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Gavin Mortimer

The Men Who Made the SAS: The History of the Long Range Desert Group Hardcover – 4 Jun. 2015

by Gavin Mortimer (Author)

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Established in June 1940, the Long Range Desert Group was the inspiration of scientist and soldier Major Ralph Bagnold, a contemporary of T.E Lawrence who, in the inter-war years, explored the North African desert in a Model T Ford automobile.

Mortimer takes us from the founding of the LRDG, through their treacherous journey across the Egyptian Sand Sea and beyond, offering a hitherto unseen glimpse into the heart of this most courageous organisation, whose unique and valiant contributions to the war effort can now finally be recognized and appreciated.

Praise for Gavin Mortimer:

"With unparalleled access to SBS's archive, Mortimer draws on private papers to produce the definitive account of the SBS's extraordinary exploits in WWII." Sunday Telegraph

"The SBS is finally being recognised thanks to a remarkable new book. Author Gavin Mortimer spent more than a decade interviewing veterans, scrutinising SBS archives and poring over recently declassified documents to write The SBS in World War 2." Daily Mirror

"This gripping first-hand account of the raid is one of many previously unpublished resources that Mortimer's book draws on." The Times

"Mortimer deserves full credit for assembling a mountain of material and presenting it with lucidity and balance" Philip Ziegler, Daily Mail

Language

English
Publisher

Constable
Publication date

4 Jun. 2015
Dimensions

15.9 x 2.7 x 24.2 cm
ISBN-10

1472116852
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Product description

Book Description

From one of the foremost experts on wartime British special forces, a new volume exploring the Long Range Desert Group

About the Author

Gavin Mortimer is arguably the world's leading authority on wartime special forces. He has written a number of books on the subject, including Stirling's Men, a ground-breaking history of the early operations of the SAS, The Longest Night: Voices from the London Blitz, The Blitz: An Illustrated History and the best-selling The SBS in World War II. An award-winning writer whose books have been published on both sides of the Atlantic, Gavin has previously written for The Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Observer and Esquire magazine. He continues to contribute to a wide range of newspapers and magazines from BBC History to the American Military History Quarterly. In addition he has lectured on the SAS in World War Two at the National Army Museum.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Constable; 1st Edition (4 Jun. 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1472116852
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.9 x 2.7 x 24.2 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 602,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 756 in Memorials & Monuments
- 859 in History of Military Life & Institutions
- 3,129 in 20th Century Britain History

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231 ratings

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About the author

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Gavin Mortimer

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Gavin Mortimer is a best-selling writer, historian and TV consultant whose books have been published in Britain and the USA. In 2022 his long-awaited biography of SAS founder David Stirling will be published with the sub-title 'The Phoney Major.

Gavin is one of the leading authorities on WW2 special forces having interviewed over 100 veterans from the UK, USA, Germany and elsewhere. His histories of the SAS, SBS, the Long Range Desert Group and Merrill's Marauders have been critically acclaimed.

In 2015 Gavin was the guest speaker at the annual SBS Frankton Dinner, and he has made presentations to serving members of the SAS and SBS about the wartime history of their units.

Gavin's other interest is sport and his 2007 book, 'The Great Swim', the inspiring story of the first woman to swim the English Channel, was dramatised on BBC Radio 4.

Gavin has acted as a consultant to a number of documentaries including the BBC three-part series about the wartime SAS. He has also worked as an adviser for the National Army Museum for their 2018 exhibition about the history of Britain's Special Forces, and he will be assisting the Museum of Liberation in Paris for their 2023 exhibition about the war in North Africa 1940-3.

Customer reviews

5 star		78%
4 star		16%
3 star		5%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		1%

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Bill Krouwel

Misleading title - excellent book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 March 2019

Verified Purchase

This is actually an extremely good book, but is mainly about the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) rather than, as the title might infer, the SAS. The title is slightly justified by the LRDG's role in transporting the SAS to within walking distance of their targets (The LRDG knew how to navigate the desert, the SAS didn't at first...).
What's really great about the book is the adept use of first-hand information from all ranks to paint a picture of the sometimes-piratical (and sometimes prudent) LRDG at work and play. It does this better than any other book I've read on the topic.

The book is very well written - the writer has a very easy, communicative style which makes it that rare commodity - a factually accurate page-turner.

Shame about the misleading title, though - possibly a publisher's idea of making the book more popular?!?

8 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

incredible book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 February 2021

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seeing this is based on a true story it's amazing what these guys achieved .when you read there story find an atlas to see where they went across the deserts it will amaze you. the is very well written book i prefer the word tale besause it tells the story of MEN who new only how to win at all cost their BRAVERY astounds me. to the author for what it is worth my opinion is one word BRILLIANT. THANK YOU.

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

LRDG a great read about great men

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2020

Verified Purchase

My father often told me about his time with the LRDG, he was a gunner and a dispatch rider, he finished his time in Palestine with the Military Police and was fluent in Arabic....were they just stories. Is there a record of all the men that served or were attached to the LRDG? Or were they just stories my father very seldom talked about?

3 people found this helpful

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The William

Informative, easy read but some disturbing content

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2020

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Raises important questions about the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners. It has implications for legislation before parliament (late 2020).
I hadn't realised that the LRDG - as the LRDG - had a life after Africa.

One person found this helpful

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John Smith

The title is misleading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 December 2020

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The LRDG was a force to be reckoned with but this title is misleading and friends who served in both, were they still alive, would have challenged it. The two organisations were separate and had different objectives. Both contributed hugely to the desert war and beyond, all members of both were incredibly courageous and perhaps slightly mad to take on such odds, but it does them no favours to confuse the two organisations. As a history of the LRDG this is excellent and a good read.

One person found this helpful

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iain

An eye opener

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 September 2020

Verified Purchase

Easily five stars as it gives an insight as to the realities of the desert campaign and after from the people who were there and from the people who made important decisions without the need to big up or exaggerate actions.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the lrdg or the desert campaign as a whole

3 people found this helpful

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PDP Hope

Desert warriors

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 October 2016

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Everyone knows about the exploits of the SAS but few people know much about the LRDG. This book puts everything into perspective and shows that without the LRDG the SAS would have achieved very little. The LRDG were experts at desert navigation over long distances and hiding up from the enemy. However when their role changed as the battle moved over to Italy they were not so effective, the desert was their field of expertise.

4 people found this helpful

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Maggie Jameson

Amazing history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 November 2020

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This is an excellent read giving a very informed history of the SAS, SBS and LRDG. I read Bagnold’s Libyan Sands first published in 1937. This is an excellent follow up.

One person found this helpful

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