United Kingdom. Two Special Forces Books - Sas & Sbs

1. SAS: The Jungle Frontier - 22 Special Service Regiment in the Borneo Campaign, 1963-1966 by Peter Dickens. Hardcover, forest green cloth cover, with dust jacket, copyrighted by the author and Lionel Leventhal Limited in 1983, published by Arms and Armour Press, Lionel Leventhal Limited of London, published in Canada by Methuen Publications of Agincourt, Ontario in 1983, typeset by Typesetters (Birmingham) Limited, printed and bound in Great Britain at The Pitman Press of Bath, ISBN 0-85368-597-5 (Great Britain), ISBN 0-458-97090-5 (Canada). As stated on the dust jacket: "Britain's best camouflaged victory was in 1966. It is not a victory often celebrated, because so little is generally known about it, even now. Less publicized than the war in Vietnam, which was being fought out at the same time, the 'confrontation' with Indonesia provides a classic example of the use of force by a civilized force. From 1962 to 1966 the new-born Federation of Malaysia - Malaya, Singapore and the states of northern Borneo - was under constant threat. From within, Communist cells of terrorists and saboteurs worked to undermine the states' security; from without, Indonesia, striving to dominate the area, maintained a campaign of armed subversion and infiltration. In April 1963, the first Indonesian incursion was launched at the police station of Tebedu in Sarawak; thereafter; Indonesia strove to unsettle the border tribes and to establish her own military bases across the frontier. Initially called in to ensure the security of airfields threatened by Indonesian incursions, the SAS soon took on the awesome role of acting as Britain's eyes and ears along the ill-defined frontier. "SAS: The Jungle Frontier" brings vividly to life the danger, tension and elation of jungle fighting. It is the story of clandestine enterprise, extreme endurance and sudden, sharp action. Borneo was a combination of apparent opposites. At least half of the time was spent on 'hearts and minds' - making friends with the jungle tribes, becoming personally involved, with genuine humanity and skill. The author provides a perceptive insight into the motivation of men devoted above all to three things: adventure, their regiment and their country." It begins with a Table of Contents, followed by a List of Maps (3), a Preface by the author, an Acknowledgements and a Glossary. The book is divided into thirteen chapters: 1 - Incident on Melancholy Mountain, 25 February 1965; 2 - 'It's a Great Finger-Poking Regiment'; 3 - 'Arcadia', 'A' Squadron's First Borneo Tour, January to April 1968; 4 - 'Confrontation', 'D' Squadron's First Tour and 'A' Squadron's Second Tour, April to December 1963; 5 - 'Contact', 'D' Squadron's Second Tour, December 1963 to April 1964; 6 - 'Crush Malaysia', 'D' Squadron's Second Tour, Continued, April to June 1964; 7 - 'Pursuit of Excellence', 'B' Squadron Raised and Trained, January to October 1964; 8 - 'A Little Further', 'A' Squadron's Third Tour, June to October 1964; 9 - Threat to Kuching, 'B' Squadron's First Tour, November 1964 to February 1965; 10 - 'Licensed to Kill', 'D' Squadron's Third Tour, February to May 1965; 11 - 'Get Back In!', 'A' Squadron's Fourth Tour, May to September 1965; 12 - Squadron Ops, 'B' Squadron's Second Tour, October 1965 to February 1966; 13 - Envoi, Victory in Borneo, March to August 1966. It concludes with a Bibliography and an eight page Index. The book contains 250 pages of text and maps, printed in black ink, on a white paper stock, the fourteen pages of black and white plates printed in black ink, on a coated white paper stock, measuring 155 mm (w) x 234 mm (h) x 22 mm (d).

2. "SBS: The Invisible Raiders - The History of the Special Boat Squadron from World War Two to the present" by James D. Ladd. Hardcover, navy blue cloth cover, with dust jacket, copyrighted by the author and Lionel Leventhal Limited in 1983, published by Arms and Armour Press, Lionel Leventhal Limited of London, published in Canada by Methuen Publications of Agincourt, Ontario in 1983, typeset by Typesetters (Birmingham) Limited, printed and bound in Great Britain at The Pitman Press of Bath, ISBN 0-85368-593-2 (Great Britain), ISBN 0-458-96890-0 (Canada). As stated on the dust jacket: "Shrouded in secrecy, the SBS has hitherto been subject to much conjecture and speculation. An elite, semi-clandestine yet military body of men, their reputation is as formidable as that of their Army counterpart, the SAS. The author has succeeded in penetrating beyond the mythology to reveal hitherto little known aspects of Britain's premier seaborne 'special force'. Each man of the SBS is a specialist, but each is trained to the legendary standard that makes this an elite unit. All are qualified swimmer-canoeists, as well as being parachutists, able to infiltrate enemy harbours, marine installations and coastlines held by hostile troops. Armed with the most sophisticated weapons and communications systems, their objectives are as carefully defined as a surgeon's blade: sabotage, kidnap, reconnaissance or, that vital but rarely-recognised contribution to warfare, intelligence gathering. Together with the SAS, LRDG and other specialist units, the Special Boat Squadron traces its origin back to the Mediterranean theatre of operations during the Second World War. Originally part of Leycock's 8 Commando, the SBS rapidly developed its own skills, expertise and identity, despite technically serving as part of the SAS for much of the war. After the war, they became a unit within the Royal Marines and served throughout the world during the 'post-imperial peace'. The role of the SBS was little known until it came to prominence in the Falklands conflict. James Ladd served with the Royal Marines during the Second World War, and has since made the history of amphibious warfare his specialty." It begins with a Table of Contents, followed by a List of Maps (10), a Foreword by Lieutenant-Colonel P.G. Davis, DSC, Royal Marines, a Preface by the author and an Acknowledgements. The book is divided into two Parts containing twelve Chapters: Part One - The Legendary Heroes: 1- The Concept: The Mediterranean, 1941-42 (The Rhodes Recce, 'Z' Group in the Mediterranean, SAS Command); 2 - Independent Units: Raids from the UK, 1940-43 (101 Troop, SSRF and COPPs); 3 - Island Raiding: The Mediterranean, 1942-43 (Jellicoe's Squadrons, Into the Aegean); 4 - Beneath the Atlantic Wall: Raids and Recces on the French Coast, 1942-44 (Forfar Force, Layforce II, COPPists in the Channel); 5 - Fighting Recces: Final Campaigns in Europe, 1944-45 ('Earthworm' Section, The War in Greece, The Adriatic Raids, Operation 'Roast', Islands of the Scheldt); 6 - More than Cockleshell Heroes: The Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment (The Bordeaux Raid, The Boom Patrol Boat, The 'Sleeping Beauty'); 7 - The War Canoes: The War Against the Japanese (MSCs to Singapore, The Small Operations Group, Phuket Island, The Final Victory); and Part Two - The Navy's SBS: 8 - The Continuing Wars (The Malayan Emergency, The Korean War, The Borneo Confrontation, The Sand Seas); 9 - Triphibian Training (TheSwmmer-Canoeist, Evolution of the Canoe, Swimming and Diving, The Future); 10 - The European Dimension (Northern Ireland, The Coasts and Rivers of Europe); 11 - Actions in the South Atlantic: The Falklands Conflict, 1982; 12 - The Inside Story. It concludes with three Appendices I - List of Abbreviations; II - Related Organizations and the Special Boat Squardron; III - Equipment) and an eight page Index. The book contains 284 pages of text and maps, printed in black ink, on a white paper stock, the fourteen pages of black and white plates printed in black ink, on a coated white paper stock, measuring 155 mm (w) x 234 mm (h) x 23 mm (d).

Together, near extremely fine.

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