Born of the Desert : With the SAS in North Africa

Born of the Desert is a classic account of the early years of the SAS. The Special Air Service was formed in 1941 and quickly earned a reputation for stealth, daring and audacity in the Western Desert Campaign. This elite force utilized the endless expanse of the desert to carry out surprise attacks and hit and run raids behind the Afrika Korps' lines, sowing confusion, fear and consternation. Malcolm James served as Medical Officer with the SAS throughout 1942 and 1943, and Born of the Desert is his atmospheric account of his life in the North African desert, the bitter fighting against Italian and German targets and the forging of a remarkable elite unit. James captures the excitement of this dramatic mode of warfare and brings to life the deadly beauty of the desert, the harsh environment and the strong bonds of comradeship and interdependence which resulted. Born of the Desert was written soon after the events depicted and has an immediacy which places it above other Second World War memoirs. The original text has now been augmented by supplementary notes by David List, and appendices on SAS casualties and awards by David Buxton.

Born of the Desert is a classic account of the early years of the SAS. The Special Air Service was formed in 1941 and quickly earned a reputation for stealth, daring and audacity in the Western Desert Campaign. This elite force utilised the endless expanse of the desert to carry out surprise attacks and hit and run raids behind the Afrika Korps' lines, sowing confusion, fear and consternation. Malcolm James served as Medical Officer with the SAS throughout 1942 and 1943, and Born of the Desert is his atmospheric account of his life in the North African desert, the bitter fighting against Italian and German targets and the forging of a remarkable elite unit. James captures the excitement of this dramatic mode of warfare and brings to life the deadly beauty of the desert, the harsh environment and the strong bonds of comradeship and interdependence which resulted. Born of the Desert was written soon after the events depicted and has an immediacy which places it above other Second World War memoirs. The original text has now been augmented by supplementary notes by David List, and appendices on SAS casualties and awards by David Buxton.

An SAS medical officer's gripping memoir of his WWII service in North Africa. Born of the Desert is a classic account of the early years of the SAS. The Special Air Service was formed in 1941 and quickly earned a reputation for stealth, daring, and audacity in the Western Desert Campaign. This elite force utilized the endless expanse of the desert to carry out surprise attacks and hit and run raids behind the Afrika Korps' lines, sowing confusion, fear, and consternation. Malcolm James served as Medical Officer with the SAS throughout 1942 and 1943, and Born of the Desert is his atmospheric account of his life in the North African desert, the bitter fighting against Italian and German targets, and the forging of a remarkable elite unit. James captures the excitement of this dramatic mode of warfare and brings to life the deadly beauty of the desert, the harsh environment, and the strong bonds of comradeship and interdependence that grew out of this experience. Title Page Copyright Foreword Contents Illustrations Maps Introduction—Birth of a Unit Chapter 1: First Impressions Chapter 2: Early Training Chapter 3: On Parachuting Chapter 4: Behind Rommel’s Lines Chapter 5: Journey to the Rendezvous Chapter 6: We Attack Fuka Aerodrome Chapter 7: German Prisoners and a Rum party Chapter 8: Life at the Rendezvous Chapter 9: Raid on Sidi Haneish Chapter 10: Views of a German Doctor Chapter 11: We Return by Air Chapter 12: Observations on Cairo Chapter 13: We Travel South to Kufra Chapter 14: We Approach Benghazi Chapter 15: Wounded Men in the Jebel Chapter 16: The Ambush Chapter 17: Our Sad Withdrawal Chapter 18: Return to Kufra Chapter 19: Life in the Sand Sea Chapter 20: The Story Tellers Chapter 21: The Growth of a Unit Postscript Notes to New Edition Appendix This gripping memoir of an SAS veteran captures the drama and intensity of the fighting; and the harsh desert environment. It is a detailed account of the early years of the Special Air Service (SAS) during the Western Desert Campaign.