Audiobook10 hours
The Jedburghs
Written by Will Irwin
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this audiobook
The first full history of the pioneering Special Forces units of World War II-dropped behind German lines into France to assist with the D-Day landings-told by a former U.S. Special Forces colonel with unique access to surviving veterans
The story of the Special Forces in World War II has never fully been told before. Information about them began to be declassified only in the 1980s. Known as the Jedburghs, these Special Forces were selected from members of the British, American, and Free French armies to be dropped in teams of three deep behind German lines. There, in preparation for D-Day, they carried out what we now know as unconventional warfare: supporting the French Resistance in guerrilla attacks, supply-route disruption, and the harassment and obstruction of German reinforcements. Always, they operated against extraordinary odds. They had to be prepared to survive pitched battles with German troops and Gestapo manhunts for weeks and months while awaiting the arrival of Allied ground forces. They were, in short, heroes.
The Jedburghs finally tells their story and offers a new perspective on D-Day itself. Will Irwin has selected seven of the Jedburgh teams and told their stories as gripping personal narratives. He has gathered archival documents, diaries, and correspondence, and interviewed Jed veterans and family members in order to present this portrait of their crucial role--a role recognized by Churchill and Eisenhower-in the struggle to liberate Europe in 1944-45.
This is narrative history at its most compelling; a vivid drama of the battle for France from deep behind enemy lines.
The story of the Special Forces in World War II has never fully been told before. Information about them began to be declassified only in the 1980s. Known as the Jedburghs, these Special Forces were selected from members of the British, American, and Free French armies to be dropped in teams of three deep behind German lines. There, in preparation for D-Day, they carried out what we now know as unconventional warfare: supporting the French Resistance in guerrilla attacks, supply-route disruption, and the harassment and obstruction of German reinforcements. Always, they operated against extraordinary odds. They had to be prepared to survive pitched battles with German troops and Gestapo manhunts for weeks and months while awaiting the arrival of Allied ground forces. They were, in short, heroes.
The Jedburghs finally tells their story and offers a new perspective on D-Day itself. Will Irwin has selected seven of the Jedburgh teams and told their stories as gripping personal narratives. He has gathered archival documents, diaries, and correspondence, and interviewed Jed veterans and family members in order to present this portrait of their crucial role--a role recognized by Churchill and Eisenhower-in the struggle to liberate Europe in 1944-45.
This is narrative history at its most compelling; a vivid drama of the battle for France from deep behind enemy lines.
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Reviews for The Jedburghs
Rating: 3.9516130322580647 out of 5 stars
4/5
31 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very informative book. Not really flashy and the author has the unfortunate habit of referring to his own research but well documented and does a good job of following up on the many conspiracy theories and debunking them. Recommended for anyone who is interested in a deeper insight into the Lincoln assassination and the conspiracies theories surrounding it. Side note: I came away believing that there are many they should have prosecuted but didn't.