He Who Dares

A British Army veteran offers a glimpse of the action undertaken by special forces during World War II in this memoir. With so few survivors of the Second World War military generation alive today, it is extremely fortunate that men like David Sutherland recorded their experiences for posterity. There can be few veterans whose contribution to victory can rival Sutherland's as readers of this superb memoir will discover. Much of the action is set in the Aegean where the author served with the Special Boat Service, an off-shoot of the infant SAS, raiding airfields on the German-held islands. This is really thrilling stuff, made all the more moving by the author's profound and lasting admiration for the Greek resistance fighters who risked not just their lives, but those of their families and entire villages, by giving their support. David Sutherland has written a true adventure story. But it is one which raises that age-old yet acutely disconcerting question: "When men have lived lives like this, what am I doing catching the 8:15 from Woking?!" Praise for He Who Dares "If you have any interest in Special Forces, the war in the Aegean or just to marvel at the courage and adaptability of that rare breed who fought in "non-standard" formations this is a book for you. Well written, full of detailed stories of action but also the intimate details of a young officer with all the concerns and complexities of a dangerous job with the added responsibility for other people lives. For those of us who are armchair warriors, this is essential reading of a biography from that unique breed of men." — Surrey Constabulary History Journal