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SAS 101
- Author
- Titch Cormack
- Narrator
- Titch Cormack
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 21 May 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 23 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
THE ACTION-PACKED STORY OF THE WWII GROUP THAT BECAME OUR SAS, FROM ONE OF THE UK'S MOST STORIED SPECIAL FORCES OPERATORS
War came to North Africa in June 1940. But it would be another year and half before a newly-formed SAS went into action for the first time. Until then, the job of taking the fight to the enemy in their own backyard belonged to an elite, top secret band of brothers called the Long Range Desert Group.
They were Britain’s first special forces
Born out of a pre-war club of explorers, eccentrics and mavericks, the LRDG wrote the book on covert warfare, developing new tactics, techniques and weaponry that would stand the test of time. Operating alone behind enemy lines, the men performed astonishing feats of navigation, endurance and survival. Stung by their success, Nazi propaganda branded them as highwaymen of the desert.
The LRDG mentored, supported and sometimes rescued the young SAS, and yet, disbanded at the end of the war, the unit’s remarkable exploits have been largely forgotten. But it was the LRDG who paved the way for Monty’s ultimate victory in the desert.
Drawing on his own decade’s service with UK Special Forces, author Titch Cormack brings to life the extraordinary, action-packed but little-known story of Britain’s original rogue heroes like never before.
'A must read for any military enthusiast . . . insightful and inspirational' JASON FOX
'A heartfelt tribute to the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), the lesser-known but pivotal unit in the story of modern special forces . . . told by someone who's been there and done it' TOM PETCH, AUTHOR OF SPEED, AGGRESSION, SURPRISE
‘Brilliant Stuff. Reads like a thriller.’ DERMOT O’LEARY
'A gripping deep dive . . . I've served with the author. I’ve seen courage. This book reminds you where ours came from.' AL CARNS
'Titch Cormack spent ten years in the SBS undertaking dangerous, covert operations around the world' THE TIMES
‘There seemed to be nothing they did not know about the desert’
DAVID STIRLING, Founder of the SAS
© Titch Cormack 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Critics Review
-
Titch has done something rare: he’s written about Special Forces with the honesty of someone who’s lived the trade, and the historian’s discipline to prove every hard point. From his own path through the Royal Marines and the SBS, he takes you back to the real genesis of modern UKSF doctrine — not the myth, but the men and mechanics who made it work, day after day, mile after brutal mile.
A gripping deep-dive into the skills, resilience, and hard-won mindset required to survive—and prevail against the enemy—in the harshest environment on Earth. You’ll feel the institutional friction that nearly strangled the Long Range Desert Group at birth, and you’ll see how success in that kind of war in that kind of war isn’t about brute force, but about intelligence, adaptability, and nerve—earned the hard way, under relentless pressure. I served with the author. I’ve seen courage. This book reminds you where ours came from.AL CARNS
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Details
- Author
- Titch Cormack
- Narrator
- Titch Cormack
- Duration
- 9 hours 23 minutes
- Release Date
- 21 May 2026
- ISBN
- 9781405979870
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- True war and combat stories, Second World War, Special and elite forces, Military vehicles and transport of air, land and sea
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. THE ACTION-PACKED STORY OF THE WWII GROUP THAT BECAME OUR SAS, FROM ONE OF THE UK'S MOST STORIED SPECIAL FORCES OPERATORSWar came to North Africa in June 1940. But it would be another year and half before a newly-formed SAS went into action for the first time. Until then, the job of taking the fight to the enemy in their own backyard belonged to an elite, top secret band of brothers called the Long Range Desert Group.They were Britain’s first special forcesBorn out of a pre-war club of explorers, eccentrics and mavericks, the LRDG wrote the book on covert warfare, developing new tactics, techniques and weaponry that would stand the test of time. Operating alone behind enemy lines, the men performed astonishing feats of navigation, endurance and survival. Stung by their success, Nazi propaganda branded them as highwaymen of the desert.The LRDG mentored, supported and sometimes rescued the young SAS, and yet, disbanded at the end of the war, the unit’s remarkable exploits have been largely forgotten. But it was the LRDG who paved the way for Monty’s ultimate victory in the desert.Drawing on his own decade’s service with UK Special Forces, author Titch Cormack brings to life the extraordinary, action-packed but little-known story of Britain’s original rogue heroes like never before.'A must read for any military enthusiast . . . insightful and inspirational' JASON FOX'A heartfelt tribute to the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), the lesser-known but pivotal unit in the story of modern special forces . . . told by someone who's been there and done it' TOM PETCH, AUTHOR OF SPEED, AGGRESSION, SURPRISE‘Brilliant Stuff. Reads like a thriller.’ DERMOT O’LEARY'A gripping deep dive . . . I've served with the author. I’ve seen courage. This book reminds you where ours came from.' AL CARNS'Titch Cormack spent ten years in the SBS undertaking dangerous, covert operations around the world' THE TIMES‘There seemed to be nothing they did not know about the desert’DAVID STIRLING, Founder of the SAS© Titch Cormack 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
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