Allied Special Forces Insignia 1939 - 1948 by Peter Taylor

Pegasus Archive review: A superb catalogue detailing the insignia of those wartime units, particularly the British ones, which may be labelled as Special Forces; including the Parachute and Glider Pilot Regiments, Commandos, Special Air Service, and the various raiding forces which operated in Europe and the Far East. The Special Operations Executive, Polish Parachute Brigade, and the US Airborne and Rangers are also discussed. Clear and original colour examples of practically every conceivable insignia type, worn at any time during the war by any branch of the above formations is included, together with numerous carefully selected wartime photographs to show how they were properly applied to uniforms. A first class reference guide. Price: £11.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/allied-special-forces-insignia/p/3638/

Brotherhood of the Flying Coffin by Scott McGaugh

Pegasus Archive review: The use of gliders in the US and British militaries was a short-lived phenomenon ultimately rendered obsolete by the introduction of helicopters and the ability to parachute drop vehicles and heavy equipment, but throughout the Second World War they were an absolutely essential component of airborne warfare, transporting additional infantry, at times with pinpoint precision on their objectives, as well as carrying jeeps, artillery and even light tanks, the use of all of which would have been otherwise impossible. This book, slanted more towards the American point of view, uses a variety of primary sources to examine the training and experiences of the men who flew these slow and vulnerable craft, from the first operation in Sicily in 1943 through to the Rhine Crossing in 1945, vividly conveying the difficulties they faced as they ran a gauntlet of anti-aircraft fire before carrying out a landing which was in effect little more than a controlled crash, sometimes at night, on zones which were strewn with lethal obstacles and under enemy fire. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or Osprey Publishing.

Bruneval by Paul Oldfield

Pegasus Archive review: In February 1942, British parachutists landed in France and carried out a raid on a German radar station, bringing vital components back across the Channel. This highly successful operation was only the second to be carried out by the fledgling Parachute Regiment, and amongst the first Combined Operations to employ elements from all three services. Paul Oldfield describes the story from the scientific struggle for superior radar, intelligence gathering and planning of the raid, to the attack itself, the withdrawal of the force and analysis of its aftermath. Like all books in the Battleground series, Bruneval may be used as a mere though utterly comprehensive battlefield guide, but the sheer quantity of maps and photographs coupled with the authoritative but concise narrative make it a highly satisfactory historical study in its own right. Price: £10.39. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/bruneval/p/3743/

Churchill's Spearhead by John Greenacre

Pegasus Archive review: This book describes the development of Britain's airborne forces throughout the Second World War, detailing the political squabbling which both hindered and assisted the movement, and the cumulative progress made in terms of equipment, training, and command of these forces. John Greenacre does well to form a relatively cohesive narrative of these most difficult and varied subjects, and the result, though probably beyond the interest of the casual reader, is a very thorough account of the untold, behind-the-scenes story of how Britain's airborne forces came to be. As this book stands alone amongst a vast library of airborne literature which have glossed over these issues, it is compelling reading for the enthusiast and uncovers much that has not been published previously. Price: £19.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=2506

Crete: The Airborne Invasion 1941 by Tim Saunders

Pegasus Archive review: Tim Saunders continues in the fine tradition of the acclaimed "Battleground" series with a very concise and comprehensive account of the exclusively airborne German invasion of Crete. As such it is much more than a mere pocket battlefield guide, and lavished throughout with photographs, maps and many first hand accounts, it packs a considerable amount of detail into a small space and is a superb introduction to this operation. The book describes the strategic position in the Mediterranean in 1941 and the prominent role which Crete played, before discussing the British tactics for its defence and the bold German invasion plan. Several chapters are devoted to the chaotic battles which raged around the drop zones, going on to describe the key engagements which followed inland and the eventual Allied evacuation. Price: £16.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Crete-Paperback/p/1377

Evolution of Airborne Operations 1939-1945 by Colonel Roy M. Stanley II

Pegasus Archive review: One of a series of books describing the Second World War with aerial photography, examining the birth and rapid expansion of the airborne movement, from the early raiding forces to the complex divisional and corps operations of the final years. It describes many of the famous actions which one would expect, including the German attacks on Norway, Belgium, Holland and Crete, and the Allied efforts in Sicily, D-Day and Operation Market Garden, but it also looks at less familiar operations such as those carried out by the Russians and Japanese, and the Americans in the Pacific. This is not a conventional history of these operations and no attempt is made to describe how they unfolded, instead Colonel Stanley is solely concerned with the landing of the airborne troops and the first critical hours. As a retired photographic interpreter, he uses his skill together with a quite wonderful array of rare and mostly aerial photographs to describe the scene in each and so illustrate the growing capabilities and ambition of airborne warfare. Price: £25.00. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Evolution-of-Airborne-Operations-1939-1945-Hardback/p/11354

