’t overly long, and the individual chapters for each force make reading it easy to dip in and out of. It may also lead you to new areas of history you never touched before - it certainly did for me.
I think this book did what it set out to do - give the reader a taste of various elite military forces throughout history.
It seems to be tailored towards a layman more than someone with extensive knowledge on these forces already. Perhaps that’s why some are disappointed?
Beginning with the Persian Immortals and ending win the US Navy SEALs, Fiennes takes us through history with each chapter focusing on a particular force. Usually the format is one of ‘why the force was created’, ‘training/requirements’ and then an example of a famous action where they demonstrated their abilities and skills. Intertwined are anecdotes of his own life experiences.
Personally, I found he spent rather too much time on these personal anecdotes, given each force only has a single chapter. Thankfully, the ratio of time devoted to those relative to the force in question drastically reduced as the book went on. Personally, I also found them a tad bragging in tone which didn’t seem fitting when the book is chiefly intended to discuss others.
There are areas of history I have never covered (Mongols, Japanese Ninja, Assassins) which this book has now wetted my appetite for and I shall be doing some further reading on those topics. This is, again, the main purpose of the book. Instead of reading 20 books, we can read one and have a taste of all these different worlds before going off ourselves to explore one in detail if we so chose.
The book also reads very well, with a narrative tone that reminded me of Saul David’s absolutely wonderful Zulu Wars book.
I did however dislike some of the simplification of history. Again, I understand that a 340-page book covering a time period from the ancient world to the present day cannot be forensic, but one particular line irked me. I believe it was during the WWII Battle of Britain chapter when the author closed with a statement to the effect of ‘the British then went on to defeat the German armed forces and win the war’. Britain did its part and no-one who has read of that war could say otherwise, but this is an exceptionally Anglo-centric view of things. Even a simple addition of “alongside its western allies and the Soviet Union” would have made all the difference. It may seem nitpicking, but I believe in crediting all those who fought that conflict and it wouldn’t have been hard to do or taken up many words..
A quick issue though - the photograph section features a fairly obvious and terrible error. An image of Royal Marines Commandos, indicated by their desert DPM camouflage and Marine-badged green berets, is captioned as depicting US Green Berets. Anyone with a passing knowledge of the Royal Marines will immediately spot this and sadly it does impact a book which is meant to inform us. After all - if this error is present, are there others?
Overall, I would recommend this book, just don’t expect to leave with a forensic knowledge of these military forces. Take it for what it is and you should have a good time. It also isn’t overly long, and the individual chapters for each force make reading it easy to dip in and out of. It may also lead you to new areas of history you never touched before - it certainly did for me.
March 5, 2020
I love military history and historical fiction. This just didnt hit all the notes. Each chapter covered a different elite group however some were only 5-6 pages long. Just wanted more
November 30, 2024
Not a bad book, indeed the content was laden with fascinating historical accounts. However, there was a lot of repetition within the chapters about what to takes to become a member of an elite fighting group, as well as their subsequent training regimes after joining. Definitely a book for those with an interest in military histories and developments.
June 19, 2020
Firstly, I confess that as Sir Ranulph ‘Ran’ Fiennes is one of my personal heroes, I was really looking forward to reading The Elite. It is therefore with no lack of respect intended towards the “world’s greatest living explorer” that I must report I was ultimately left a little disappointed.
I do agree with other Reviewers that Ran’s frequent somewhat random introduction of his own ‘ripping yarns’ does come across as a little self-indulgent. These personal anecdotes will probably already be familiar to anyone who has read Ran’s earlier autobiographical works and become a frustrating distraction as the book progresses regardless of how impressive those personal feats might have been. The earlier chapters in particular require considerable concentration and I often found myself having to re-read pages, for example, after being abruptly transported from the rampaging Mongol hoards in the 11th Century to Ran reminiscing about a polar trek with Dr Mike Stroud in 1993!
A meticulously researched book as you might expect from a man who plans polar expeditions and world circumnavigations, the reader is still left pondering what might have been. In Ran’s defence, trying to condense so much history into a mere 373 pages must have been another significant challenge and whilst a valiant attempt was clearly made, the strain still shows. One begins to wonder whether the earlier draft of the Elite was perhaps much, much longer before some over-enthusiastic editing ensued prior to publication?
