2SAS: Bill Stirling and the forgotten special forces unit of World War II

This book is a fascinating history of Bill Stirling and 2SAS, the pioneering founders of modern special forces. It reveals that Bill Stirling was the real brains behind the operation, despite his brother David Stirling being the more famous. 2SAS fought with ingenuity and aggression, from Italy to France and then into Germany, establishing a template for future special forces operations. Their feats have been overshadowed by the many books that have focused on David and 1SAS, but this book corrects that oversight, revealing that Bill Stirling was the true pioneer of Who Dares Wins.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 12 October 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

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 Fully illustrated with rare and previously unpublished photographs, this compelling history details how 2SAS fought with ingenuity and aggression, from Italy and then into France before heading through Holland into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.

Weight: 1056g
Dimension: 249 x 200 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472856739