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Speed, Aggression, Surprise
Speed, Aggression, Surprise
Oct 4, 2024 7:29 PM

Author:Tom Petch

Speed, Aggression, Surprise

'Awesome!' ANDY McNAB | 'You must read this book' Colonel TIM COLLINS OBE | 'Extraordinary' Sir RANULPH FIENNES

Forget what you thought you knew. Discover the REAL story of how the SAS was created.

From ex-SAS Commander Tom Petch, this is the never-before-told story of how the world's preeminent Special Forces came into existence. Flashing between dramatic accounts from the frontlines and power negotiations in Westminster, it's an adventure that reaches from the trenches of the Western Front to piracy in the deserts of North Africa, to the final assault on Germany.

Drawing on hidden archives and told with captivating drama, it focuses on two characters largely overlooked in the traditional narrative - Dudley Clarke the mastermind, and William Fraser the frontline operator. Without them there would never have been an SAS.

'Gripping and fascinating... Packed with unforgettable characters and thrilling adventures' WILL IREDALE, bestselling author of The Pathfinders

Reviews

Awesome! The true story of the men who invented Special Forces warfare is even more compelling than the mythology

—— ANDY McNAB

We rightly value the SAS as a precious national jewel. However its is rarely seen in its full splendour, embedded in our national sceptre of strategic operations - in which the UK excels. To marvel at this phenomenon you must read this book. Well written, entertaining - with breathtaking depth of research telling a genuinely new story of an old tale

—— Colonel Tim Collins OBE

A genuinely fresh and insightful account of the origins of the SAS. Combining extraordinary depth of research with an understanding born of first-hand experience, this is the page-turning and revelatory story of how a small group of men tried to change the way that war was fought and, in doing so, led to the formation of the world's first special force

—— Sir Ranulph Fiennes

I thought I knew this story. I didn't. Tom Petch's account of the creation of the Special Forces is more complex, more compelling and more inspiring than the versions we've previously heard. And the fate of the men who have been written out of history - until now - gives it a profoundly poignant conclusion

—— John Nichol, bestselling author of TORNADO

Gripping and fascinating in equal measure... A highly readable, fast-paced and enjoyable account of the SAS, packed with unforgettable characters and thrilling adventures

—— Will Iredale, bestselling author of The Pathfinders

A fascinating study of a complex and innovative man

—— Gavin Mortimer , Aspects of History

The mystique and exploits, past and present, of the SAS continues to be a source of fascination to the public. This excellent book by an author who served in the regiment strips away the myth from the reality, reveals new information, and presents a lucid account of the making of this elite and lethal force.

—— Kim Sengupta, World Affairs Editor, The Independent

I can honestly say that this book is the best there is on that subject

—— Mars and Minerva, The SAS Regimental Association

An accessible and insightful overview of modern financial crises, incorporating both historical detail and thoughtful analysis

—— Kenneth Rogoff , Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Economics at Harvard University, and former Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund

Linda provides many with a very readable summary of all the great crises, but also more importantly derives the big lessons and how to have a better policy framework to avoid getting caught up in too much " this time it is different" when the next big risks appear

—— Lord Jim O'Neill , Author of The Growth Map and former Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management

A masterclass in spotting the early signs of a crisis. Linda Yueh expertly shows how we can understand these crashes better when they occur and even prevent them from happening in the future. A accessible yet rich study of our most turbulent economic years

—— Nouriel Roubini , author of Megathreats

This well-written book draws out the many different ways in which markets can crash and she's willing to chance her arm predicting the next one

—— Sir Vince Cable , author of How to be a Politician and former UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 2010-2015

A timely and instructive book on the big financial and economic crashes. It comes in the midst of a global polycrisis that threatens the economic and social well being of all especially the World's poorest citizens. Linda Yueh makes a heroic effort to tease out lessons fundamental to managing future crises. The question is: Will we learn?

—— Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and former Finance Minister of Nigeria, 2003-2006 and 2011-2015

Troubled times call for a historical perspective and this is the historical perspective we need

—— John Kay , author of Radical Uncertainty and former member of the Independent Commission on Banking of the UK Government, 2010-2011

Demonstrates how that old saying - "this time is different" - is both so true and so wrong!

