A good retelling of a real story with good historical detail all the way through. Very much enjoyed and very well written

Having read one of Iain's books before, I looked forward to reading this one, and was not diasappointed.
Inspired by actual events, the story centres on the wartime exploits of the Special Boat Squadron during an operation in Crete during the Second World War.
The characters are beautifully drawn, the action moves at a reasonable pace, and the setting is so well described at times that I felt I was there with them.
Iain explores the nature of the characters and their relationships well, and the added dimension of a shared love interest also brings a sharp edge to the main characters' relations.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend Iain's books to anyone who enjoys a great war story!

If you’re looking for an adventurous tale of derring-do by members of the SBS in occupied Crete during the dark days of World War Two then this could be the book for you. It is based on historical events, albeit with a fair helping of artistic licence, that reflect aspects of the brutal occupation endured by the Cretans. The narrative is reasonably fast-paced and includes plenty of action. Some readers may find it perhaps edging toward a Boys’ Own style of writing, but in the main it steers just on the right side to avoid that cliché.

Feedback already sent, see previous review.......................................................

An exciting, action-packed account based on a World War 2 raid on Crete. You can feel the suspense and tension of the soldiers. Plenty of period details. Recommended.

Formed in the darkest hours of the Second World War, as nation after nation fell before the unstoppable Axis advance, the task of the SBS was to strike back at an enemy no army could meet in the field. These men conducted many missions that we will never know about. They turned the tide of the war in ways we can't even begin to imagine. If you are interested in this time period, then you should read this book!

It’s many years since I read this type of book but I enjoyed this one.The action moves on at a reasonable rate and the author conveys the experiences and fears of men fighting a secretive war behind enemy lines with some measure of skill. At times I could feel that I was with them, in the mountains of Crete, An island I am familiar with through several holidays. Perhaps there are further books to come. I hope so.

Proper WW2 fiction here from Iain Gale. Based on fact and real life characters from the time (including Ian Flemming), the book revolves around a daring raid on Crete by the first verison of the Special Boat Section, later Squadron. Plenty of action and cliff hanger moments as Gale's writing recalls the greats of WW2 thrillers like John Harris and Alistair MacLean. Hopefully we will see more of the SBS soon.

Inspired by actual events, the book tells the exciting story of the wartime exploits of the Special Boat Squadron, an elite group of ‘intelligence commandos’ created to carry out undercover missions.

Having together survived a disastrous operation that may in fact have been doomed from the start, Hunter and Woods are comrades on the battlefield but rivals in other respects. Cherchez la femme, as they say. However, as Woods explains, ‘If you think I’m fool enough to allow some petty differences to come between me and the life of a brother officer and a man I count as a friend, then you’re very much mistaken’. As the reader will discover, that principle will be tested beyond measure.

The circumstances which have given rise to the mission Hunter, Woods and their teams are asked to undertake may seem a little unlikely but of course there were a number of surprisingly unorthodox operations carried out during WW2.

The book features appearances by real life figures such as Xan Fielding and the flamboyant Patrick Leigh Fermor. WW2 film buffs may recall the latter was played by Dirk Bogarde in Ill Met by Moonlight which dramatised an actual but equally daring SOE operation in Crete. Included in the book’s characters is a rather famous author whose manner of introducing himself is likely to make you chuckle but whose role is, again, based on historical fact.

I particularly liked the way the book illustrated the courage of the Cretan resistance fighters – the andartes – who assisted Allied undercover operations. Their very personal reasons for wanting to do so are often harrowing to read about, even more so because they reflect the well-documented real life experience of those under German occupation.

The team assembled to carry out the mission possess, as Woods remarks, ‘unusual, or should I say […] unique abilities’. Amongst their skills are safe-cracking, knowledge of explosives, communications, code-breaking – and of course silent killing. Although we mainly see things through Hunter’s eyes, the author provides the reader with occasional glimpses into the thoughts of the other team members, most memorably Phelps. It’s a reminder that, although highly trained, they can still experience fear and doubt. And that, although a mission may be planned down to the last detail, things can go wrong and, when they do, the weakest link in the chain is the most dangerous.

SBS Special Boat Squadron, with its tense action scenes, daring accounts of undercover operations and colourful cast of characters, will appeal to fans of wartime adventures such as The Guns of Navarone.

