The Encyclopedia of the World’s Special Forces

Since the advent of special forces units in World War II, governments and armies have trained small, elite teams of soldiers to perform operations deemed too risky or demanding for regular troops. Special forces missions include counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, political assassination, sabotage, spying, covert surveillance, and force ambush. Most of these operations are performed deep behind hostile lines or within enemy strongholds. With a battlefield effect out of all proportion to their numbers, special forces today are usually the first into combat and the last out.

The Encyclopedia of the World’s Special Forces is the most comprehensive guide available. Elite units are arranged by the type of mission that they specialise in — from land to counter-revolutionary to sea to air operations. Within each type of mission, the forces are grouped by country. Each listing includes authoritative information about that unit, its tactics, equipment and history of operations. The book also includes a chapter on special forces training, featuring the entry requirements, fitness tests and techniques that different elite forces use. An appendix includes the organisational structures of major elite forces. The Encyclopedia of the World’s Special Forces is illustrated throughout with colour and black-&-white photographs and artworks. As a single reference source, the book will appeal to anyone interested in the world’s special forces.