Rogue Heroes

The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War

By: Ben Macintyre

Narrated by: Ben Macintyre

2016 Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER •

The incredible untold story of World War II’s greatest secret fighting force, as told by the modern master of wartime intrigue—now a limited series on Epix!

“Reads like a mashup of The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape, with a sprinkling of Ocean’s 11 thrown in for good measure.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

ONE OF NPR’S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • “Rogue Heroes is a ripping good read.”—Washington Post (10 Best Books of the Year)

Britain’s Special Air Service—or SAS—was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young aristocrat whose aimlessness belied a remarkable strategic mind. Where most of his colleagues looked at a World War II battlefield map and saw a protracted struggle, Stirling saw an opportunity: given a small number of elite men, he could parachute behind Nazi lines and sabotage their airplanes and supplies. Defying his superiors’ conventional wisdom, Stirling assembled a revolutionary fighting force that would upend not just the balance of the war, but the nature of combat itself.

Bringing his keen eye for detail to a riveting wartime narrative, Ben Macintyre uses his unprecedented access to the SAS archives to shine a light on a legendary unit long shrouded in secrecy.

©2016 Ben Macintyre (P)2016 Random House Audio

Outstanding history, detail and insight

Ben Maceintyreid excellent and brings the understated British war heroes to life. Their perseverance, self sacrifice and espri de corps silently shifted WW II in Europe and this book brings valor in the face of pure evil in war.

If you want to understand special operations and the men in these services, this is the book. Yo will catch a glymps of the moral, heroic, self deprecating, sometimes reprehensable, unpredictable and unbelievable human feats possible.

Truth is stranger than fiction

If this had been a novel or screenplay, I wouldn't have found it very believable. The characters are fascinating and the events are incredible. The novel is written for laypeople, but would probably be a good starting place for military history nerds who are interested in special forces.

One of the most riveting books I’ve listened to

This book sat in my Audible library for several months before I decided to listen. Rogue Heroes is probably one of the top 5 books I’ve listened to in my 100+ book library. The exploits of these true unheralded heroes of WWII were truly remarkable and helped to turn the tide of the war. Ben McIntyre is also a remarkable storyteller and narrator.

Really Appreciated this history

Thankful for the sacrifice made by these warriors, which the book did a great job of describing.

great story of an amazing outfit.

highly recommended for anyone who loves military history and/or the story of misfits who kick butt!

Worth it!

Excellent book that gives a humane and detailed overview of the SAS' founding and history.

Truly incredible

Amazing insights to what laid the groundwork for all special operation military work. Two words describe the men depicted in this book... "True Grit"

Remarkable Story

Remarkable men, doing things few are able and willing to do for the sake of our freedom.

Fantastic job!

What a great story to tell all of us, didn’t know about this group during the war.

what a ride an incredible tribute to the SAS

we listen to this book. I laughed. I cringed and I almost cried these men and women of the SAS where courageous and jolly as they waged war against the enemy taking great risks with little thought of there safety and thinking of only killing and wreaking havoc on their enemy the author did a great job In making you see all sides of these brave men thank you