Falklands Hero: Ian McKay, The Last VC of the 20th Century by Jon Cooksey

Pegasus Archive review: Ian McKay is well known as the paratrooper who was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross for his attempt to break Argentine resistance on Mount Longdon during the Falklands War. This biography also explores his earlier life, from childhood and joining the Army in 1970, to that fateful night on the 11/12th June 1982, and it reveals a man who was shaped by the Parachute Regiment to such a degree that this book can be considered as much their story as it is his. Jon Cooksey thoroughly describes the parts which McKay and 3 PARA played in the Falklands campaign, but he also goes into considerable detail regarding his earlier army career, including service in Northern Ireland. McKay had the misfortune to be on the streets of Londonderry on the 30th January 1972, and there follows a most detailed description of the events of what has become known as Bloody Sunday, during which McKay was slightly wounded by an acid bomb and fired two shots at his unharmed assailant. Cooksey gives an account of the resulting inquiry, in which McKay gave evidence as "Private T", which completely exonerated the Paras, and he goes on describe the Saville Inquiry of 2010, which, 28 years after the event, managed to contrive an altogether different conclusion, yet one which personally cleared "Private T" of any wrong-doing. For anyone interested in the Falklands War and the Parachute Regiment of the 1970's and early 80's, this is essential reading. Price: £15.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/falklands-hero/p/3347/

Fallschirmjager: Elite German Paratroopers in World War II by Diane Canwell and Jon Sutherland 

Pegasus Archive review: German paratroopers consistently demonstrated their extraordinary fighting abilities throughout the Second World War; from the attacks on Belgium and Holland in 1940, to the dogged defensive battles of Monte Cassino in 1944 and the Reichswald in 1945. This book displays the previously unpublished photographs of First Sergeant Wilhelm Plieschen's collection, each accompanied by detailed captions to explain the landscape, equipment and personalities they show. Chiefly focusing on 1941, it is divided into three chapters; the Balkans, Crete and Russia. The journey through Romania, Bulgaria and Greece is largely one of sightseeing and movement to the front in motor transport. The entirely airborne invasion of Crete receives the most attention, with a simply superb series of images documenting the flight to the drop zones, the moments after landing and the advance inland. The book closes in Russia, where, often dressed in winter camouflage, the Fallschirmjager adopted the role of elite ground-based infantry. There are also many photographs of graves; colleagues, perhaps even friends of Plieschen; a sombre reminder of the cost of war. Price: £14.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Fallschirmjager-Elite-German-Paratroops-in-World-War-II-Paperback/p/2545

Fallschirmjager: German Paratroopers 1937-1941 by Francois Cochet 

Pegasus Archive review: A part of the "Images of War" series which explores the origins of the Fallschirmjager and their early operations through to Crete in 1941. It begins with some wonderful photographs of their pre-war training, demonstrating the various stages of their jumping techniques, and throughout provides clear views of uniforms and equipment, including the contents of supply containers. The subsequent chapters describe their minor role in the Polish campaign and spectacular success in Norway and the Low Countries, followed by training for the aborted invasion of Britain. A large part of the book is dedicated to the Greek campaign, including the capture of the bridge over the Corinth Canal and the victorious disaster that was the invasion of Crete, with a superb collection of photographs illustrating the landings and subsequent fighting there. Crete effectively spelt the end of the Fallschirmjager as a raiding force, and the final pages of the book dwell on their involvement in the first year of the Russian campaign and their conversion into a more conventional elite infantry formation. Price: £11.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Fallschirmjger-German-Paratroopers-19371941-Paperback/p/16019

