The carnage caused by the terrorist attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics was a wake-up call to the world, and especially to the unprepared governments of Europe. Within weeks, the major nations had begun to form specialist counter-terrorist units within their police and military forces, and ever since then the continuing and developing threat from diverse terrorist groups has seen these units steadily evolving tactics and equipment at the spearhead of the Western response. Units such as the British SAS Special Projects teams, Germany's GSG9 and France's GIGN have led the way, and this book traces their development and their operations. It also identifies more than 30 other European CT intervention units that have been modelled upon them. The book is illustrated throughout with colour photographs, and with specially prepared colour artwork detailing uniforms, insignia, equipment, weapons, and tactical scenarios. Book jacket.