SPECIAL FORCES ON THE RUN

In the fourth instalment of his SAS Great Escapes series, Damien Lewis recounts, among others, an overlooked LRDG operation in occupied Yugoslavia

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SAS Great Escapes Four recounts five thrilling stories of escape, evasion and survival behind enemy lines during the Second World War. From the vanguard of Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in 1943, to supporting partisan activity in Yugoslavia, Damien Lewis narrates the build-up to these covert SAS missions and the intense events that transpire when carefully laid plans hit the proverbial.

Seamlessly threading first-hand accounts from the escapees themselves – details of which shocked even a seasoned historian such as Lewis – each chapter follows a different special forces team on their daring mission, their hardships in enemy captivity and their audacious, hair-raising escape attempts. Far from the dash and derring-do depicted on the big screen and TV, these stories contain perilous, nail-biting and often heartbreaking examples of human endurance. Here, Lewis discusses his research into these great escapes and their unique cast of characters.

Where do you begin when you're choosing which stories to tell in your book?

The sources are absolutely crucial, because obviously there are very few if any witnesses to the original events left alive, sadly, so you can't get those first-hand testimonies. The sources are absolutely essential. It’s almost the sources that guide the selection of the stories, rather than the other way round.