The SBS are a new and ruthless group of soldiers put together in the Second World War. Their job is to infiltrate places others can’t. Their mission is to retrieve documents from a safe on a base on a Greek island. The only problem is the base is controlled by the Germans.
They will have to be stealthy and secretive if they are going to succeed.
Two teams set off - one to cause a distraction and the other to complete the mission.
Can they prevail against all the odds or will this be a mission too far?
This an excellent book, in what I hope will turn into a series.
Iain Gale writes ‘war’ better than most and this book is no exception.
This novel is a masterful piece of wartime literature that had me absorbed throughout and a book I throughly recommend. Quite excellent.

This story provides an exciting and informative look into the Special BoaT Squadron missions in WW2. The author captures the tense atmosphere in the lead-up to the assignments and the type of characters drawn into covert operations. Based on actual events, it has an intrinsic historical interest that immerses the reader in the time and place.

Believably flawed characters make the story credible, with a good balance of introspection and action in the text.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

A very in depth and technical portrayal of war time fighting. For me personally, the chapters were too long, the descriptions would be perfect for a wartime history buff but for general people was again long and confusing. The small parts of human communication were both fun and illuminating but overshadowed by an almost text book style writing style

An exciting story of the early days of the SBS with a mission to acquire secret documents left behind in Crete after the German invasion. The details of training are basically sketched over apart from the violent grilling methods expected by the SS which predictably happens later in the tale. Plenty of action as one would expect but it does fall slightly short in content. Still a diverting read if not one to live long in the memory.

Just one of those books where you feel like a fly on the wall watching the story unfold before you! A very good read and insight in to the early days of covert operations during the war. Has the foundations to make a great book series.

I read a few war stories, but I’ve never read one about the SBS, so when I was invited to read this title, I was happy to give it a go. To be honest, I don’t think I’d have chosen it, so thanks to the publisher for making it available to me as a ‘cold call’ title, based on other books I’ve read.

It’s based on real events and again, I don’t know a great deal about the preparations to invade Italy. That aside, I’d guess that the author has put in a considerable amount of research and I felt it was a lively and entertaining read. It’s difficult with war stories because they inevitably reflect horrendous circumstances and loss and a fictional account has to strike a balance between reality and fiction. I think Iain Gale has achieved this exceptionally well. When I say entertaining, I mean this account is fast paced and held my attention right from the start. I was gripped by the central characters and had a sense of bonding with their plight, difficulties and triumphs. I have no idea whether everything is absolutely correct to the last detail, but without trivialising the emotional and physical losses, this is a story full of spirit. It’s one I enjoyed and I’d be happy to read more by this author. The book made a refreshing change from my usual genres and I also learned from it. A cracking tale.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I do not usually choose to read war books but this had me hooked in a few pages and I remained so till the finale. It is obvious that the historical outlines are carefully researched and the fictional story lies well with them. The main character is a Scot known as Hunter whose ups and downs are entirely convincing. It works too that not all the soldiers are not brave, unaffected warriors. They have their emotional and mental issues too. The book has a satisfying conclusion even if it is not entirely what the reader might hope for. To say much more in a review could spoil the read! What matters is that this is an outstanding read and I strongly recommend it.

I found Iain Gale's Special Boat Squadron novel a fun read but the plot had so many flaws. Some were in to bulk up the plot but others make the brave guys and girls seem like idiots. The idea that a safe left with top secret documents in by the British, was later used by the Germans without them checking and forwarding to Berlin everything that was left behind, beggars belief. The destruction of the German MTB was bonkers, leaving floating debris across a large area where a simple hull penetration would have done the trick without the mess. The language the officers used, really? More like a Monty Python skit. Then there was Phelps, what a disastrous choice on the part of Hunter but in reality it was to add another dimension to the story. I enjoyed it but a large pinch of salt should be kept at hand.

A fun and interesting read covering special operations in Crete in preparation for the invasion of Italy of which I knew little. The prose is well paced and well written. The development of the primary protagonists, Hunter and Woods, was reasonably well done given the approach. Crudulity was stretched in a few places but that is not unusual in a fictional account and did not impair the enjoyment of the story. SBS puts Iain Gale on my radar, and I will watch for more work from him going forward.

It has been a very long time since I last read a fictional book of this genre and have concluded that the reason is that I find them generically too shallow and predictable and thus, in my mind, very unfair to those men and women who are called upon and often volunteer to operate "behind enemy lines" in all theatres of war.

Although I did my duty and completed the book, it never grabbed me and drew me in. Basically, I found the book trite, formulaic and with little depth to it and the participants in this story to be portraying what I feel is far from the harsh reality.