Special Operations in World War II

British and American Irregular Warfare

Nonfiction, History, Military, United States, World War II
Cover of the book Special Operations in World War II by Andrew L. Hargreaves, University of Oklahoma Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew L. Hargreaves ISBN: 9780806151274
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press Publication: October 28, 2013
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press Language: English
Author: Andrew L. Hargreaves
ISBN: 9780806151274
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Publication: October 28, 2013
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press
Language: English

British and American commanders first used modern special forces in support of conventional military operations during World War II. Since then, although special ops have featured prominently in popular culture and media coverage of wars, the academic study of irregular warfare has remained as elusive as the practitioners of special operations themselves. This book is the first comprehensive study of the development, application, and value of Anglo-American commando and special forces units during the Second World War.

Special forces are intensively trained, specially selected military units performing unconventional and often high-risk missions. In this book, Andrew L. Hargreaves not only describes tactics and operations but also outlines the distinctions between commandos and special forces, traces their evolution during the war, explains how the Anglo-American alliance functioned in the creation and use of these units, looks at their command and control arrangements, evaluates their impact, and assesses their cost-effectiveness.

The first real impetus for the creation of British specialist formations came in the desperate summer of 1940 when, having been pushed out of Europe following defeat in France and the Low Countries, Britain began to turn to irregular forces in an effort to wrest back the strategic initiative from the enemy. The development of special forces by the United States was also a direct consequence of defeat. After Pearl Harbor, Hargreaves shows, the Americans found themselves in much the same position as Britain had been in 1940: shocked, outnumbered, and conventionally defeated, they were unable to come to grips with the enemy on a large scale. By the end of the war, a variety of these units had overcome a multitude of evolutionary hurdles and made valuable contributions to practically every theater of operation.

In describing how Britain and the United States worked independently and cooperatively to invent and put into practice a fundamentally new way of waging war, this book demonstrates the two nations’ flexibility, adaptability, and ability to innovate during World War II.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

British and American commanders first used modern special forces in support of conventional military operations during World War II. Since then, although special ops have featured prominently in popular culture and media coverage of wars, the academic study of irregular warfare has remained as elusive as the practitioners of special operations themselves. This book is the first comprehensive study of the development, application, and value of Anglo-American commando and special forces units during the Second World War.

Special forces are intensively trained, specially selected military units performing unconventional and often high-risk missions. In this book, Andrew L. Hargreaves not only describes tactics and operations but also outlines the distinctions between commandos and special forces, traces their evolution during the war, explains how the Anglo-American alliance functioned in the creation and use of these units, looks at their command and control arrangements, evaluates their impact, and assesses their cost-effectiveness.

The first real impetus for the creation of British specialist formations came in the desperate summer of 1940 when, having been pushed out of Europe following defeat in France and the Low Countries, Britain began to turn to irregular forces in an effort to wrest back the strategic initiative from the enemy. The development of special forces by the United States was also a direct consequence of defeat. After Pearl Harbor, Hargreaves shows, the Americans found themselves in much the same position as Britain had been in 1940: shocked, outnumbered, and conventionally defeated, they were unable to come to grips with the enemy on a large scale. By the end of the war, a variety of these units had overcome a multitude of evolutionary hurdles and made valuable contributions to practically every theater of operation.

In describing how Britain and the United States worked independently and cooperatively to invent and put into practice a fundamentally new way of waging war, this book demonstrates the two nations’ flexibility, adaptability, and ability to innovate during World War II.

More books from University of Oklahoma Press

Cover of the book Lone Star Mind by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Dragoons in Apacheland by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Jim Bridger by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Indian Conquistadors by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Sickness, Suffering, and the Sword by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Record of Regret by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Empire on Display by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Return to Aztlan by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Presidents Who Shaped the American West by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Droppers: America's First Hippie Commune, Drop City by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Indian Blues by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book American Indian Medicine by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book My Life with Bonnie and Clyde by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book Battles and Massacres on the Southwestern Frontier by Andrew L. Hargreaves
Cover of the book The Book of Archives and Other Stories from the Mora Valley, New Mexico by Andrew L. Hargreaves
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy