Description

Book Synopsis
Leading expert Gavin Mortimer tells the remarkable origin story of a wartime special forces unit that defied the odds.Z Special Unit, one of the most intrepid but arguably the most unsung of Allied Special Forces of the Second World War waged a guerrilla war against Japan for two years in the south-west Pacific. On some of their 81 operations Z Special Unit slipped into enemy harbours in canoes and silently mined ships before vanishing into the night; on others they parachuted into the dense Borneo jungle to fight with headhunters against the Japanese and on one occasion they landed on an Indonesian island and smuggled out the pro-Allied sultan from under Japanese noses. The Japanese weren''t the only adversary that Z Special Unit encountered in the brutal terrain of the Pacific. In the mango swamps of Borneo and the dense jungle of Papua New Guinea they were faced with venomous snakes, man-eating crocodiles and deadly diseases. But it was the enemy soldiers who proved the mos

Trade Review
With superb production standards and lots of interesting photos, this is an intriguing look at the chaotic world of spec ops down under. * The Armourer *

Table of Contents
Introduction: Stirling effort Chapter 1: Lyon hearted Chapter 2: Operation Jaywick Chapter 3: An Old Krait Chapter 4: ‘Good luck and God’s Speed’ Chapter 5: Singapore Struck Chapter 6: The Wizards of Oz Chapter 7: Another Crack Chapter 8: Sleeping Beauties Chapter 9: Pirates and Porpoise Chapter 10: Tiger Hunting Chapter 11: 'A blow to us all' Chapter 12: Jungle Challenge Chapter 13: Allies and Headhunters Chapter 14: Guerrilla Army Chapter 15: Victory in Borneo Chapter 16: Savage Revenge Chapter 17: The Elusive Truth Epilogue: 'War’s pretty grim' Index

Z Special Unit

    Product form

    £21.25

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £25.00 – you save £3.75 (15%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Thu 18 Jun 2026.

    A Hardback by Gavin Mortimer

    2 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Z Special Unit by Gavin Mortimer

      Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
      Publication Date: 14/04/2022
      ISBN13: 9781472847096, 978-1472847096
      ISBN10: 1472847091

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Leading expert Gavin Mortimer tells the remarkable origin story of a wartime special forces unit that defied the odds.Z Special Unit, one of the most intrepid but arguably the most unsung of Allied Special Forces of the Second World War waged a guerrilla war against Japan for two years in the south-west Pacific. On some of their 81 operations Z Special Unit slipped into enemy harbours in canoes and silently mined ships before vanishing into the night; on others they parachuted into the dense Borneo jungle to fight with headhunters against the Japanese and on one occasion they landed on an Indonesian island and smuggled out the pro-Allied sultan from under Japanese noses. The Japanese weren''t the only adversary that Z Special Unit encountered in the brutal terrain of the Pacific. In the mango swamps of Borneo and the dense jungle of Papua New Guinea they were faced with venomous snakes, man-eating crocodiles and deadly diseases. But it was the enemy soldiers who proved the mos

      Trade Review
      With superb production standards and lots of interesting photos, this is an intriguing look at the chaotic world of spec ops down under. * The Armourer *

      Table of Contents
      Introduction: Stirling effort Chapter 1: Lyon hearted Chapter 2: Operation Jaywick Chapter 3: An Old Krait Chapter 4: ‘Good luck and God’s Speed’ Chapter 5: Singapore Struck Chapter 6: The Wizards of Oz Chapter 7: Another Crack Chapter 8: Sleeping Beauties Chapter 9: Pirates and Porpoise Chapter 10: Tiger Hunting Chapter 11: 'A blow to us all' Chapter 12: Jungle Challenge Chapter 13: Allies and Headhunters Chapter 14: Guerrilla Army Chapter 15: Victory in Borneo Chapter 16: Savage Revenge Chapter 17: The Elusive Truth Epilogue: 'War’s pretty grim' Index

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account