Description: This title follows one recruit through commando, raiding and amphibious training in Scotland, and into action. It shows how the Rangers differed from the standard infantryman in both their combat mission and their combat skills, and how tactics were modified in the light of lessons learned. The experiences of battle covered include the Rangers' first action during the 1942 Dieppe raid, fighting elite Italian Bersaglieri units at Station de Sened and the Afrika Korps at Dernaia Pass in 1943, spearheading the invasion of Sicily and Italy in late 1943, and the gruelling combat up the Italian boot until war's end. Packed with first hand accounts, and many unpublished photographs, it provides a vivid description of life among the elite soldiers of Darby's Rangers during World War II (1939-1945).
Brief description: Mir Bahmanyar served in the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment as a machine-gunner and training NCO. He holds a BA in History from University of California at Berkeley and an MA in War Studies from King's College London. Mir has previously worked as a military technical advisor, a German-language coach and as a producer and writer in Hollywood. He has written numerous books and articles on subjects ranging from ancient history to modern warfare, and his work has been translated into Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Arabic. Mir's special interests are the Punic Wars, Darby's Rangers and the future of war. He grew up on three continents, in four countries, and currently lives in Toronto, Canada.