The Official History of Special Operations Australia, Vol. 1: Organization- From the Secret Files of Z Special Unit

Popularly known today as Z Special Unit, or by the wartime cover names of Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD) and Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD), Special Operations Australia (SOA) was the Special Operations component of the US-led Allied Intelligence Bureau in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. The first in a set of five, Volume 1 – Organization tells the story of the establishment, organisation and function of SOA from its earliest days as a direct offshoot of the British Special Operations Executive, until the organisation’s disbandment after a long, brutal and bloody conflict. Introduced by Special Operations and Espionage writer C.A. Brown, Volume 1 tells the story of the establishment of SOA and its fight for survival as a British-oriented SO organisation under American command, while giving the Imperial Japanese invaders a bloody nose all the way from New Guinea to Indochina. Covering in detail the major personalities, departments, directorates, training and operational bases of SOA, Volume 1 is a must-have for the research bookshelf of any serious student of the Secret War.