—— Lord Stephen Green , former CEO and Chairman of HSBC and UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment, 2011-2013

Crashes are an integral part of the history of capitalism. The last century has seen plenty of them. All crashes begin with debt-fuelled euphoria and end in disappointment. Yet how bad that disappointment turns out to be also depends on where in the economy the crash falls and how determined and credible are the responses. In this lively and blessedly brief book, Linda Yueh does a lovely job of explaining the history and drawing the necessary lessons

—— Martin Wolf , Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times

This excellent overview identifies the ingredients that are specific to each crisis and common to all. She provides a lucid assessment of the efficacy of policy responses, high-lighting credibility as a necessary condition for successful resolution

—— Lord Nick McPherson, , former Permanent Secretary of the UK Treasury, 2005-2016, and Chairman of C. Hoare & Co.

"Why did nobody notice?" Was the question the Queen asked about the 2008 financial crisis. It was a good question. All financial crises and crashes have their own characteristics but they also often involve certain common features:- Irrational exuberance, Speculative frenzy, Greed and over confidence usually supported by high levels of gearing.

Linda Yueh's new book will be a timely reminder to governments and regulators of the warning signs of future crises

—— Lord Norman Lamont , former Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1990-1993

Timely, entertaining and full of useful insights

—— Gideon Rachman , Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, Financial Times

Renowned economist Dr Linda Yueh looks at past financial crashes - from the Wall Street Crash to the dot com boom and bust and the Covid pandemic - to explore what we can learn from them in this entertainingly written book.

—— i, Best New Books in May

Entertaining, well-written . . . [Yueh] has come up with a three-step framework to help spot when financial problems are brewing and identifies where the next may occur.

—— Ben Wright , Telegraph

A gifted writer (een begenadigd schrijver)

—— De Telegraaf

The book which impressed me most, and which I most enjoyed, this year is Andrew Roberts's George III. It is based on such astonishingly wide-ranging and original research that I felt I was reading about the period for the first time. Unknown facts and wonderful anecdotes had me turning the pages with a curiosity I seldom feel when reading about supposedly familiar events. Andrew Roberts is remarkably even-handed, and there is no special pleading on behalf of this genuinely misunderstood and wilfully misrepresented monarch who did his best to be a good constitutional ruler during a very choppy period in British history.

—— Adam Zamoyski , Aspects of History Books of the Year

meticulously researched ... an eye-opening portrait of the man and his times

—— Publishers Weekly

A deep, expansive study not only of George III but also of the political and social complexities of England and the United States during his reign.

—— Kathleen McCallister , Library Journal

a deeply textured portrait of George III [and] a capacious, prodigiously researched biography from a top-shelf historian.

—— Kirkus

an outstanding and surprisingly moving portrait of a misunderstood king, distinguished by refreshing revisionism but also illuminated by deep humanity.

—— Simon Sebag Montefiore , Spectator World Books of the Year

Roberts is in a rich vein of form at present; after bestselling books on Napoleon and Churchill, yet another masterpiece has tumbled from his pen.

—— Dan Jones , The Good Web Guide

Roberts has been justly acclaimed as one of his generation's leading historians ... His new biography seeks to challenge popular myths about the monarch. ... Roberts, employing the same flair for original research and ability to convey historical context and vivid prose that he used in previous books ... thoroughly debunks all the assumptions most people have about the king.

—— Jonathan Tobin , Washington Examiner

exhaustively researched and written in accessible, non-jargony prose. Meticulous and forensic, it sometimes reads like a defense counsel's case for his client ... Roberts's defense of George III, though, is the fullest, the clearest, and likely to be the most definitive.

—— Robert G. Ingram , National Review

Roberts has painted a masterful portrait of a patriotic, diligent and cultivated monarch. ... This new biography is a treasure-house of detail. ... George III is an engaging, humane and at times beautiful testament to the importance of giving our ancestors a fair hearing.

—— Harrison Pitt , European Conservative
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