Fallschirmjager: German Paratroopers 1942-1945 by Francois Cochet 

Pegasus Archive review: The second part of Francois Cochet's photographic history of the Fallschirmjager, looking at the middle to late war period where the airborne role was all but abandoned as they became an elite infantry reserve which participated in innumerable bloody defensive battles until the end of the war. The chapters take in an exceptionally broad range of theatres, beginning with anti-partisan operations in Russia, training exercises in France, and the defence of Tunisia. A couple of airborne swansongs are featured, including the famous raid to free Mussolini, and the successful but much less known capture of Leros in 1943; the last large-scale airborne operation attempted by the Germans. It goes on to show the hard fighting around Anzio and Monte Cassino in Italy, where the Fallschirmjager cemented their reputation as tenacious defenders, and the bitterly fought campaigns on the Eastern Front, Normandy, and the Low Countries, culminating in their inevitable collapse in Germany. The photographs are similarly diverse in their subject matter, and display a range of uniforms, camouflaged clothing and techniques, the equipment they used, and the organisation of their positions. Price: £11.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Fallschirmjger-German-Paratroopers-19421945-Paperback/p/15753

Floating Under a Red Beret by Roger Payne

True and humorous short stories about the antics of the British Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces. To wear the famous maroon beret identifies the wearer as one of Britain's elite soldiers. He is a man who has taken the extra step into a world full of excruciating pain and come out the other side stronger and wiser. He also has a belief in himself and a feeling of pride, because he knows that many have failed along the way. He will never lose that feeling. It's like an exotic disease that cannot be cured. This book is about what makes him tick, his humour, sense of adventure, and sense of the absurd. It shows the man when the mask of toughness drops, and when he puts it back again. Price: $17.20. 381 pages. Copies or e-books may be purchased from Amazon or www.calderwoodbooks.com. 25% of all profits go to the Committee of the Ex Airborne Forces site, who will then distribute it to those ex serving members who are not so fortunate as the rest of us.

Operation Colossus by Lawrence Paterson

Pegasus Archive review: The Tragino Aqueduct raid in February 1941 marked the first airborne operation carried out by the British, with three dozen men parachuting deep into Italy to disrupt the water supplies to the ports of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto. Although their mission was a success, the damage was swiftly repaired and the entire party were captured along the daunting 50 mile escape route to the coast, yet the raid demonstrated what these troops could achieve and laid the groundwork for the ambitious operations of the following years. Despite a vast library of airborne literature and the importance of Operation Colossus in that story, relatively little has been written about it, and without doubt Paterson's very well researched account is the most authoritative to date. With the force barely six months old and struggling for resources, it describes the ad hoc preparations, and, with the aid of official reports and first hand accounts, reveals the enormous logistical challenges involved, followed by a thorough account of the raid itself, and the numerous escape attempts which followed, several of which were ultimately successful, before delving into the difficult business of analysing what the operation actually achieved. Price: £15.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Operation-Colossus-Hardback/p/17705

Sent by the Iron Sky by Ian Gardner

Pegasus Archive review: The story of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division is often overshadowed by the exploits of its 2nd Battalion, and in particular the "Band of Brothers" of Easy Company, but this book focuses on the no less extraordinary story of the 3rd Battalion, which fought alongside them with great distinction in the same campaigns. It is beautifully presented, containing hundreds of photographs, detailed maps, and first hand accounts, and begins with their training in America, building up to their baptism of fire in Normandy, where they suffered extremely heavy casualties following the scattered drop and hard fighting to secure their objectives. It includes a chapter about the great many from the Battalion who became prisoners of war; a much neglected aspect of many a unit history, and goes on to examine their part in Operation Market Garden and the several months spent under British command in Holland, and then their epic defence of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. The final chapters oversee the end of the war in Europe, which saw the Battalion participate in the liberation of Landsberg concentration camp and the capture of Berchtesgaden, before the deactivation of the 506th and the return home of its personnel. Price: £25.00. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or https://ospreypublishing.com/sent-by-the-iron-sky

The Silent Attack by Oscar Gonzalez, Thomas Steinke and Ian Tannahill

Pegasus Archive review: The spectacular capture of the Belgian fortress of Eben Emael by a small group of German paratroopers in May 1940 is a story which has been told many times, but often to the detriment of the simultaneous attacks on the neighbouring bridges over the Albert Canal at Velowezelt, Vroenhoven and Kanne. This book reverses that trend, and ignores the fort completely to focus entirely on the planning, capture and defence of these bridges; an operation which, in a matter of hours, swept aside a defensive position which had been intended to delay an entire army for weeks. It is an impressive and beautifully presented book, with a meticulously researched, clear and readable narrative which is generously supported by innumerable photographs, first-hand accounts and a complete list of all those who took part. This must be considered an important addition to the library of airborne literature. Price: £30.00. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Silent-Attack-Hardback/p/4177