I also found some of the groups included surprising and with no disrespect to the RAF and their sacrifice for us during the Battle of Britain for instance, would they normally be considered in the same context as the other military elite in the book? I only have a passing interest in military history but would still argue that amongst illustrious others the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Chindits from the Burma Campaign were equally deserving of a mention in what admittedly then would then have become a much lengthier tome.
In summary, the Elite is a perfectly competent, well-researched basic introduction to the world’s Elite fighting forces compiled by an engaging and knowledgeable author. Ran provides an informative insight into his Elite and their military achievements that may ultimately leave you wanting to learn more.
A solid 3/5 for The Elite that so nearly reached the heights of a 4 from this reviewer!
I do agree with other Reviewers that Ran’s frequent somewhat random introduction of his own ‘ripping yarns’ does come across as a little self-indulgent. These personal anecdotes will probably already be familiar to anyone who has read Ran’s earlier autobiographical works and become a frustrating distraction as the book progresses regardless of how impressive those personal feats might have been. The earlier chapters in particular require considerable concentration and I often found myself having to re-read pages, for example, after being abruptly transported from the rampaging Mongol hoards in the 11th Century to Ran reminiscing about a polar trek with Dr Mike Stroud in 1993!
A meticulously researched book as you might expect from a man who plans polar expeditions and world circumnavigations, the reader is still left pondering what might have been. In Ran’s defence, trying to condense so much history into a mere 373 pages must have been another significant challenge and whilst a valiant attempt was clearly made, the strain still shows. One begins to wonder whether the earlier draft of the Elite was perhaps much, much longer before some over-enthusiastic editing ensued prior to publication?
I also found some of the groups included surprising and with no disrespect to the RAF and their sacrifice for us during the Battle of Britain for instance, would they normally be considered in the same context as the other military elite in the book? I only have a passing interest in military history but would still argue that amongst illustrious others the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Chindits from the Burma Campaign were equally deserving of a mention in what admittedly then would then have become a much lengthier tome.
In summary, the Elite is a perfectly competent, well-researched basic introduction to the world’s Elite fighting forces compiled by an engaging and knowledgeable author. Ran provides an informative insight into his Elite and their military achievements that may ultimately leave you wanting to learn more.
A solid 3/5 for The Elite that so nearly reached the heights of a 4 from this reviewer!
December 22, 2019
A fascinating and well-written account of some of the most incredible fighting forces throughout history.
The author is well known (to me, at least) for his own exploits, but I found his constant reference to himself in parallel situations a little unnecessary, and the only non-gripping element of this otherwise supremely entertaining and engaging slice of history.
Even with the self references, this is a cracking read and a real page-turner
The author is well known (to me, at least) for his own exploits, but I found his constant reference to himself in parallel situations a little unnecessary, and the only non-gripping element of this otherwise supremely entertaining and engaging slice of history.
Even with the self references, this is a cracking read and a real page-turner
January 1, 2020
I wish he would write less about himself - I didnt buy the book to read this guys biography.
June 17, 2020
Having a cursory overview of world history, most people could probably make a decent guess at who Mr Fiennes would be bringing up in this list: Immortals, Spartans, Praetorians, the Varangian Guard, the Knights Templar, and SAS to name a few. Overall, this made for a dull and uninspired selection of reviewed elite troops, most of which the author did his best to tie into English history, to which lacklustre research and continuous self-aggrandizement can be added as two negatives of this work.
With regards the research, there wasn’t much here that one can’t find with a few basic online searches. What’s worse, it felt that any research the author had done, was solely for the purpose of placing either himself or someone from his family into a similar situation—because he actually wanted to describe that. In that way, the German take-over of Soviet oil fields and British paratrooper training were all turned into another adventure in the life of Ranulph Fiennes along with his forefather who fought in the Crusades and others who did their best in the Civil War. This absolutely constant self-worship become old very fast.
Meanwhile, the selection of units that the author described wasn’t only centred on Western Europe, but specifically England. Of the 25 chapters, six were of British units, two more linked to Britain (and, naturally, to Mr Fiennes’ family), another four of nations who fought against Britain (and, of course, who were defeated despite their special training), plus another two who should have been British but were accidentally American. In addition, five chapters lay down the “base” of Western civilization, including a very bad retelling of Thermopylae though the reader at least gets the idea that Mr Fiennes was sorry to eradicate the part of the Spartan allies through some of the mentions he made.
