Been listening to a lot of ex SF interviews recently. Kind of fascinated about those who sign up and pass selection. Really enjoyed Jay Cal's interview with Shawn Ryan (although not a fan of him per se, I like his guests) althogh quite dusty at times. I've gone through a good few ex SAS audio books, bar Ant Middleton's. Another one I'm not a keen on. Not sure why. Gut feeling.
Any recommendations for Audiobooks or podcast interviews? SAS, SEAL, DF, Foreign Legion. Love hearing about how they get through the process of transitioning from green army to special forces. I blame my youth and Counterstrike for this interest!! 😀
To be honest I find them a bit insufferable, probably not because of themselves directly but the Thrudark brigade that pretend to be special forces when walking the dog.
I’m sure you will probably find quite a lot of podcasts on YouTube but how much of what they tell is real and how much is either made up or embellished to sound more interesting who knows.
Fk Thrudark, no-ones spending that much cash on kit are they, really? It's ridiculously priced.
(I do wear a US Army surplus goretex jacket when I'm walking my dog though.... It was only $50 though, I'm not pretending I'm SF with a Cavoodle).
So not a fan of people like Chris Craighead?
There was one book - Rusty Firmin who had similar opinions of some of the ex-SAS guys to you, saying they hammed things up +++. I guess there's truth, fiction and total embellishment in everyone's story eh?
A different sort of 'special force', I quite enjoyed Spike Milligan's books on his time in the army when I read then as a teen.
Been listening to a lot of ex SF interviews recently. Kind of fascinated about those who sign up and pass selection. Really enjoyed Jay Cal's interview with Shawn Ryan (although not a fan of him per se, I like his guests)
Just out of interest what don’t you like about Shawn Ryan?
I think there are some bloaters out there but I think most of the Unit/Team/Regiment people are legit, they just have done outrageous things in there career.
I am currently reading SAS: Rogue Heroes by Ben MacIntyre.
Which leads to this ->
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n1j2v
Also, check out Eddie Chapman (Agent ZigZag)
Not exactly what you're after but I would recommend the We HAve Ways pod with Al Murray and James Holland. They have definitely done a few pods about the SAS.
Just out of interest what don’t you like about Shawn Ryan?
Hard to say exactly what it is. Just a gut feeling. Nothing for certain, just a vibe. I'm often not wrong.
I've actually got Rogue Heroes in my Spotify list already. Just finishing off one about Aussie SAS before I start another.
I would recommend the We HAve Ways
Thank you, I'll have a gander.
Seconded on the “We Have Ways…” pod. Really excellent series.
A different sort of 'special force', I quite enjoyed Spike Milligan's books on his time in the army when I read then as a teen.
😂
I think Spike Milligan, Rogue Heroes and Michelle Mone are all examples of what happens when governments don't have control anymore over what's happening on the 'frontline' with their money.
I think there are some bloaters out there but I think most of the Unit/Team/Regiment people are legit, they just have done outrageous things in there career.
Any combat memoir is going to sound incredible because it's subject to survivor bias. You're reading a story about how someone literally dodged a bullet because the one that didn't dodge a bullet didn't write a book about it.
Yeah dead people don't interview well. But often the survivors talk about colleagues who've been lost, tragically.
I think there are some bloaters out there but I think most of the Unit/Team/Regiment people are legit, they just have done outrageous things in there career.
100%
Any combat memoir is going to sound incredible because it's subject to survivor bias.
Which is why Geoffery Wellum's First Light is such a great book about the Battle of Britain, it was written this century so plenty of time for reflection. So much more readable than Reach for the Sky.
Ok, not SF, but a proper wartime adventure tale. Thoroughly recommend listen, especially if you don't know the story and what happens.
good news! They are doing politics now too!
Yeah, I saw he's done a talk for Reform about British Identity. Interesting he says he "does a program called SAS Are you Tough Enough". I think that's "did" not does, mate.
Embracing the far right, the last throw of the dice for troubled celebrities everywhere.
Embracing the far right, the last throw of the dice for troubled celebrities everywhere.
Embracing the far right, the last throw of the dice for troubled celebrities everywhere.
This book is a good account if the SAS shootings in Northern Ireland during the troubles.
How they operated. Fairly unbiased stuff.
A nugget that surprised me andcI can't recall the exact numbers, the SAS were a tiny percentage of the UK forces in Ireland but we're responsible for most of the killings of terrorists
Big Boys' Rules: The SAS and the Secret Struggle Against the IRA
Can't access the link there bud. My default Amazon is Aus. Coming up as a dead link. What's the book?
Replaced link with title.
Available free as youtube audio read by author.
Highly recommend the Jock willink podcasts with John Stryker Myer.
It covers Myers books about MACVSOG missions back in Vietnam.
Oh yeah, he's on the list of my usual pods. Stopped following him on FB though as he constantly posted pics of his watch at 430am when he's up "getting some" or something. But I do like some of his guests. I'm just not a 4.30am kinda lad. I'm more likely to be up at 4.30am watching a dj. A very different kind of session.
A lot of this stems from being a lad, scouts, camping, reading the SAS survival handbook over and over. I would have loved to have joined up one of the services but it was never going to happen with T1 diabetes. "Stop shooting me I'm having some lollies as my blood sugar is low!" haha
I would have loved to have joined up one of the services but it was never going to happen with T1 diabetes.
Likewise 🙁 Made an attempt to join the TA parachute regiment in Glasgow. Did everything but failed the medical due to poor eyesight.
Have a listen to the Unconventional Soldier podcast. Lots a good episodes there. As for a book, I can really recommend Sea King Down by Mark ‘Splash’ Aston. A cracking story about his time in the SF and his time in the Falklands in ‘82. He also came and gave a brilliant presentation at the ACF Detachment where I instruct. The Cadets were hanging off his every word and loved having a member of the SAS talk to them.
Cheers Beaker I'll have a nose. Was listening to a guy talking about the Falklands the other night actually. Chap was talking about planes dropping bombs on his ship. Evacuated twice. Went back on. Next round of bombing they flew in fast and low and the bombs bounced over the ship when he'd got back on, like a stone skimming on the water. He'd have been killed if the bomb actually hit the ship. Madness.
Not SF but the fighter pilot podcast is great. Lots of episodes on aviation support to SF operations.
i have been listening to a few of the audio books from Ben Macintyre - rogue heroes is very good and better than the BBC series ( currently listening to the siege the story of the Iranian embassy siege) . The rusty firmin book ( the regiment) is also really good. Accidental soldier is really good as it tells the story of a TA officer thrown in at the deep end and is really funny in parts ( making it hard to run whilst listening)
other recommendations - fighting for queen and country by nigel ely - falklands war and typhoon by Mike sutton
Not SF but 3-Days in June is a good read. It's about 3 Paras battle for Mt Longdon during the Falklands conflict, told by both sides.
I quite enjoyed the Cleared Hot podcasts for a while. The host is ex SEAL, so there's quite a lot about SEALs etc. in there. But he does interview a wide array of people from various backgrounds.
Currently reading "Winkle" about Eric Brown. Good book, but he does come across as being a bit difficult.
Chickehawk by Robert Mason is a good read, along with any of James Holland's books.
