In late 1939, following some bad outcomes in Europe, Winston Churchill wanted the creation of small lightning quick attack troops which would pave the way for modern special forces. The people recruited for these missions were not your usual military soldiers, often being unsuitable for normal regiments. This book focuses in particular on the activities of Anders Lassen and his men who operated in secret, often attacking much larger forces while pretending to be fisherman or farmers. This enraged Hitler so much that he created a rule than any special commando captured was to be considered a spy and executed.

This book was really interesting and while I knew about David Sterling and the LRDG I had never heard of Ander Lassen. It focuses on areas of Europe often missed in other books, areas such as the Greek and Italian islands. Lewis writes in an engaing manner than kept me interested throughout. ( )

7/10 (good): Damien Lewis writes gripping and well-researched accounts of war, often of special forces. Churchill’s Secret Warriors begins with the story of 62 Commando (the Small Scale Raiding Force, who were under the command of SOE, rather than the regular army.) When the unit disbanded, Lewis follows Anders Lassen, who joined the unit as a private rose through the ranks until he reached the rank of Major in 1944. As the only member of the UK Special Forces to be awarded a Victoria Cross, Lassen’s story is well worth telling, and I think the book would have been stronger if it had focussed on him throughout, and perhaps told more of his backstory. As it is, the book lacks the cohesiveness that Lewis captures in some of this other books, particularly [b:Hunting Hitler's Nukes|30079353|Hunting Hitler's Nukes|Damien Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470894550s/30079353.jpg|50499325]. Nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile read, and a lasting tribute to some very brave men. ( )