Red Devils : The Trailblazers of the Paras in World War Two

A GRIPPING, AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE DARING ''RED DEVILS'' TOLD THROUGH THE FATES OF SIX HEROES . . . AND AN IDEAL GIFT FOR READERS WHO LOVE WW2 HISTORIES!

''Gripping and authoritative'' Andy McNab

''Superb accounts of the battles and a deep understanding of personalities'' Patrick Bishop, The Telegraph

A GRIPPING, AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE DARING ''RED DEVILS'' TOLD THROUGH THE FATES OF SIX HEROES . . .

In Britain they were known as The Parachute Regiment, but their German enemies christened them The Red Devils. Circus performers, solicitors, gravediggers, family men. . . they were ordinary people who became wartime heroes.

Showing what it took to succeed in this new regiment, Urban vividly brings to life six men and their experiences across D-Day, Arnhem and WW2 - from the recently-widowed Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, who had to leave his young son to head to the front, to Mike Lewis, whose photographs became iconic images of war.

Using deep archival research, British and German sources, and new material from the men''s families, Red Devils paints a true and moving picture of the heart of war.

PUBLISHED ON THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR FIRST CAMPAIGN: OPERATION TORCH IN NORTH AFRICA

A GRIPPING, AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE DARING 'RED DEVILS' TOLD THROUGH THE FATES OF SIX HEROES. 'Riveting . . . Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable' Damien Lewis'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------------------------------------Their German enemies called them the 'Red Devils'. Montgomery described them as 'men apart - every man an Emperor'. The cards they received on qualifying began: 'You are the elite of the British army'. The Parachute Regiment. In this gripping, authorized account, bestselling historian Mark Urban tells the story of the wartime creation and development of Britain's elite airborne infantry - who ranged from circus performers to solicitors, policemen to gravediggers, Christians and Jews to communists. Through the fates of six men - including recently widowed Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, who had to leave his little boy at home to head to the front, and Mike Lewis, whose photographs became iconic images of war - Urban vividly shows what it took to succeed in this new regiment. All six men would shed blood for their country in daring actions at D-Day, Arnhem and across the Second World War; two would not survive, and one would face disgrace. 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, Urban's unvarnished history is a compelling and moving depiction of the highs and lows of battle.