- Hardcover: 280 pages
- Publisher: Bounty Books; Reprinted Edition edition (29 Feb 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 075371292X
- ISBN-13: 978-0753712924
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,647,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The Commandos were Britain’s first-ever special forces, formed in 1940 using volunteers from all three services. After the war, Commando units of the Royal Marines engaged in virtually every military scenario involving British troops from 1945 to the present day. They became the elite of the British ‘ready-to-go’ forces, capable of deploying at a moment’s notice to any trouble spot in the world. In this latest book in John Parker’s acclaimed series on British military activity, dramatically recalled in their own words by men who were there, he recounts the major events in the 60-year history of British Commando forces.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
John Parker, a journalist and former Fleet Street editor, has undertaken many investigative projects in his writing career with topics ranging from the Mafia to Northern Ireland.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had not read a book outside of school for as long as I could remember, but once I picked this up I just could not put it down. The clandestine raids and James Bond like missions were fascinating. This book shows the cammandos history, present and future warts and all - fantastic!
Format:Hardcover
Generally, this is a pretty good factual book. It's mainly a third person account of events, but with interspersed transcripts of interviews with the men who were there. There are 18 chapters in the book (plus a brief prologue and epilogue). The first twelve chapters are devoted to the formation of, and operations of, various British special forces units during World War 2. There is one short chapter on the immediate post-war period, two about the Korean War, one about operations in Egypt around the Suez Canal, one about the Falklands Conflict and one about more recent operations (mainly in Northern Island, but with mentions of other). This might be a bias towards the early history of these units, but there was obviously a lot of action then, so maybe that's fair.
The book covers the original Army commando units, as well as the Royal Marine units from later in World War 2 up to the First Gulf War (briefly). There is also some discussion of other special forces units, including the famous SAS and SBS as well as less well know specialised raiding and recon units. There is a lot of interesting information in the book without it becoming bogged down in details, with a good mixture of high level description, unit actions and personal accounts.
The book covers the original Army commando units, as well as the Royal Marine units from later in World War 2 up to the First Gulf War (briefly). There is also some discussion of other special forces units, including the famous SAS and SBS as well as less well know specialised raiding and recon units. There is a lot of interesting information in the book without it becoming bogged down in details, with a good mixture of high level description, unit actions and personal accounts.
Format:Hardcover
The latest entry in Parker's series on the British military (Gurkhas, SBS, Paras) follows his standard format: details on the founding of the unit(s), heavy reliance on interviews or other written accounts, and continual references to events detailed in his other books. Commandos is a good book--don't get me wrong--but Parker's focus here is primarily on the Army Commando units of the Second World War. He does not devote as much ink to their Royal Marine Commando counterparts. Though the Marine Commandos were the only ones to survive World War Two, Parker whisks through post World War II Commando history at a very brisk pace. His discussion of the Korean War focuses more on a Marine Commando POW who stayed behind and went to China. I would have preferred more details of the Royal Marine operations in Korea. Parker devotes little attention to modern-day (ie, 1999 or 2000) Royal Marine Commandos. Parker discusses the World War Two controversy amongst the Army when Marine Commandos were formed. Judging from his book, I can tell what side of the argument he takes.
Listmania!
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