This left for very few other people and units to be described: the Janissaries, Mamluks, Assassins, Ninjas, and the Landsknechten. One might have thought that the French Foreign Legion could deserve a mention? Or the Swiss Guard? What about Frederick’s Grenadiers? Polish Hussars? Boer commandos? Tirolian jaegers? Persian zamburaks? The Sikh? It is probably the exclusion of the last and their stand at Saragarhi which hurt me most: Mr Fiennes doesn’t even represent British history properly!
In simple terms: once was enough, and it was enough to put me off Mr Fiennes for good. I’ve read this so you don’t have to.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
With regards the research, there wasn’t much here that one can’t find with a few basic online searches. What’s worse, it felt that any research the author had done, was solely for the purpose of placing either himself or someone from his family into a similar situation—because he actually wanted to describe that. In that way, the German take-over of Soviet oil fields and British paratrooper training were all turned into another adventure in the life of Ranulph Fiennes along with his forefather who fought in the Crusades and others who did their best in the Civil War. This absolutely constant self-worship become old very fast.
Meanwhile, the selection of units that the author described wasn’t only centred on Western Europe, but specifically England. Of the 25 chapters, six were of British units, two more linked to Britain (and, naturally, to Mr Fiennes’ family), another four of nations who fought against Britain (and, of course, who were defeated despite their special training), plus another two who should have been British but were accidentally American. In addition, five chapters lay down the “base” of Western civilization, including a very bad retelling of Thermopylae though the reader at least gets the idea that Mr Fiennes was sorry to eradicate the part of the Spartan allies through some of the mentions he made.
This left for very few other people and units to be described: the Janissaries, Mamluks, Assassins, Ninjas, and the Landsknechten. One might have thought that the French Foreign Legion could deserve a mention? Or the Swiss Guard? What about Frederick’s Grenadiers? Polish Hussars? Boer commandos? Tirolian jaegers? Persian zamburaks? The Sikh? It is probably the exclusion of the last and their stand at Saragarhi which hurt me most: Mr Fiennes doesn’t even represent British history properly!
In simple terms: once was enough, and it was enough to put me off Mr Fiennes for good. I’ve read this so you don’t have to.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
April 6, 2021
*Disclaimer: I was kindly gifted a copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
➛ PUBLISHED: December 2020
➛ PAGES: 373
➛ GENRE: Military History
➛ Paperback
Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes takes us on a journey through military history, showing us the cream of the crops. The Persian army in Egypt, the Spartans in Greece, the Vikings of Scandinavia, the shadow warriors (also known as the Ninja) in Japan, the Dutch Marine Corps and US Navy Seals are but a few of the special units mentioned in the book.
I'm not familiar with any military history except the history of the Persians invading Greece and the Immortals fighting against the Spartans, and because of that I particularly enjoyed the first three chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different elite unit and throughout the chapters, the author shares some of his own experiences which I found interesting.
The book is well researched and I found some of the tactics used by some of the units surprising and fascinating. If you're an avid reader or follower of military history you will find the time period from the ancient elite units up until the present day's special forces intriguing. Included in the book are photographs and depictions of several of the elite units mentioned in the book including a photograph of the author's father whom he never met but was inspired by.
Throughout this book, you will be taken through different wars during different time periods and learn more about the units, their leaders, their successes and failures. The index is useful for searching for a specific person or place and easily referring to it. If you already have military history knowledge or are new to this field, this extensive account will leave you content and your questions answered.
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...
➛ PUBLISHED: December 2020
➛ PAGES: 373
➛ GENRE: Military History
➛ Paperback
Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes takes us on a journey through military history, showing us the cream of the crops. The Persian army in Egypt, the Spartans in Greece, the Vikings of Scandinavia, the shadow warriors (also known as the Ninja) in Japan, the Dutch Marine Corps and US Navy Seals are but a few of the special units mentioned in the book.
I'm not familiar with any military history except the history of the Persians invading Greece and the Immortals fighting against the Spartans, and because of that I particularly enjoyed the first three chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different elite unit and throughout the chapters, the author shares some of his own experiences which I found interesting.
The book is well researched and I found some of the tactics used by some of the units surprising and fascinating. If you're an avid reader or follower of military history you will find the time period from the ancient elite units up until the present day's special forces intriguing. Included in the book are photographs and depictions of several of the elite units mentioned in the book including a photograph of the author's father whom he never met but was inspired by.
Throughout this book, you will be taken through different wars during different time periods and learn more about the units, their leaders, their successes and failures. The index is useful for searching for a specific person or place and easily referring to it. If you already have military history knowledge or are new to this field, this extensive account will leave you content and your questions answered.
