SAS 101
The Action-Packed True Story of the WWII Heroes Who Made The SAS
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SAS 101
Buy Now for £12.06
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Narrated by:
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Titch Cormack
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By:
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Titch Cormack
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
Critic reviews
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.
The endurance elements of the escape and evasions that feature through this book are Super human. In chapter 7s 'Moor's March' one man walks 200 miles (100 miles bare footed!).
The New Zealand contribution to LRDG was a big stand out point.
The Author injects his own modern military/mechanical experience periodically throughout the book which was fascinating to hear. Listening on Audible the Authors horse sore throat clears up as things get flowing. This Book was a very interesting read.
Really hope to get an autobiography from Author Titch Cormack in the near future!
History's Toughest Desert Taxi Service!
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A compelling story of the swashbuckling desert pirates
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I've been fascinated by the LRDG since my childhood when my grandfather gave me some copies of Cecil Beaton's famous pictures of them which appeared in Life magazine. These men covered in dust and wearing the famous scorpion cap badge looked unconventional and piratical.
Since then I've read anything I could find on the unit and was privileged to sort out and archive some LRDG items, including an MM awarded after the Barce raid, for the family of an LRDG veteran who's sadly no longer with us and attended an LRDG reunion in London with many of the descendants of those mentioned in the book and Titch echoes what so many of them had to say in as much as the SAS grabbed all the glory from their exploits but the none of it would have been possible without the expertise of the LRDG.
The fact that Titch talks from experience having been not only been a special forces operator but was also attached to the Mobility Troop or section of the SBS and has operated in the desert and so knows what he's talking about and has used some of the tactics that the LRDG first used and have remained largely unchanged ever since adds to the fact he's telling the story of those who went before him and whom he clearly greatly admires.
A cracking book for anyone wanting an insight into the LRDG and it's legacy.
It's long overdue that they are finally recognised for what they achieved.
Excellent. Good to see the LRDG get long I overdue recognition.
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