Product Description

This work presents the top-ten bestselling inside story of the greatest SAS battle since the Second World War - including brand new photos and maps. This book chronicles the story of the single most daring Special Forces operation since World War Two - Operation Barras; the attempted rescue by the SAS of the British Forces who were being held captive by the guerrilla gang, the West Side Boys in the Sierra Leone jungle. The West Side Boys were a strange-looking bunch, wearing pink shades, shower caps, fluorescent wigs and voodoo charms they believed made them invulnerable to bullets - an impression re-enforced by ganja, heroine, crack cocaine and gallons of sweet palm wine. In 1999, a 12 man patrol of Royal Irish Rangers, who were training government troops in Sierra Leone, were captured and held hostage by the West Side Boys. They were held prisoner in a fortified jungle hideaway, with severed heads decorating the palisades and defended by some 400 heavily armed soldiers. Operation Barras, the mission to rescue them was a combined force of 100 Paras, 12 members of the Special Boat Squadron, helicopters from the Navy and RAF an, spearheading the operation, 40-strong D squadron of the SAS. Against amazing odds the hostages were rescued - over 150 of the enemy were killed. "Against All Odds" is a story of all out war. No hostages taken. Blood-letting on a vast scale inflicted on a very blood-thirsty enemy. Damien Lewis is a journalist and documentary film maker. He has worked for "The Telegraph", "The Guardian" and the BBC.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85655 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 660 pages

Brigadier Andrew Stewart
"As a purely military operation it knocks into a cocked hat the lifting of the Iranian embassy siege."

From the Publisher
This is the story of the rescue mission of the century in Africa's heart of darkness.

About the Author
Damien Lewis is a journalist and documentary film maker. He has worked for The Telegraph, The Guardian and the BBC.

Customer Reviews

Operation Certain Death
Undoubtedly well-researched but the verbal interchanges between the British soldiers are at best irritating and at worst, wholly embarrassing (at times I had to skip full paragraphs). If you have an interest in this event and the history surrounding it then this book is definately worth considering, but only if you can tolerate the constant phonetics used to portray regional accents.

Fantastic read, couldn't put the book down.
I have about 10 or more special forces books, from bravo 2 zero to CQB. All of them have been good, some great. Operation certain death was arguably the best and most detailed of them all.

The Book brings you straight into the series of events that lead to Operation Barras (aka operation certain death). It starts in Sierra Leone where the Irish Rangers began their ill fated journey and takes you right through the whole military operation that followed in great detail. The auther does a superb job of depeciting the various personalities of soldiers and he explains multiple events at once without the reader getting confused.

The author also points out that he has made every effort to ensure the story was depicted as true to the events possible. I am confident this was done also. Most other special forces books I have read have been from one source (the soldier), however the author sourced his information from the many people involved.

If you are into the special forces this book is a must read, it is also the most recent story involving the SAS, SBS, RAF and the Parachute Regiment.

I have always had alot of respect for these soldiers, this book has increased that. The professionalism that the soldiers display is really something they should be proud of and its reasuring to know that these guys are the ones who are on our side.

too much flab
I found all the periferal info and the fictionised sas activities
pre- the raid could havee been totally cut out . that would have left 200 pages of a great read instead of an extra 400 pages of waffle