Red Devils: The Trailblazers of the Parachute Regiment in World War Two: An Authorized History

Description

The gripping authorised history of the Parachute Regiment in WW2 told through the fates of six heroes, for the 80th anniversary On the 80th anniversary of their first crucial campaign, Operation Torch in North Africa, Mark Urban tells the gripping story of the creation and development of the "Red Devils" - the name given to them by their German enemies - who ranged from circus performers to solicitors, policemen to gravediggers, Christians and Jews to communists. Through the fates of six heroes, from recently-widowed Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, who had to leave his little boy to head to the front, to Mike Lewis, whose photographs became iconic images of war, Urban vividly brings to life these men and their experiences, showing what drove them and covering their daring actions at D-Day, Arnhem and across the Second World War. All six characters would shed blood for their country, two would not survive and one would face disgrace in the regiment. Based on deep archival research, British and German sources, and new material from the men's families, and giving overdue recognition to the North African campaign, this compelling account paints a true and moving picture of the heart of war.

Mark Urban is the Diplomatic Editor of BBC's Newsnight programme and was formerly defence correspondent for the Independent. He formerly served in the British Army, both in the Royal Tank Regiment and in the Territorial Army. He is the author of several books, including Task Force Black (his deep-dive look at the SAS in the Iraq War, which was a Sunday Times number one bestseller) and The Skripal Files, a Sunday Times Best Politics Book of 2018.

Gripping and authoritative. Family men, circus performers, solicitors, communists, and reactionaries all fought together and shed blood for their country-a true and moving story of war * Andy McNab * Riveting. Impeccably researched. Authoritative. Urban reveals the Red Devils in all their glory, as they forged the path for airborne forces to follow in WWII. Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable * Damien Lewis * A detailed, fast-paced history of these remarkable men that reads like a thriller. Brilliantly researched and brilliantly told * Julia Boyd * I couldn't put Red Devils down * Amanda Foreman * Excellent . . . Mark Urban has brought an old soldier's insights and a fine journalist's clarity to tell this story resoundingly well, mixing superb accounts of the battles with a deep understanding of personalities, service politics and the paratrooper ethos -- Patrick Bishop * Telegraph * If you want to get under the skin of the pioneers of airborne soldiering, this is it . . . fast paced, well written and attention-grabbing from start to finish -- Adrian Weale * Daily Mail Plus * Masterful . . . Mark Urban paints a colourful picture of the officers and men who volunteered for what in 1940 was a leap into the unknown -- Paul de Zulueta * Spectator * Does not disappoint . . . A story of courage and adversity, Red Devils is a must-read * Who Do You Think You Are Magazine *