THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

From the best-selling historian Saul David, an exciting new history of the British airborne experience during the Second World War.

The legendary "Red Devils" were among the finest fighting units of the Second World War. They were created at Churchill's behest in June 1940, initially as a single class of 500 parachutists and evolved into three airborne strike forces: the 1st, 6th, and 44th Indian, consisting of parachutists and glider-borne troops.

They wore their distinctive maroon berets, helmets, and Dennison jackets and served with distinctions in every major theater of the conflict – including North Africa, Sicily, the European continent, and the Far East. They played a leading role in some of the most iconic airborne operations in history: the Bruneval raid in February 1942, the capture of the Primasole, Pegasus, and Arnhem bridges in July 1943, June 1944, and September 1944 respectively, as well as Operation Varsity, the largest parachute drop in history, near Wesel in Germany in March 1945.

Sky Warriors is a beautifully crafted narrative that combines authority, breadth, and deep emotional power. Saul David builds the narrative from the ground, drawing from multiple archives, published memoirs, unpublished diaries and letters, as well as interviews with participants. The final result is a dramatic account of the recruitment, training, and battlefield exploits of the airborne forces.

This is the first time the complete wartime history of the British airborne forces has been told.

Pages: 576, Dimensions: 15.9x15.9cm