The Jedburghs: The Secret History of the Allied Special Forces, France 1944

(Paperback)

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The Jedburghs tells the story of a pioneering Special Forces unit, uniquely made up of American, British, and French volunteers. They parachuted behind the German lines to assist with the recapture of France in 1944. Dropped in teams of three, the Jeds would rally local opposition to the Germans and conduct guerrilla warfare-sabotage, ambush, and intelligence gathering-ahead of the advancing Allied armies. Through enormous endurance, cunning, and strength of will, they contributed to the Allied breakout from the Normandy bridgehead and to the rapid advance to the German border. Will Irwin, who served in the modern U. S. Army Special Forces himself, has selected seven of the Jedburgh teams and told their stories as gripping personal narratives, offering a new perspective on the D-Day landings. The result is a vivid drama of the battle for France from deep behind enemy lines.

Reviews

"A gripping and authoritative account of the soldiers whose exploits formed the basis for modern special warfare." General Wesley Clark, author of Winning Modern Wars and Waging Modern War "Will Irwin's timely chronicle of (the Jedburghs) many hair-raising missions will delight both military history buffs and those looking for a genuine page-turner." Alex Kershaw, author of The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter"

Author Bio

Will Irwin retired from the United States Army in January 2000 after a career of more than twenty-eight years, half of that in Special Forces. He received a B.A. in history from Methodist College and a master of military arts and sciences degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He has done graduate work in modern European history at the University of Kansas and has served as a research fellow at the RAND Corporation. He now works as a defence contractor. Born in Iowa, Irwin lives in Valrico, Florida.