Keystone of 22 SAS

For all its successes, the future of the Special Air Service was uncertain after the Second World War. Resurrected as 22 SAS Regiment for the Malayan Emergency, after a shaky start it evolved into an important tool in the struggle against terrorism.

Credit for this renaissance in the 1950s must go to a small group of highly motivated officers, of these, Lieutenant Colonel John Woodhouse stood out. As this overdue biography written by an SAS insider describes, Woodhouse’s energy, military knowledge and courage were pivotal to establishing the standards that made 22 SAS into the world’s leading special force unit.

At the expense of his own promising career, Woodhouse continued to serve the SAS leading The Regiment (as it became known) through campaigns in Oman, Borneo, Radfan and South Arabia, as it built its unrivaled reputation.

After leaving the army, Woodhouse became a sought-after counter-terrorist consultant taking an advisory and active role in operations worldwide.

While Colonel Sir David Stirling publicly acknowledged Woodhouse as a cofounder, his role has not been widely recognized. As this fascinating book reveals, without his efforts there would probably be no 22 SAS today.

Alan Hoe enlisted into the Royal Corps of Signals at the age of fifteen years. At the age of eighteen he joined 22 SAS Regiment. He remained with the SAS for over twenty years achieving the rank of major and taking part in five active service campaigns. After his retirement he spent many years in South America in risky security work. During his army service and after he knew John Woodhouse, as a military subordinate and latterly as a friend.