From biblical times, special units of elite warriors have been separated from the mass of forces in order to undertake especially demanding roles on the battlefield. In the last 50 years, every national force has refined the tasks of special-purposes troops to a point where small teams of experts can be deployed on misssions where only stealth, expertise and mobility can bring results, where large numbers are impractical or superfluous. This well-reasoned account enables the many students of elite forces to understand the chronology and global evolution of special forces warfare. It gives a wide-ranging account of how the use of special forces has changed modern military strategies.