Drawing on recently declassified files and interviews with veterans,
this is a fascinating history of Bill Stirling and 2SAS - pioneering
founders of modern special forces.
David Stirling is the name synonymous with the wartime SAS, but the real
brains behind the operation was in fact Bill Stirling, David's eldest
brother. Bill was described in the SAS War Diary as a 'man from the
shadows'; it was an apt description for, unlike his attention seeking
brother, Bill shunned the spotlight. Now for the first time the truth -
and the triumph - of 2SAS is revealed.
Having originally joined the SOE in March 1940, Bill Stirling sailed for
Cairo in 1941 and there had the idea for a small special forces unit to
be led by his mercurial brother. But despite some success, David allowed
the legendary 1SAS to drift under his leadership. Following his capture,
Bill re-directed 2SAS, under his personal command, to the strategy he
had originally envisaged: parachuting behind enemy lines to gather
intelligence.
Fully illustrated with rare and previously unpublished photographs, this
compelling history details how 2SAS fought with ingenuity and
aggression, from Italy and then into France before heading through
Holland into Germany. The unit was capable of attacking by parachute,
jeep or landing craft, establishing a template for future special
forces' operations. Their feats have been overshadowed by the many books
that have focused on David and 1SAS. 2SAS corrects this oversight,
revealing that the real innovator was Bill Stirling - the true pioneer
of Who Dares Wins.
