Jihad!: The SAS Secret War in Afghanistan [Hardcover]

Tom Carew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

This fast-paced first person narrative is organized into three sections. Part One covers Tom's early life and military service in the SAS. Part Two recounts Operations Fairfax and Felix, the mission to Afghanistan, and Part Three describes Operation Clover, Tom's activities in the Balkans. Carew's account includes combat action against the Serbian Army, Soviet Spetsnaz special forces and Afghan mercenaries; the high tension of a covert arms buying mission in Poland, Germany and Communist Bulgaria; gritty technical details of secret SAS training operations; and his brief romantic interludes with a British Embassy official and a British Council teacher.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In 1980, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher had taken over the leadership of the West, and the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan ‹ the most crucial battle of the Cold War was about to begin. In the high mountain passes of the northwest frontier and the Hindu Kush, the CIA and Britain¹s MI6 saw an opportunity to bring the mighty Soviet army to its knees. Their weapon: the Islamic guerrillas of the Afghan Mujahideen. The first Western agent to link up with the Mujahideen was Tom Carew, a young SAS soldier with a talent for ³black bag² covert operations. Over a period of a year, Carew led a series of extraordinary reconnaissance missions inside Afghanistan; in the course of these operations, he became as close to the Mujahideen as any European infidel could. Set against the backdrop of the last truly wild and lawless country on earth, Carew¹s edge-of-the-seat narrative sheds new light on the Cold War and the conduct of special operations in the modern era.

About the Author

Tom Carew is a former SAS officer and currently works for the United States' Defence Intelligence Agency. He currently lives under a false identity in Belgium. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Mainstream Publishing Company, Ltd. (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840183268
• ISBN-13: 978-1840183269
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,457,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent book but is it true?, November 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Jihad!: The SAS Secret War in Afghanistan (Hardcover)

BBC NEWS Wednesday, 14 November, 2001, 18:17 GMT
Author 'lied about SAS membership'
Tom Carew claimed to be a member of the SAS
Claims by bestselling author Tom Carew to have been a member of the elite 22
SAS have been exposed as false by the BBC. Mr Carew's book, Jihad! The
Secret War in Afghanistan, is expected to sell 100,000 copies by Christmas.
The BBC's George Eykyn says he still insists he did serve with the SAS.
Since the start of the war in Afghanistan, Tom Carew has been a regular on
the airwaves and in newspapers, speaking about special forces.
His book is principally a tale of mercenary derring do in Afghanistan when
Mr Carew trained Mujahideen fighters.
But his claims to have served at least 14 years in 22 SAS, the regular
army's elite regiment, have been exposed as false.
Demonstration Troop
Inquiries by the BBC Two's Newsnight programme have established that Tom
Carew's real name is Philip Sessarego.
He tried Selection for 22 SAS in 1973 but failed.
He was allowed to stay on as a non-member in what was called Demonstration
Troop - ordinary soldiers who did jobs for the SAS like play the enemy on
exercises.
Records show Mr Sessarego later tried to join the Territorial Army Reserve
Squadron of the SAS and failed that selection at the end of 1975.
On Wednesday he was challenged over the allegations.
Mr Carew broke off the interview and on his way out punched a BBC camera.
Tom Carew's ghost writer has said he is embarrassed by the revelations, but
stressed that the book was principally a true story about Afghanistan.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read !, September 9, 2001

By 

Bill Haley (U.S. of A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jihad!: The SAS Secret War in Afghanistan (Hardcover)

Definitely a good read. This book provides detailed insight into the planning of covert operations in Afghanistan, and some of the problems associated with dealing with the indigenous population of that region. The book is not centered around actual battles fought, but focuses on the day to day aspects of the operation. I would definitely recommend it for anyone with an interest in special forces operations.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Walter Mitty, January 11, 2005

By 

I Love NY (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jihad!: The SAS Secret War in Afghanistan (Hardcover)

Not a book for serious researchers and those with military backgrounds. If you just like a good yarn, then go for it.

Tom Carew, real name Philip Sessarego, is a SAS groupie. I remember him from the years I lived in Hereford late 70s and early 80s. Hereford was home to the SAS and the SAS guys were pretty low-key. Then there were soldiers attached to to SAS, who could be anything from cooks to motor mechanics. A number of these guys tried their best to look SAS, wearing beepers and drinking in the pubs (i.e. The David Garrick) where SAS guys were supposed to hang out. Then, there was Sessarago, who was a category to himself. He left the Army in 1975, having failed acceptance into the SAS. He spent the years after that in a fantasy world, trying to look the part in his Land Rover, and supposedly, dabbling in some occasional private mercenary work overseas. I'm sure that Phil is a legend both in his own mind, and probably in his house.