Donovan's Devils
OSS Commandos Behind Enemy Lines--Europe, World War II
New York : Arcade Publishing, [2016]
Format: Book
Edition: First edition.
Description: xviii, 379 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
The stirring, little-known story of the forerunners to today's Special Forces.
The OSS--Office of Strategic Services--created under the command of William Donovan, has been celebrated for its cloak-and-dagger operations during World War II and as the precursor of the CIA. As the "Oh So Social," it has also been portrayed as a club for the well-connected before, during, and after the war. Donovan's Devils tells the story of a different OSS, that of ordinary soldiers, recruited from among first- and second-generation immigrants, who volunteered for dangerous duty behind enemy lines and risked their lives in Italy, France, the Balkans, and elsewhere in Europe. Organized into Operational Groups, they infiltrated into enemy territory by air or sea and operated for days, weeks, or months hundreds of miles from the closest Allied troops. They performed sabotage, organized native resistance, and rescued downed airmen, nurses, and prisoners of war. Their enemy showed them no mercy, and sometimes their closest friends betrayed them. They were the precursors to today's Special Forces operators.
Based on declassified OSS records, personal collections, and oral histories of participants from both sides of the conflict, Donovan's Devils provides the most comprehensive account to date of the Operational Group activities, including a detailed narrative of the ill-fated Ginny mission, which resulted in the one of the OSS's gravest losses of the war.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The OSS--Office of Strategic Services--created under the command of William Donovan, has been celebrated for its cloak-and-dagger operations during World War II and as the precursor of the CIA. As the "Oh So Social," it has also been portrayed as a club for the well-connected before, during, and after the war. Donovan's Devils tells the story of a different OSS, that of ordinary soldiers, recruited from among first- and second-generation immigrants, who volunteered for dangerous duty behind enemy lines and risked their lives in Italy, France, the Balkans, and elsewhere in Europe. Organized into Operational Groups, they infiltrated into enemy territory by air or sea and operated for days, weeks, or months hundreds of miles from the closest Allied troops. They performed sabotage, organized native resistance, and rescued downed airmen, nurses, and prisoners of war. Their enemy showed them no mercy, and sometimes their closest friends betrayed them. They were the precursors to today's Special Forces operators.
Based on declassified OSS records, personal collections, and oral histories of participants from both sides of the conflict, Donovan's Devils provides the most comprehensive account to date of the Operational Group activities, including a detailed narrative of the ill-fated Ginny mission, which resulted in the one of the OSS's gravest losses of the war.
Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Contents:
Office of Strategic Services -- Irregular warfare in the early years of World War II -- The OSS operational groups -- Special operations in the Western Mediterranean -- Rescuing escaped prisoners of war -- Operations from Corsica -- The ill-fated Ginny Mission -- Operational groups in France -- Americans in Vercors -- Mission Walla Walla in Italy -- Mission Mangosteen-Chrysler -- Rescue missions in the Balkans -- Mission Peedee-Roanoke -- OSS investigations into war crimes -- Swift justice for the Ginny men -- No justice for Major Holohan -- Epilogue.
Subjects:
Donovan, William J. (William Joseph), 1883-1959.
Holohan, William V.
United States. Office of Strategic Services -- History.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Secret service -- United States.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Commando operations -- Europe.
Donovan, William J. (William Joseph), 1883-1959.
Holohan, William V.
United States. Office of Strategic Services -- History.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Secret service -- United States.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Commando operations -- Europe.
ISBN:
9781628725674 (hardcover : alk. paper)
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
HISTORY War WWII Espionage Lul | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Nonfiction | In |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 341-371) and index.