XD Operations is the first account of the thrilling operations by the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers, tasked with destroying all the oil reserves stored in refineries in the ports along the Continental coastline, thus denying the Nazis vital stocks. Mounted at very short notice and in extreme secrecy, such was the importance attached to them that no plans existed for the unit's evacuation. The book describes the trip over in destroyers, frequently under air attack, the chaotic conditions ahead of the advancing Germans, the difficulties faced in carrying out the tasks and the drama of getting back to England. With a foreword by Richard Holmes, XD Operations contains fascinating photographs, and has a charming and totally understated period style, about events that at times seem unbelievable. But there is no doubt about the authenticity of the book, its characters or the events themselves, which have remained secret all these years because of their extreme political sensitivity. - The Sunday Times