The Real Rogue Heroes

The definitive, myth-busting history of the wartime SAS – the real story behind the global BBC phenomenon Rogue Heroes, told by the only historian trusted by 75 original SAS veterans.

This exciting new history reveals a story far more compelling and real than the dramatic liberties taken in modern portrayals such as the BBC’s Rogue Heroes. Drawing on interviews with 75 veterans and exclusive access to private letters, diaries and regimental archives, The Real Rogue Heroes offers the most authoritative account yet of the men who built the SAS in the North African desert and then saw service throughout wartime Europe.

Central to that story is Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne: not the reckless figure often depicted on screen, but a disciplined, formidable leader respected by those who served beside him. Along with comrades from every corner of Britain and beyond, Mayne helped forge a unit defined by audacity, ingenuity and unshakeable camaraderie.

Gavin Mortimer offers the most intimate and authoritative portrait yet of the men who forged the SAS. They were not outlaws or caricatures, but ordinary young volunteers from every background, united by daring and a hunger for adventure. Told through their own words and the memories of those who fought beside them, The Real Rogue Heroes brings the original SAS back to life – exactly as they were.