Description

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

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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.

Publisher Review

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 *