Paddy Mayne cover art

Paddy Mayne

Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment

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Paddy Mayne

Written by: Hamish Ross
Narrated by: Alan Turkington
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About this listen

‘Paddy’ Mayne was one of the most outstanding special forces leaders of the Second World War. Hamish Ross’s authoritative study follows Mayne from solicitor and a rugby international to troop commander in the Commandos and then the SAS, whose leader he later became and whose annals he graced, winning the DSO and three bars, the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d’Honneur.

Mayne’s achievements attracted attention, and after his early death legends emerged, based largely on anecdote and assertion. Hamish Ross’s closely researched biography challenges much of the received version, using contemporary sources, the official war diaries, the chronicle of 1 SAS, Mayne’s papers and diaries, and a number of extended interviews with key contemporaries. It has the support of the Mayne family and the SAS Regimental Association.

In Ross’s analysis Mayne is a dynamic, yet principled and thoughtful man, committed to the unit’s original concepts; not flawless, but whose leadership qualities and tactical brilliance in the field secured the reputation of the SAS.

©2011 Hamish Ross (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd
Armed Forces Europe Great Britain Military Military & War Wars & Conflicts World War II War England
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Most Relevant
If you have read books on the SAS like Ben Macintyre’s Rogue Hero’s, then you are no doubt familiar with the legend of Paddy Mayne. This book strips back the legends, revealing the man behind the stories. It was an awesome listen, loved the narration and the story was easy to follow all the way through. Definitely worth a listen!

Back to Basics

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The book was mostly about who was in which unit. What pips were given and why.

It was sprinkled with battle details, but I had to fast forward.

It was well written and the narrator was excellent.

Well written, good narrator.

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