The Sixteen: The Covert Assassination Squad That Went Beyond the SAS

A member of the Sixteen-an elite, ultra-secret group of handpicked men who were charged with carrying out assassinations in the Middle East and Eastern Europe during the Cold War-John Urwin has decided to break the code of silence and speak for the first time about his covert unit. This true story reveals how Urwin was trained extensively in the use of extraordinary weapons and military techniques that were not made available to other parts of the armed services. He describes weapons such as the sash, which looks like a normal trouser belt but has serrated edges and when released lashes out and upward at astonishing speed, taking the face off anyone standing within a four-foot radius. Urwin recounts his training in unarmed combat, survival skills, and fear-elimination techniques. He also discloses the Sixteen's mission to assassinate Communist sympathizers in the military and their dispatch to Egypt on orders to assassinate President Nasser, a mission that was aborted with only hours to spare. This book is not just about military intrigue and covert ops-it is also about a band of young men whose secrecy, skills, and professionalism earned them a place in the Sixteen.