SAS Italian Job: The Ultra-secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress

As part of this year's Chelsea History Festival, War reporter and bestselling author Damien Lewis reveals the story of a Second World War mission to destroy a supposedly impregnable Nazi fortress.

In the winter of 1944, Captain Mike 'Wild Man' Lees of the Special Operations Executive and legendary SAS commander Major Roy Farran were given a mission. They were tasked with raising an army of Italian partisans, escaped Russian prisoners of war, former French Foreign Legionnaires and even German deserters to lay waste the enemy's ‘impregnable’ headquarters.

If their daring raid succeeded, Allied forces could break through the defences. If it failed, few would return alive.

Relying on specially declassified files, eyewitness reports, and insights from the families of those involved, Damien Lewis relates an epic tale of daring and betrayal from his enthralling book SAS Italian Job.

This event is followed by a book signing with the author.