The Pilgrim (eBook)
SAS Who Dares Wins
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
File Size: 19.7 MB (.epub)
Pages: 152
Illustrations: 12 colour illustrations
ISBN: 9781036126605
Published: 11th August 2025
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| The Pilgrim Hardback Add to Basket | £15.00 |
'The best things are worth waiting for. SAS veteran Colin Maclachlan's much anticipated book is arresting, revelatory, inspirational and explosive. An elite operator's gripping true story. It blows the door off!' - Damien Lewis
'Colin has made a fascinating start to his life already, but the adventure is just beginning!’ - Andy McNab
“An incredible story of courage and commitment under fire” - Bear Grylls
"A rollercoaster of an account of a young boy through to SAS Commander on some of the biggest missions in modern times" - Chris Ryan
The Pilgrim is the book the MOD tried to ban. It is a rollercoaster of an autobiography of Colin Maclachlan, known for his appearances on shows like Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS.
His autobiography starts with his troubled childhood and escape to the military where, as a fifteen year- old boy, he grows up and matures into the SAS soldier we now recognise. Early chapters describe physical, mental and sexual abuse and Colin could easily have ended up in a home but despite the odds and with the help of both the Children’s Panels, NSPCC and some diligent schoolteachers, Colin escaped to the army. Colin had to get special permission to join the army at only fifteen years of age and goes from being a young vulnerable and damaged boy to a capable soldier through preparation for the first Gulf War and joining the oldest and most senior infantry regiment in the British Army, The Royal Scots. From operations in Northern Ireland to being the Queen’s Butcher to Colin’s first TV cameos on Soldier Soldier and Gladiators, Colin’s stories and anecdotes are both exhilarating and hilarious.
Colin then describes the arduous SAS selection process, the hardest and most gruelling military selection process in the world. Colin describes in some detail what most have never even heard in this secretive world where Colin goes from a course of what seemed hundreds down to only six percent in six months! The reader is then taken on a never seen before description of life as an SAS operator. Daily life in an operational squadron and the operations, missions and training involved all described in detail. Colin was part of Mountain Troop, D Squadron who were to be involved in some of the most high-profile and dangerous missions in SAS history.
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"...as a human document, one that traces a man’s journey from abuse to acceptance, it is strikingly effective. The Pilgrim is less about war than about survival."
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A rollercoaster of an account of a young boy through to SAS Commander on some of the biggest missions in modern times
Chris Ryan
An incredible story of courage and commitment under fire
Bear Grylls
Colin has made a fascinating start to his life already, but the adventure is just beginning!
Andy McNab
The best things are worth waiting for. SAS veteran Colin Maclachlan's much anticipated book is arresting, revelatory, inspirational and explosive. An elite operator's gripping true story. It blows the door off!
Damien Lewis
The Pilgrim is not a tale of bravado, but of endurance. Within these pages, Colin lays bare a life forged through quiet resolve, disciplined self-control, and an unassuming humility.
Rab Landells
What sets this account apart is not merely the elite nature of the unit he once served in, but the fortitude required to continue when certainty fades, comfort is absent, and recognition is neither sought nor expected. Written with restraint and candour, the narrative allows deeds and their consequences to speak for themselves, resulting in a story that feels grounded, credible, and profoundly human.
The Pilgrim inspires precisely because it resists theatrics. It illustrates how inner strength is developed over time, how resolve is maintained under sustained pressure, and how real authority is often conveyed through composure, loyalty, and quiet self-belief. It is a compelling read for those interested in leadership and personal fortitude, offering rare insight into the realities of elite service, while remaining, at times, refreshingly and disarmingly humorous.
Fantastic read Colin, I applaud your honesty brother, especially opening up about your childhood. Big respect.
Scott White
Scott White
PMC - Iraq / Afghanistan
I feel honoured to have got to know Colin on a personal level over the past decade or so. He is a wonderful human being.
Bob Bowman
The Pilgrim is an incredibly honest account of Colin’s life and the resilience he has shown since so young is remarkable.
Colin has ‘done it all’ Military wise yet has not an ounce of ego….his final chapter where he writes so beautifully about his family is true Colin.
A fantastic read about a fantastic man.
An interesting and eye opening account of Colin’s life, giving insight into the military and the special forces, and more so into the man himself, which is even more impressive.
Iain McDonald
Thoroughly recommended
A very real and factual account of what it takes to become a tier 1 operator.
Stuart Beaton
From troubled times as a child and the path that set Colin on, and to giving back to help others. Great stories of times with the lads that makes you laugh, and the pressures felt by young men prepared to give all and the sacrifices along the way.
I couldn't put the book down.
The Pilgrim.
William Young
Author Colin Maclachlan
The Pilgrim is a thought provoking factual autobiography that explores the true meaning of courage in the face of adversity. Colin’s story follows him from his troubled childhood & his escape into military life. Not happy with being a great soldier within his Regiment Colin excelled & passed the Special Air Service SAS selection at a young age of 23. A page turner of this elite soldier.
Willie Young
Gordon Highlander
About Colin Maclachlan
Colin Maclachlan is an author and motivational speaker. He has co-authored several non-fiction books such as Leadership Secrets of the SAS and Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Modern Warfare. He featured in Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS. He also does motion capture and stunts for video games including GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Hood: Outlaw among Thieves. His website can be found at www.colin22sas.com






