The Teach Yourself History series offers an alternative to academic historical books, its content being extensive yet extremely accessible and the approach refreshingly different. The books are informative and compelling, and engage the reader from beginning to end. They assume no prior historical knowledge, and are full of anecdotes and details that provide a very personal appeal. Teach Yourself The Special Forces looks at the development of the special forces during World War II onwards up to the present day. It has a strong focus on the SAS, being the service that triggered the development of special forces worldwide, but it also looks at international units and special forces of many different countries. Its chronological narrative considers the main characters involved in the Special Forces and covers major developments as well as specifics such as training, weaponry and the involvement of women.