Task Force Black: The explosive true story of the SAS and the secret war in Iraq

"One of the few truly authentic accounts of the modern SAS outside the world of fiction." THE TIMES Following the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq in 2003, the SAS launched one of the most intense and secretive operations in its history: Task Force Black. Operating out 'The Station' in Bagdad, Task Force Black's role was to hunt down senior members of Al-Qaeda operating in Iraq. Using the latest weaponry, combining with other international special forces units, the group waged a sustained covert campaign against terrorist groups across the county. Combining intelligence with brute force, the SAS went on the attack and had multiple successes, including the killing of several key Al-Qaeda commanders. BBC journalist Mark Urban uncovers the sensational story of this operation and the extraordinary men who carried it out. PRAISE FOR TASK FORCE BLACK 'That Mark Urban, a BBC journalist also known for excellent recent books on the Napoleonic Wars, has been able to tell this story is a testament to his determination and investigative skill. Few reporters succeed in cultivating any sources within the closed world of the British special forces; Urban has found dozens who have spoken with unprecedented candour. The result is gripping and troubling in equal measure and an invaluable addition to the increasingly comprehensive literature on the Iraq war.' Jason Burke, OBSERVER ** 'Urban's book, Task Force Black, deserves to do well. It is the first account, as full as it can be under the circumstances, of the clandestine war waged by the SAS and their Royal Marines equivalent, the SBS, alongside US Delta Force in the height of that murderous war' Kim Sengupta, INDEPENDENT