Commando Country - Softcover

Stuart Allan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1905267142 ISBN 13: 9781905267149

Publisher: NMSE - Publishing Ltd, 2007

The Scottish highlands played a pivotal role in the secret development of special service training during the Second World War. The remote and rough terrain came into its own as a training and testing ground for new types of fighting. "Commando Country" looks at the variety of special training establishments set up (mostly highland shooting lodges), and at how use was made of the landscape and coastline and of specialist civilian skills such as stalking and mountaineering. It stresses how these new methods of warfare, tested in Scotland, spread internationally into the present day elite status of 'special forces' world-wide.The story involves many famous names from a variety of backgrounds such as actors David Niven and Alec Guinness, mountaineer John Hunt, and polar explorer Martin Lindsay, as well as famous military figures such as David Stirling, founder of the SAS and Special Operations Executive agent Violet Szabo. Conveying the atmosphere of remote highland locations, the book makes strong use of photographs and personal testimony collected from those involved, bringing a unique Scottish perspective to a popular subject.

Review:

...a history that's rich in technical detail, yet, thankfully remains subservient to the story of the people. -- The Herald, November 3, 2007

About the Author:

Stuart Allan is Senior Curator of Military History with National Museums Scotland.

• Publisher: NMSE - Publishing Ltd
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1905267142
• ISBN 13: 9781905267149
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256