Devil's Brigade--Not the Movie, the Book!

"The Supercommandos: The First Special Service Force, 1942-1944," by Robert Todd Ross, is a new and superbly written book from Schiffer Military History Book/Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA, $59.95.

The words "vigorous training, hazardous duty" became a lure for volunteers to the force, drawing from two armies--Canadian and U.S.--to create an esprit de corps that made it one of the finest combat units in World War II. We are given an insider's view of the organization, training, and combat operations of the First Special Service Force--later given the nickname "the Devil's Brigade" by their German opponents.

What makes this book a requirement for your military library? Within its 320 pages, you will find more than 400 black and white images, 40 full-color photos of the force in training and combat (unusual because color photography was in its infancy at this time), more than 80 full-color images of force uniforms, insignia, weapons, and equipment. If this still is not enough, there are full-color maps, order-of-battle graphics, charts, and photographs of original documents.

But there is still more. A unique feature--a previously unpublished photo-essay by Frank Capra, renowned combat photographer and author of the "Why We Fight" series issued--adds great value to this excellent unit anthology. What you get is truly unparalleled coverage of an elite unit that set the style for today's special operations forces.

Schiffer books are easily recognized by their colorful bindery. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310. Phone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]. Web site: www.schifferbooks.com.

Now to reader requests. Let's expand the scope of this review and include "German Paratroops: Uniforms, Insignia & Equipment of the Fallschirmjager in World War II," by Robert Kurtz, also from Schiffer Publishing, for $59.95. This is a great text for the collector and historian. Included are sections covering the uniforms, insignia and equipment of Italian, Hungarian, and Japanese paratroops.

Valuable items are detailed and described in this book. Take, for example, the original German paratrooper badge. It comes in army and Luftwaffe versions, with the army badge being the rarer of the two. Collectors pay $850 apiece for them.

"World War II Axis Parachutes," by Guy Richards. Guess what? It's another Schiffer Book! The price: $59.95. Remember those camera shots of German paratroopers exiting a JU-52 aircraft at what appears to be a very low altitude?

Actually, German parachute design allowed for that capability, although the German troops looked strange coming down with their parachutes connected to a single point on their backs, making their descent look awkward and uncontrolled.

This book complements the Kurtz book, providing rare equipment details--including gear from both the Japanese army and navy. There is a glossary of technical terms from each country. You need both books for a complete picture of World War II technology.

"German Paratroopers," edited by Chris McNab and issued by MBI Publishing, traces the history of airborne warfare.

Created in the 1930s--as an adjunct to air power, to achieve surprise and create a third dimension to battle--paratroops did not originate in Germany. The concept goes back to the U.S. Army's Gen. Billy Mitchell during the waning months of World War I.

The 1920s saw the establishment of Italian paratroop units and Russian experiments with large-scale paratroop deployments. But the Germans saw the full military potential and put it into operation, with great success in the early days of World War II. More than 200 excellent photos cover the entire spectrum of the war from the German paratrooper's viewpoint.

This book is available from Classic Motor Books, 729 Prospect Avenue, Osceola, WI 54020-0001. Phone: [phone].

"Green Devils: German Paratroopers, 1939-1945"--by Jean-Yves Nasse, published by Histoire & Collections, of Paris--complements McNab's book with photo-diary entries that give a personal account of the war as seen through the eyes of a German paratrooper.

There is a very complete appendix, detailing German paratrooper units involved in each operational area throughout the war. This volume is distributed by Combined Publishing, Conshohocken, PA. Phone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. Web site: www.combinedpublishing.com

"Warplanes of the Luftwaffe: Combat Aircraft of Hitler's Luftwaffe, 1939-1945," by David Donald (Ed.), published by Barnes & Noble Books for $34.95. In 1939, the world was stunned by the vast array of high-technology warplanes unleashed in the Blitzkrieg against Poland.

Me-109 fighters and Heinkel-111 and Dornier-17 bombers seemed to swarm over every adversary, while Howling Junker JU 87 Stukas closely supported the German army and terrified civilians. In a short, six year period, Germany designed, tested and built a vast armada.

This book covers every German warplane that flew in combat throughout World War II. More than 250 pages of exploded drawings, full-color photographs, and technical details that will warm the hearts of aviation buffs. It is available at Barnes & Noble. Web site: www.barnes&noble.com.

"A Bridge Too Far: Operation Market Garden," by Stephen Badsey, is from Osprey History/Osprey Publishing (available from MBI Publishing).

"A Bridge Too Far" is a chronological analysis of the battle that was supposed to provide an allied victory before the end of 1944.

This volume contains plenty of details that other books seem to have glossed over or omitted completely. It is a great text for a battle briefer or historian, one that helps you grasp the overall picture of what became a complex, three-level battle that fell short of its goal. It gave meaning to the phrase: Never let your reach exceed your grasp. Preparing for that fight, plenty of planning errors were committed that, in retrospect, created more questions than answers.

Finally, there is Kenneth Macksey's "Invasion: The Alternate History of the German Invasion of England, July 1940," published by Greenhill Books (paperback). It is available from Stackpole Books: Mechanicsburg, PA. Web site: www.greenhillbooks.com.

This novel takes the question of "what if" and follows it through a German invasion of England, lead by Luftwaffe aircraft and paratroopers, as it very well could have happened. Operation Seelowes (Sea Lion) plans are detailed and diagramed from planning phase to operational commitment. Could it have succeeded? You're the umpire!

Dr. David LL Silbergeld is a member of the Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Division of the National Defense Industrial Association.