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...
December 21, 2020
This is a good primer, an 'elite forces' 101, if you like. It trundles along at a reasonable pace, giving a good grounding and useful synopsis about various elite formations, from the Spartan 300 through to Delta Force. Covering the most high-profile of their respective exploits (e.g. the Iranian embassy siege for the SAS) this never goes into any huge detail about any one group. Other readers have complained about this shallowness, but this lack of depth is no bad thing - as long as you know what to expect. Also noted by others is Fiennes regular, self-aggrandising commentaries, where he takes pains to constantly remind readers that he was formerly in the SAS (in case you didn't know, or had somehow forgotten), was described by the Guinness World Records as the world's greatest explorer (in case you didn't know, or had somehow forgotten), and had trekked solo across the arctic and antacric continents (in case you didn't know, or had somehow forgotten). Whilst he theoretically offers these observations as comparisons, and indicative that he has insights into the trials and tribulations of the relevant elite forces, these asides simply come across as a bit "Look at me!" and don't actually do anything to either enhance the book or augment the narrative.
Overall I liked it; I learned a few new bits and pieces, and was reminded about some things that I'd forgotten, but it is too thin to be a proper reference book and has too much of Fiennes' own grand-standing to be really good. A shame, because Fiennes writes well and knows his stuff.
Supplemental comment: I listened to the audio book. This was well narrated, well-paced and well delivered. From an audio perspective, it was very good.
Overall I liked it; I learned a few new bits and pieces, and was reminded about some things that I'd forgotten, but it is too thin to be a proper reference book and has too much of Fiennes' own grand-standing to be really good. A shame, because Fiennes writes well and knows his stuff.
Supplemental comment: I listened to the audio book. This was well narrated, well-paced and well delivered. From an audio perspective, it was very good.
December 15, 2024
This book promises to 'reveal the true stories' of various special forces from throughout history. Instead, you get the story of how Fiennes, his father, and his ancestors single-handedly defeated thousands of soldiers, ruled the Holy Land, and destroyed empires. It is full of ego-driven personal anecdotes that completely break the flow of the 'historical facts' he shares with the reader. As other reviewers have said, his choice of which elite forces to include show a clear bias to the ones where he can shoehorn in stories about himself or his family.
Then, the facts themselves are atrocious. He either has done no research at all, or has copied headlines from newspapers which in turn are nonsense. I gave up almost completely after reading that the Vikings had 'horned helmets', and just skimmed through the rest of the book and saw more of the same twaddle.
Then, the facts themselves are atrocious. He either has done no research at all, or has copied headlines from newspapers which in turn are nonsense. I gave up almost completely after reading that the Vikings had 'horned helmets', and just skimmed through the rest of the book and saw more of the same twaddle.
January 3, 2020
Even before man emerged from the primordial swamp, living organisms have competed brutally for resources. Naturally, but sadly, similarities breed the most conflict.
This is a true tale of elite forces that have shaped history from the dawn of history through to today. Despite ruthless cruelty it does appear that humankind is growing kinder and more moral, as new weaponry emerges with civilization.
Israel and England are certainly in the forefront of this encouraging development in a world shaped until now by unimaginable horrors
The book is well written and interspersed with the author’s personal autobiography. Sickening in many parts, but worth persevering to the more uplifting end
This is a true tale of elite forces that have shaped history from the dawn of history through to today. Despite ruthless cruelty it does appear that humankind is growing kinder and more moral, as new weaponry emerges with civilization.
Israel and England are certainly in the forefront of this encouraging development in a world shaped until now by unimaginable horrors
The book is well written and interspersed with the author’s personal autobiography. Sickening in many parts, but worth persevering to the more uplifting end
May 25, 2025
The book does its job. It covers the elite forces across history and gives readers an idea of what this looks like. I often wanted to read more, but the chapter ended. I know it's impossible to cover a lot because this is not about one elite force. I liked the idea of the author outlining the personal anecdotes within the chapters, but it was a bit too much. Especially when you want to read more in the chapter, but suddenly it gets overshadowed by personal anecdotes. So, yes, it's more like an introduction or primer, but it does create enough interest for the reader to go ahead and explore more about a certain elite force.
March 22, 2020
Despite not being a major history buff I found this book VERY enjoyable!