Silent Skies by Tim Lynch

Pegasus Archive review: The military glider was a short-lived innovation rendered obsolete by technological advances in the post-war period, yet it was used extensively by both sides throughout the Second World War, typically landing large numbers of infantry, artillery and even light tanks behind enemy lines, but it was also used to carry out small-scale precision raids, resupply operations, and the Germans even pioneered the now commonplace rapid airlift of troops and heavy equipment by developing an immense glider capable of carrying hundreds of passengers. This book summarises most glider operations of the war, amongst which are famous actions such as Eben Emael, Crete, Pegasus Bridge and Arnhem, but also a great many others which are rarely discussed, including Germany's daring rescue of Mussolini, their raid on Tito's Yugoslavian headquarters, British operations to support the Chindits in Burma, and the little known airborne operations carried out on both sides of the Eastern Front. Using first hand accounts of those involved, this is a fascinating story which puts the entire glider experiment into context, exploring its origins, development and increasing ambition as the war progressed. Price: £19.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Silent-Skies-Hardback/p/1707

Special Forces Commander: The Life and Wars of Peter Wand-Tetley MC, Commando, SAS, SOE and Paratrooper by Michael Scott

Pegasus Archive review: Although the name of Peter Wand-Tetley would mean little to all but a few military historians, his extraordinary wartime career merits closer study as it brought him into contact with nearly the entire spectrum of Britain's Special Forces. The result is an enthralling biography of a unique man and those unorthodox units with which he served. Having joined the Commandos in 1940, Peter Wand-Tetley raided the coast of North Africa with Layforce before participating in the defence of Crete, being one of the few to escape. He and other survivors were assembled into the Middle East Commando, and further raiding actions were carried out in conjunction with the Long Range Desert Group. When the ME Commando was disbanded, Wand-Tetley was posted to the 1st SAS for the final phases of the Desert War, following which he joined the Special Operations Executive. With orders to train and equip the guerillas, he parachuted into Greece at a most difficult time as eyes began to look beyond the German occupation to the post-war political landscape. With the war in Europe at an end, he transferred to the Parachute Regiment and accompanied the 5th Parachute Brigade to the Far East, initially with the intention of operating against the Japanese, but becoming embroiled in the counter-insurgency role in Java following the surrender. A fine tribute to a man of whom it truly can be said, "He had an interesting war." Price: £15.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Special-Forces-Commander/p/3299/

United States Airborne Divisions 1942-2018 by Michael Green

Pegasus Archive review: The United States was quick to appreciate the importance of airborne troops, and raised five divisions during the Second World War, forging a reputation as an elite in the truest sense of the word. The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions endure to this day and have maintained this tradition both in peace and war, serving in Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, both Gulf Wars, and Afghanistan. This rather large and superbly illustrated entry in the Images of War series documents their rich history, and using a large range of carefully selected and mostly colour photographs, it excellently chronicles their evolution from the relatively lightly-armed units of the Second World War, hampered by the limitations of their transport aircraft, to the fantastically equipped and supported formations of the modern era. Price: £12.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or Pen and Sword.

With 6th Airborne Division in Palestine 1945-48 by Major General Dare Wilson CBE MC

Pegasus Archive review: The 6th Airborne Division had acquired an impressive record during the Second World War, from D-Day to the final advance into Germany. The post-war period did not bring them peace but rather hostilities of a different kind, spending the next three years embroiled in their longest and arguably most difficult campaign; policing the rapidly deteriorating situation in Palestine. Caught between Jewish and Arabic factions, the Division attempted to maintain law and order and in so doing exposed themselves to the wrath of both sides. The author served with them, and this account, written immediately upon his return, is a first class history of these years of "Cordon and Search", as the book was originally titled. The chronological narrative describes the numerous political issues and the course of events from their perspective, explaining in detail the effective counter-insurgency tactics which the Division evolved. It also demonstrates the quite remarkable restraint and professionalism which was shown by the troops who were thrust into this quite impossible situation. Price: £19.99. Copies may be purchased from Amazon or http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/With-6th-Airborne-Division-in-Palestine-1945-48-Hardback/p/1622