Fiction
'Saul David has already shown himself to be a first rate historian, now he proves to be a masterly story-teller...'
About Saul
Saul David is a historian, broadcaster and the author of several critically-acclaimed works of fiction and non-fiction.
His history books include The Indian Mutiny (shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature), Zulu (a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year), and Operation Thunderbolt: Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport (an Amazon History Book of the Year). Alan Furst commented in the New York Times Book Review: 'Tense and riveting...This is the achievement of a masterly, first-rate historian.' The film rights for Operation Thunderbolt were bought by Hollywood's Participant Media and used in the making of the motion picture 'Seven Days in Entebbe' which was released worldwide in the spring of 2018. The film is co-produced by Working Title, directed by José Padilha, and stars Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl and Eddie Marsan.
Saul's latest work of non-fiction, The Force: The legendary Special Ops Unit and WWII's Mission Impossible, was published in the US and Canada on 3 September 2019. It has been hailed as a "monumental achievement" (Douglas Brinkley) and "an essential part of anyone's library" (Doug Stanton).
Saul has also written three bestselling historical novels, Zulu Hart, Hart of Empire and, published in 2018, The Prince and the Whitechapel Murders.
Saul is Professor of Military History at the University of Buckingham.
News & Events
Latest news and planned events from Saul.
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29.09.2019
Saul’s new book The Force has been praised by Paul Dickson in the Washington Independent Review of Books. Describing the book as “riveting and harrowing”, Dickson adds: “David does a remarkable job in bringing these rugged, non-conforming men back to life…[He] has written an important, highly engaging work that is, as novelist Raymond Chandler once wrote of a book he was reviewing, unputdownable.”
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20.09.2019
Saul’s forthcoming book, Crucible of Hell: Okinawa – The Stalingrad of the Pacific, has been sold to Chinese publishing company Beijing Huaxia Winshare Books, and will be available in mainland China from April 2020, the 75th anniversary of the Okinawa landings.
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20.09.2019
Saul’s new book, The Force: The Legendary Special Ops Unit and WWII’s Mission Impossible, is now available in the US. https://www.amazon.com/Force-Legendary-Special-Mission-Impossible/dp/0316414530
Saul spoke about the book on Fox & Friends: https: https://video.foxnews.com/v/6084614999001/#sp=show-clips
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2.08.2019
There are still places available on Saul’s 1-year MA in Military History by Research programme in London for the University of Buckingham. Click here for details.https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/militaryhistory
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12.07.2019
Saul’s new book is described by the influential US trade journal Publishers Weekly as an “action-packed tale.” It adds: “David works the soldiers; individual stories into the narrative, adding heart to the derring-do. This thrilling history will captivate readers.” PW review_THE FORCE
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10.06.2019
Another great quote has just come in for Saul’s new book, The Force, out in September:
“A mesmerizing read that blends strategy with tactics and traditions, narrating in gritty detail the 1943 mountain battle by a small, dauntless American-Canadian force. This was the battlefield birth of our Special Operations Forces. A compelling tale of human valor, doubts, mistakes and victory, honestly told.”
—Bing West, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, author of The Village and coauthor with Jim Mattis of Callsign Chaos
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24.05.2019
Another lovely pre-pub review for The Force:
“This remarkable story of the most unique special operations unit in Allied service during World War II throws you into battle during the meat grinder campaign in Italy, where the men of the Force displayed exceptional loyalty to each other and courage under fire all while undertaking some of the most difficult missions of the war. Told at soldier’s-eye level, The Force is a gripping and awe-inspiring account of a storied unit and a legendary battle.”
—John R. Bruning, bestselling author of Race of Aces and Indestructible
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16.05.2019
More pre-publication praise for The Force, just in:
“The Force provides incredible insight into the formation, development, and performance of the U.S. Army Special Forces Group, which traces its lineage to these fearless men. With his incomparable gift for storytelling, Saul David captures the brotherhood forged in war, the tragedy and chaos of battle, and the rich tradition of American tactical brilliance that these elite soldiers helped to launch.” David M. Reel, Executive Director, West Point Museum
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16.05.2019
Pre-publication praise from bestselling and prizewinning authors has been flooding in for Saul’s new book The Force, published in the US on September 3, 2019:
“The Force brilliantly recounts the heroic exploits of the U.S. and Canadian First Special Operations team tasked with decommissioning a supposedly impregnable Nazi stronghold. Every chapter is filled with harrowing adventure, life and death struggle, and bedrock patriotism. The amount of new cutting-edge research is impressive. A monumental achievement!“―Douglas Brinkley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
“With impeccable research and a keen eye for detail, Saul David has brought to life the surprising story of the original band of brothers. You can draw a vivid line from the make-or-break WWII battles of these daring soldiers to today’s US Army’s Special Forces…Saul David does us — and history — a service by dramatizing how and why that ‘tip of the spear’ was forged. These brave citizen-soldiers did the impossible, and The Force honors their brotherhood, triumph, and ultimate sacrifices. An essential part of anyone’s library.”―Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Horse Soldiers and In Harm’s Way
“The First Special Service Force created in 1942 was a unique elite unit…As Saul David makes clear in this stirring account of their heroics, they did much more than their share and established precedents for the U.S. and Canadian Special Forces of today.”―James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Battle-Cry of Freedom
“A riveting story…Saul David brings us a superb tale, well told.”
―Gregory A. Freeman, bestselling author of The Forgotten 500“Compelling and well-researched, The Force is an uplifting story of bravery, duty, and honor, an account of men who found the courage to take on an impossible mission-and prevail against all odds.”―Howard Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Invasion and The Last Goodnight
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9.02.2019
Saul’s next TV appearance is on ‘Presidents at War’, a two part series on the History Channel, 17/18 February 2019 at 8pm.
Broadcasting
An experienced TV and radio broadcaster.
Saul has presented and appeared in history programmes for all the major TV channels and is a regular on Radio 4. Visit the Broadcasting page for a full list of credits. In 2019 he appears in programmes on the US Presidents at war, the Second World War in Colour, and Prince Albert, and presents part of a series on great inventions ('Revolutions')