Tim Spicer on the Man Who Saved the SAS

Join us for our event with Tim Spicer to discuss the incredible biography of Brian Franks DSO MC, the man who saved the SAS!

This story is not just another history of the SAS. It is the only biography of an extraordinary man, 'whose courage made it easier for us to be brave'. Brian Franks, tough, capable and charismatic and loved by officers and soldiers alike, is largely unknown outside the Special Operations world but has been credited by David Stirling as being one of the five founding fathers of the SAS. A dashing bon viveur, he could move freely in all sections of society, from members of the royal family to junior soldiers. He was close friends with a wide range of characters. David Niven, Ian Fleming, Evelyn Waugh, and Winston Churchill as well as his military comrades - the Stirling Brothers, Paddy Mayne, Roy Farran and Bob Laycock. Set against the backdrop of World War II and the Cold War, Franks' life was one of bravery, intrigue and glamour.

As for the title of this book, in 1918 Franks wrote a letter to his parents from his prep school. The letter, written on lined, dusty pink paper, began, 'Dear Mummy and Daddy, I hope you are well. Please send me an axe and four balloons...'. The reason for this strange request was never explained, but if the rest of Franks' life is anything to go by, the possibilities are endless.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer OBE has led a life filled with action and adventure. During his twenty years in the British Army he saw active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands campaign, the Gulf War and the Balkans, as well as serving in the Far East, Cyprus and Germany. Key appointments have included Chief of Staff of an Armoured Brigade, Staff Officer at the Directorate of Special Forces and Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, among many others.