By Christopher Miskimon

At 3:30 in the morning, the first mortar round exploded on the Capo Murro di Porco gun battery on the island of Sicily. An SAS crew fired that round and it was a good shot. The mortar bomb landed some of the emplacement’s ammunition. Secondary explosions flashed in the dark, adding more flame and smoke to the conflagration. More SAS men charged the Italian position, bayonets glinting on the ends of their rifles. They dropped to the ground whenever the mortar round landed, to avoid being spotted. Somewhere behind them, a burst from a Bren gun added its chatter to the roar of battle.

The author is widely published on the exploits of the British Special Air Service in World War II. This book covers Blair “Paddy” Mayne, famed SAS leader and the missions he and his men performed during the war.

Forged in Hell: The Gripping True Story of the Special Forces Heroes Who Broke the Nazi Stronghold (Damien Lewis, Citadel Press, New York NY, 2024, 400pp., bibliography, index, $28, HC)

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