Commando Country

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.

ISBN 1905267142   Pages 256 ISBN13 9781905267149 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher NMSE - Publishing Ltd   Weight (grammes) 426 Imprint NMSE - Publishing Ltd   Published in Edinburgh Format Paperback   Height (mm) 230 Publication date 18 Sep 2007   Width (mm) 155 DEWEY 355.7094115   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level General

		Introduction: Men bred in the Rough Bounds: The British Army in the Highlands		11
Pt. 1		The Big House: Special Training Centre Lochailort		20
Pt. 2		The March of the Cameron Men: Commando Training		83
Pt. 3		The Road to the Isles: Special Operations Executive		156
Pt. 4		The Men from the Boys: Highland Fieldcraft		228

'Given its perspective and provenance, Commando Country could have been merely one more parochial and romanticized Highland tale. Stuart Allan has avoided this pitfall, however, and his work not only is a very useful, details, and readable overview of a largely neglected aspect of the history of British Special Operations Forces during the Second World War, but also provides a useful starting point for further research via the thorough and extensive footnote.' War in History ' ... a history that's rich in technical detail, yet, thankfully, remains subservient to the story of the people.' The Herald'... This well-researched book is worthy of its exciting subject. Recommended.'Colonel Oliver Lindsay, The Guards Magazine

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