Paddy Mayne
Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment (The true story behind the hit TV show SAS Rogue Heroes)
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4.3 • 19 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
'The best biography I've read recently' – Colin Bateman, Sunday Independent
'An excellent examination of Mayne… Ross corrects many of the myths about him that have flourished over the years' - History of War magazine
'This welcome reassessment, officially backed and well-researched, sets the record straight' – Soldier magazine
'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 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.
Ross's analysis shows Mayne to be a dynamic, yet principled and thoughtful man, committed to the unit's original concepts. He was far from flawless, but his leadership and tactical brilliance in the field secured the reputation of the SAS, proving he was every bit a rogue hero.
Customer Reviews
Setting The Record Straight
The author sets out to remove the myths and legends surrounding Paddy Mayne and succeeds with a really interesting read.
Full of facts and corroborated stories it sets the record straight after the caricature of “Rogue Heroes”.
Don’t miss this.
Finally, a well researched study
For many of us from Northern Ireland over a certain age, Paddy Blair Mayne was a hero of the first order. Tales of his derring do abounded and the more one read the more he seemed superhuman and a wild man. Somehow the books written seemed to portray someone straight out of a child’s comic and not a real person.
Hamish Ross’s thoroughly researched book brings Paddy back to life showing us a fully rounded individual who was a hero but who also was an exemplary soldier. Far from being a disorganised dashing person who acted on impulse, he shows us that our hero was a meticulous planner who made sure that his raids were successful whilst minimising the casualties to the man he led and who worshiped him.
It is only through reading this book that I came to realise that the concept of the SAS which was laid down by David Stirling could only have lasted so successfully because of the actions of Paddy Mayne a d the troops he led. His contribution to the war within the Regiment ensured its survival and he is rightly held in high regard in military circles.
If you want to get behind the facade that has been created over the years, then this is certainly the book for you .