SAS Operation Storm: Nine Men Against Four Hundred. This item is unavailable.SAS Operation Storm: Nine Men Against Four Hundred

"How many are they?" The reply came in the finest traditions of accurate situation reporting, "f***ing hundreds of them!" Mirbat, South Oman, July 19, 1972 is one of the least-known yet most crucial battles of modern times. SAS Operation Storm is the inside story—told by those who took part—of the greatest secret war in SAS history. The tipping point was Mirbat, a secret battle which defines the world we all live in today. If the SAS had been defeated at Mirbat, the Russian and Chinese plan for a communist foothold in the Middle East would have succeeded, with catastrophic consequences for the oil-hungry West. This is a page-turning account of courage and resilience. Mirbat was a battle fought and won by nine SAS soldiers and a similar number of brave local people—some as young as ten years old—outnumbered by at least twenty five to one. Thousands of bullets, rockets, shells, mortars, and grenades were fired in a six hour fire-fight of staggering intensity, the tipping point in a clandestine war which went unreported at the time. Roger Cole, one of the SAS soldiers who took part, and writer Richard Belfield have interviewed every SAS survivor who fought in the battle from the beginning to the end—the first time every single one of them has revealed their experience. The authors have also talked to many other survivors from both sides, including the pilots who flew with the SAS, the SAS soldiers who joined the battle towards the end, and some of the insurgents who fought against them. SAS Operation Storm is a classic story of bravery against impossible odds—minute by minute, bullet by bullet.

Roger Cole was born in 1944. He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1964, his first posting being to Germany. In 1968 he passed his SAS selection course and joined B Squadron, 22 SAS in Hereford. He did various tours in classified areas, including Dhofar, Oman. He returned to the RAOC in 1977 and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 1. He has served with the British Army in Germany, Cyprus, and the Falkland Islands. He retired from the army in 1986. Richard Belfield is an award-winning television producer, director, author, and playwright. His television programs have won prizes on both sides of the Atlantic. He is the author of Can You Crack the Enigma Code? and Terminate With Extreme Prejudice.