To survive over 20 years of active service in the SAS takes a particular kind of man. Pete Scholey, ex Royal Artillery and Parachute Regiment, possessed the necessary mix of courage and coolness under extreme pressure. He joined the SAS in 1963 and eventually hung up his boots in 1986, 23 years later. During that time he served - often covertly - in many of the world's trouble spots. In "The Joker", he vividly describes life as a soldier at the sharp end, giving first-hand accounts of the many actions he was involved in, from jungle warfare in Borneo and desert fighting in Aden and Oman to his part in the setting up of the counter-terrorist team that was successfully used in the siege of the Iranian Embassy in 1980. He outlines the operational skills that took his teams deep into enemy territory without ever being captured, reveals how they achieved their objectives and describes the humour that he managed to find in the most hair-raising moments. An exciting account of some of this century's most sensitive and dangerous operations, told by a born raconteur, "The Joker" also offers a genuine insight into the toughness, professionalism and camaraderie that has made the SAS the world's premier fighting force.
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"Taylor's self-deprecating, sardonic writing style turns what could have been tiresome descriptions of his training regime and his first few races into laugh-aloud prose. [His] book is both amusing and eye-opening and will appeal to a wide range of readers - even those whose running experience is limited to sprinting for the morning bus.' - Booklist"
About the Author
After completing national service, Pete Scholey immediately signed up for the regular Army. He served two yeas with the Royal Army Service Corps, three years with the Royal Regiment of Artillery, then three years in the Parachute Regiment before volunteering for the SAS in 1963. There he served 23 years in campaigns that took him all over the world. He continues to give talks about his time with this elite team.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The Radfan mountains and the jungles of Borneo are a world away from where I grew up, and if you'd told me back then that I was going to be a career soldier for nearly thirty years, and that most of those years were going to be spent slogging around some of the wildest parts of the world, with a bergen on my back and a rifle in my hand, I'd have said you were mad. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The Radfan mountains and the jungles of Borneo are a world away from where I grew up, and if you'd told me back then that I was going to be a career soldier for nearly thirty years, and that most of those years were going to be spent slogging around some of the wildest parts of the world, with a bergen on my back and a rifle in my hand, I'd have said you were mad. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is about the Author's life in the British 22nd Special Air Service. It is writen in a very informal, humorus way, quite amusing to read about some of his escapades in desert and jungle warfare. It gives an amusing insight into the history of the Special Air Service. The author was involved in some of the most dangerous and sensitive operations that the SAS has been involved with, it is very interesting. A must read for anybody interested in the army and the SAS.
63 of 67 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This has got to be one of the funniest books I've read, especially since the hilarious parts happen in some of the most dangerous parts of the world, in the direst and most hair raising moments possible. The author takes you from his life as a child in Brighton to the end of his sas career.He gives excellent accounts of the actions he was involved in. You've got to read the book to believe some of the things I could tell you, because you wouldn't believe the things possible.
In conclusion, it's a very exciting book and if you are an sas buff like me, you'll find it's one of the best on the market. If you are not an sas buff but just want to get into the subject or want something to read it gives details of all aspects of sas life and is light and entertaining. Unlike other sas books which get heavy as well as political, this gives you brief outlines of the situations just so you can understand them. But this is a funny, funny book.
In conclusion, it's a very exciting book and if you are an sas buff like me, you'll find it's one of the best on the market. If you are not an sas buff but just want to get into the subject or want something to read it gives details of all aspects of sas life and is light and entertaining. Unlike other sas books which get heavy as well as political, this gives you brief outlines of the situations just so you can understand them. But this is a funny, funny book.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Pete Scholey is a very funny man. Every SAS autobiography that I've read has been pompous, macho and testosterone-packed: Scholey completely subverts this by blowing the whistle on what actually happened.
A typical example took place in the jungles of Borneo: Scholey got stuck up a tree when a helicopter winch broke and he was then attacked by an irate orang-utan. Unable to escape, he was forced to shoot the ape, but the rest of the patrol, on the ground two hundred feet below him had no idea what had happened and assumed that the man-shaped object falling out of the tree was him. One of Scholey's mates then tried to break 'Pete's' fall, only to have a quarter ton dead orang-utan land on him.
The whole book is filled with stories like that: tremendous!
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book
great book, although I have seen most of the sas documentarys which have shown some of the things in the book its still a great read
Published 1 month ago by craig clark
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
bloody great read. really enjoyed this, like other books in its class only better. nice to see a new perspective
Published 4 months ago by jamie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun read.
Easy to read,not a big book by any means but I really enjoyed it.Absolutely hilarious alot of the time hence the name but informative and interesting. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Gcab
5.0 out of 5 stars
looks great .......
.......... shameful attitude to tax from Amazon - that hurts us all. I'll be buying my books elsewhere until significant change occurs here ....
Published 5 months ago by Bob B
4.0 out of 5 stars
Honest book
This book is a good read based on this guys impressive career, however I have to agree that it didn't live up to the title as he didn't inject enough of the typical Army banter and... Read more
Published 12 months ago by David Hull
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very little new here
In the main the book consists of re-telling the same old stories, which have been told endlessly (and better) before. Read more
Published 15 months ago by rhino
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Joker
Peter Scholey's Book The Joker is a great read following Peter's Army life from a Boy Soldier to entering into the SAS. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Richard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read.
Having served in HMF,i found this book very enjoyable,it's a first class read,and very, very funny in parts,found my self laughing outloud,especially the bit about having a crap in... Read more
Published 20 months ago by wgas
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not so funny
Without a shadow of a doubt Peter Scholey is a rare man. Any one who can achieve SAS status, let alone remain in the unit for 20 years is to be admired. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. P. Shields
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Joker is Awesome :D
This Book is awesome. An shocking insight into the infamous SAS this book is both serious and contains some laught out loud moments! Read more
Published 21 months ago by RichieC
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