I have always been fascinated by martial arts, espionage, and assassins (I blame my parents for letting me watch Mr & Mrs. Smith when I was 9) and 'The Elite' more than satisfied my curiosity on those subjects. Especially the chapter on The Ninja!! which has been (...and still is) my dream occupation since primary school LOL.
I have always been fascinated by martial arts, espionage, and assassins (I blame my parents for letting me watch Mr & Mrs. Smith when I was 9) and 'The Elite' more than satisfied my curiosity on those subjects. Especially the chapter on The Ninja!! which has been (...and still is) my dream occupation since primary school LOL.
May 16, 2020
I’d recommend picking this book up and reading only the chapters and periods that interest you. The Spartan 300, The Ninjas and The Navy Seals in particular interested me and encourage me to read more about them
I feel the author gets a little bogged down in the early 1900’s and it drags on, some of The Elite described not really sounding that Elite. But since it was a key period they may have had to be included
I feel the author gets a little bogged down in the early 1900’s and it drags on, some of The Elite described not really sounding that Elite. But since it was a key period they may have had to be included
February 14, 2021
I must confess I skipped most of the early chapters as things only got interesting for me; a layman, by WW I.
Really well written and documented. I see them as short introductions on why some elite groups were formed in the first place and what their most notable acts were and how these changed history.
The fact that the writer always seemed to be related to at least one of the most prominent characters or had a similar memoire to tell, is only mildly annoying ;-)
Really well written and documented. I see them as short introductions on why some elite groups were formed in the first place and what their most notable acts were and how these changed history.
The fact that the writer always seemed to be related to at least one of the most prominent characters or had a similar memoire to tell, is only mildly annoying ;-)
January 11, 2026
A prolific character like Ranulph Fiennes walks us through history with a wonderful insight into the various “special forces” groups through history. Throughout, he shares his own personal experiences from Arctic/Antarctic explorations, serving in the SAS, and more. He does well exploring tactics, methods, and shear bravery of these historical groups. A nice abbreviated read that can turn you on to other subjects of study through history.
March 27, 2020
A book that boosts introductions to a selection of special forces throughout history, it does well providing facts in an easy-to-digest language. However, it is fraught with the author's anecdotes, many of which appear in the oddest of places and causes one to wonder what purpose they serve.
June 9, 2020
I love Ran though this was not one of his best - It suited my interests which overcame its flaws but I can imagine that for many readers its attempt to bounce between his stories and the histories it recounts don't quite sit well together.
January 10, 2022
A journey through histories elite fighting units
Fiennes take a trip through histories elite fighting units. You may not always agree with his choices but the book is well written and you will learn something
Fiennes take a trip through histories elite fighting units. You may not always agree with his choices but the book is well written and you will learn something
January 30, 2022
This is a nice, easy read that covers some of the main elite fighting forces through history. However, the author's bias and need to insert his own family history and personal accomplishments into every chapter does tend to detract from the overall mediocre writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2022
Another great read for my, rapidly becoming, favourite author. We begin in ancient Greece and end with the Navy Seals. Brilliant chapter involving the Special Forces teams and the missions that made a difference.
September 8, 2023
Although Elite is entertaining, it deals in the mythology of elite soldiers, rather than the historical reality. It was an easy read, though I have emerged having learnt very little academically rigourous military history.
July 18, 2024
Each chapter discussed a different period of history and a different elite force. I would have enjoyed hearing more about the psychological make up of these men, and perhaps more about that training and History. The book just did not seem to go into enough detail to satisfy me.
August 11, 2025
Extremely interesting read. Enjoyed every aspect of the historical chapters and of Ranulphs family history. Highly recommend this as it was captivating from the outset right up to the modern day conclusion.
September 29, 2025
Barely a history book. Poorly researched and thinner than cig papers. I look forward to reading something by Ranulph Fiennes that he knows about, e.g his own fascinating life and times, because he clearly doesn't know much else
June 3, 2026
Great book, a very easy read. The chapters were very nicely put together and there was a pleasant, almost seamless transition between the various descriptions of the different elite military forces over the ages.
October 31, 2026
Great Book, really interesting to have a chronology like this, with input from a man of Fiennes experience. My only negative was in the Battle of Britain section, it is a slightly older reading of how it happened. The book itself though was a brilliant read.
December 28, 2019
Not extremely in-depth but gives a great overview of the different groups, allowing you enough information to keep you interested and get you to research more on your own. Would and have recommended.
January 15, 2020
Good high-level intro read. Constant self-reference got a little annoying though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews