Gentleman Jim : The Wartime Story of a Founder of the Sas

The true story of one of the SAS originals, "Gentleman Jim" Almonds' remarkable history is set in wartime England, the western desert, Italy and France and recounts his formative role in the birth of the SAS. Against a background of love, courage and survival against all the odds, this book captures the real spirit of the young soldiers in the new Special Air Service. Jim Almonds, a sergeant in the Guards Commandos, sailed for the Middle East in 1941 to become an SAS 'original'. After action at Tobruk and elsewhere, Almonds was captured and shipped to a POW camp in Italy, he escaped and later, in occupied France, won the Croix de Guerre. Based on his diaries, the action throughout is vivid and immediate.