The SAS is a disciplined and elite force. The men in this force are trained to operate deep behind enemy lines to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance operations, usually in very close proximity to the enemy and are often involved in violent actions with that enemy.

The SAS first went into action in Borneo in 1963 and saw further action in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and in Somalia, Kuwait and East Timor in the 1990s.

In Action with the SAS is based on the classic work SAS: Phantoms Of War by David Horner. It describes some of the actions in which the SAS has been involved up until and including its service in East Timor.