Airborne Forces at War: From Parachute Test Platoon to the 21st Century (Association of the United States Army) - Hardcover

Wright Sr., Robert J.; Greenwood, John T.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591140285 ISBN 13: 9781591140283

Publisher: Naval Institute Press, 2007

Synopsis

This handsome, large-format book takes the reader on an illustrated tour of the U.S. Army's hard-hitting airborne forces, from the original Parachute Test Platoon of 1940 to the multiple global commitment of the twenty-first century. Featuring more than 150 photographs, some rare or seldom seen and many in color, the work highlights the extraordinary history of the airborne units as they added new dimensions to national power and military operations, arriving from the sky by parachute and aircraft and compressing time by their swift deployment and flight to objectives thousands of miles distant. Airborne operations of World War II in the Mediterranean, Europe, and the Pacific begin an inspiring story that leads through Korea, Vietnam, and into the twenty-first century. The operations take a prominent place in the story, along with the paratroopers who received the nation s highest award for heroism, the Medal of Honor.
The esprit de corps of the airborne volunteers and their sacrifices in peace and war are consistent themes throughout the book. Whether operating as small groups of paratroopers scattered about the countryside or as powerful parachute infantry regiments, brigades, or divisions, the airborne spirit is always evident. Coauthors John Greenwood and Robert K. Wright, Jr. highlight key leaders and crucial battles spanning more than six decades to help tell this exciting story. Through skillful integration of photographs and text, they show how lessons learned in combat led to improved doctrine and the development of equipment that enhanced the mobility and striking power of these versatile units. This book is published in cooperation with the Association of the United States Army.

About this title

About the Author:

ROBERT K. WRIGHT, JR., holds a PhD. from the College of William and Mary and is a retired Army Reserve major.  He served in uniform as  an historin in Vietnam, Panama, the first Gulf War, and Somalia and as the XVIII Airborne Corps as a civilian.  He retired from the U.S. Army Center of Military History where he wrote or co-authored The Continental Army; Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution; Military Police; and Story of the NCO.  He is also the co-author of The Tradition Continues written for the Virginia National Guard. 
JOHN T. GREENWOOD holds a Ph.D. from Kansas State University and has been a military historian with the U.S. Army and Air Force since 1970. Currently chief historian for the Army's Office of the Surgeon General, he also served as editor of Karl-Heinz Frieser's The Blitzkrieg Legend.

Review:

I expected a coffee table book with some nice pictures; this is much, much more. The endorsement of the Association of the US Army (AUSA) really means something, and we have here a definitive history of US airborne and airmobile forces, from the Parachute Test Platoon right up to the present day. It's not a traditional style military history, so much as it is a history of force composition, doctrine and employment, complete with cameos of important airborne personalities and thinkers, and brief overviews of representative engagements. The airborne role in all the major deployments in and since WW II is touched upon, with the emphasis on significant innovations. I've jumped from big birds and stumbled out of choppers, and find this to be my so-far favorite airborne/airmobile overview and lookback. --By Edward L. Morris

About this edition

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1591140285
• ISBN 13: 9781591140283
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224