Memoirs of Parachute Regiment Captain David Blakely about his participation as part of the Pathfinder platoon in the Iraq campaign of 2003. First in action is the official motto of one of the smallest and most secretive units of the British Army, the Pathfinder Platoon of the 16th Air Assault Brigade. Unofficially, they are the illegitimate sons of the SAS. And like their counterparts in Hereford, the Pathfinders' job is to operate quietly and undetected deep behind enemy lines. When British troops deployed to Iraq in 2003, Captain David Blakely was given command of an intelligence mission of such critical importance that it could change the course of the war. This is the story of nine men operating alone and unsupported, 50 miles ahead of a US Marine squad and heading straight into a hornet's nest of thousands of heavily armed enemy troops. This is the first story of this extraordinary mission - a coalition abandoned by command and left with no choice but to fight its way out of the enemy's backyard. And it provides a fascinating insight into the Pathfinders themselves, a mysterious unit of just 45 men who ply their trade from the skies. Trained to parachute into enemy territory far beyond the front lines of battle - dropping from great heights, inhaling bottled oxygen and using the latest parachute technology - he is unique. Due to new regulations introduced since the publication of Bravo Two Zero, there have been no first-hand accounts of British Special Forces fighting modern warfare for nearly a decade. And no member of the Pathfinders had ever told their story before, until now. The Pathfinder is the only first-hand account of the SSF mission to emerge in nearly a generation. And this may be the last. Nine people. 2000 enemies. No reinforcements. No air support. No escape. No chance...When creating the cover, I was inspired by the images and design proposed by the English-language publishing house.