1634, Ukraine. Karlis, a young Winged Hussar of Poland-Lithuania, sickened by the carnage of war, deserts. To wash their honour, the men of his old unit hunt him mercilessly, while two people secretly observe the pursuit. They are Cossacks, from a people of freedom-loving warriors - and it is with them that Karlis will eventually find refuge. But if he left his regiment, it's also because of the last orders he was given, which he refused to follow: the king of Poland-Lithuania wants the Cossacks disarmed...

1192. Richard, King of England, hasn't returned from the Crusades. Rumours say he may be dead, and his brother John Lackland begins moving his pieces to claim the throne, counting on the support - and money - of the kingdom's sheriffs. Deep inside Sherwood Forest, Marian, young Saxon Lady, tries to convince a family of outlaws to join her in fighting the prince, with the help of a mysterious man in a hood - none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham himself!

Despite the heroic efforts of L Detachment, the unit's victories haven't managed to stop the advance of the German war machine. Soon, Rommel is at the gates of Egypt, and losses mount among David Stirling and Paddy Mayne's men - some crueller than others. In the end, they will have to reinvent themselves and give everything to push back the Desert Fox and earn their name at last: The Special Air Service!

After the disaster that was their first mission, the SAS refused to give up, and their second wave of raids proved a powerful validation of the concept behind their unit. Unfortunately, they still have many enemies at headquarters, and now they must capitalise on their success. While they lack neither daring nor imagination, they will have to contend with an enemy who knows how to adapt, and learn to live with the terrible human cost of the war.

Now rid of Prince John's henchman, William, Marian and their friends are finally free to relax a little. Their respite is short, however. A judge known for his integrity and doggedness has been dispatched to Nottingham by the regent to investigate the recent trouble, and from the town's very bowels, drawn by the rumours about the theft of the royal treasure, another gang of brigands emerges, their hearts and intentions far less pure than those of the 'Merry Men' allied with the Hood...

1941. Almost all of Europe is under the Nazi heel. Great Britain still holds out, but the situation worsens with every passing day. And in North Africa, gateway to the Middle East and its immense oil reserves, Rommel now threatens Egypt, keystone of British defences. In those desperate times, three unconventional officers, David Stirling, Blair Mayne and Jock Lewes, band together to create a small, elite unit that will become a military legend: the SAS.

Having defeated his former brothers-in-arms of the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania, the Winged Hussars, Karlis accompanies his new companions to the Sich, the Cossack parliament. Before long, he is faced with the harsh reality that not all Cossacks want him to join their people. Indeed, while his exploits have made him a hero to many, they have also made him into a prime target for jealousy, frustration and ambition...