1963-1966 ; Britain waged secret war to keep Malaysia free.

From 1963 to 1966 Britain successfully waged a secret war to keep the Federation of Malaysia free from domination by Soekarno's Indonesia and by Chinese Communists. At the forefront of this campaign were the men of the Special Air Service the SAS an elite branch of the British military whose essence is secrecy and whose tools are boldness, initiative, surprise, and high skill.Working in four-man patrols, the SAS teams first made friends with the head-hunting border tribes and even trained some of them as an irregular military force. As the conflict continued, SAS teams went beyond the borders into Indonesia, where they tracked down enemy camps, fired on supply convoys, staged ambushes, and attacked enemy soldiers in their riverboats.By talking to those who were there, Peter Dickens has recreated what it was really like to fight in the jungles of Malaysia. He also captures the bravery and relentless pursuit of excellence that make the SAS the elite and prestigious regiment it is.

When you're fighting for your life with a fifty-fifty chance you've got to enjoy it. Know what I mean? From 1963 to 1966 Britain successfully waged a secret war to keep the Federation of Malaya free from domination by Sukarno's Indonesia and by Chinese Communists. At the forefront of the campaign was the SAS, an elite branch of the British army whose essence is secrecy and whose tools are bold initiative, surprise, and skill. By talking to those who were there, Peter Dickens has recreated what it was really like to fight in the dense jungle and rainforest of Malaysia. In telling this dramatic story, he captures the bravery and relentless pursuit of excellence that make the SAS the elite and prestigious unit it is.

Elite units have long been prominent in the armies of South-East Asia and, given the turmoil in the region since the 1960s, these forces have had ample opportunity to be tested in combat. Acknowledged expert on South-East Asia Ken Conboy outlines the history, organization and insignia of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Malaysian and various other South-East Asian special forces from their origins up until the late 80s, covering such groups as the Vietnamese Luc Luong Dac Biet ('Special Forces') and Lien Doi Ngoui Nhia underwater demolition team and the Cambodian Airborne Brigade Group.

Containing explosive details of operations unknown even to 99% of serving SAS men, this is the definitive history of the regiment written by an ex-SAS soldier of 23 years experience. From it's eye witness accounts of the 1st post war operations in Malaya in the 1950's to it's controversial blueprint for the future this makes all other histories of Britain's elite special forces redundant.

Many books have been written about Second World War special forces operations in Europe and the Middle East. Much less has been said about such operations in South-East Asia - those launched against the Japanese in Sumatra and the Andaman Islands, and the Germans in Goa. These operations, and the exceptional men who took part in them, have been almost forgotten. David Miller, in this gripping account, sets the record straight. His book is based on extensive original research, including long-hidden family documents, revealing much information for the first time and his narrative is fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in special operations and the war against the Axis powers in South-East Asia. His history is the first general account of these operations - it is a landmark in the field.

In 1970 the SAS was called in to support the Sultan of Oman's armed forces in their bitter struggle against a Communist-backed insurrection. The task in hand was not to obliterate the enemy, for these were the Sultan's subjects, but to persuade the rebels to join the Omani government's side, as well as encouraging the independently-minded peoples of the Jebel Dhofar to abandon their support for the insurgents. If necessary, these objectives were to be achieved by demonstrating that the insurgents could never win the armed struggle. This is the gripping story of the part played in the conflict by the men and squadrons of the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, the first full SAS squadron in the region. Written by the man who commanded that unit and who successfully raised the first bands of Dhofari irregulars to fight for the Sultan, SAS: Secret War provides a unique and personal insight into what was to become one of the most successful counter-insurgency campaigns of the twentieth century.