This heavily illustrated informative book is the most comprehensive guide available to anyone interested in the special forces and it includes detailed listings and information on special force units and their tactics. - Special forces are trained small, elite teams of soldiers who perform operations deemed too risky or demanding for regular troops. - Special forces missions include counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, political assassination, sabotage, spying, covert surveillance and force ambush. - Most of these operations are performed deep behind hostile lines or within enemy strongholds. - With a battlefield effect out of all proportion to their numbers, special forces today are usually the first into combat and the last out.