This book has no analogues in Russian literature. It summarizes the history of military and police special forces from the First World War to the present day. The book examines all any significant operations of elite formations in different countries of the world that have become the property of the media. Most of them have not yet been mentioned in Russian, even in closed publications. The compiler is a specialist in the field of reconnaissance and sabotage activities. This allowed him to select materials that are of interest to professionals, and at the same time attract the widest readership. The entire book from beginning to end can be read literally “in one breath.”