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Shadow Warriors: The Untold Stories of American Special Operations During WWII
In the nearly seven decades following World War II, the heroes of the Allied Forces have been rendered ageless through portrayals transforming their overseas triumphs into household tales. Books, films, and video games have reiterated the stories of such famed American units as Merrill’s Marauders and Darby’s Rangers. Some of World War II’s most important missions, however, were also the most secretive: they have only recently been declassified by the U.S. government. Now, for the first time, a single volume describes many of them in detail.
In Shadow Warriors, military historian and retired U.S. Marine Dick Camp illuminates the untold history of American special operations units in World War II. The book’s action-packed narrative, rooted in a time before organizations like the CIA even existed, describes the adventures of those who paved the way for the special operations forces we know so well today — the U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Army Special Forces, and U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Split into two parts covering the war’s European and Pacific theaters, it features elaborate spy networks, covert parachutists, island assaults, amphibious raids, and the occasional catastrophic mission failure. Bolstered by an in-person interview with World War II veteran Sgt. Jack Risler (U.S. Marines Operation Union II) and a collection of rare black-and-white period photographs, Shadow Warriors is not only a gripping account of top-secret exploits: it is an homage to some of the brilliant, courageous, and previously unacknowledged heroes of World War II.
In Shadow Warriors, military historian and retired U.S. Marine Dick Camp illuminates the untold history of American special operations units in World War II. The book’s action-packed narrative, rooted in a time before organizations like the CIA even existed, describes the adventures of those who paved the way for the special operations forces we know so well today — the U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Army Special Forces, and U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Split into two parts covering the war’s European and Pacific theaters, it features elaborate spy networks, covert parachutists, island assaults, amphibious raids, and the occasional catastrophic mission failure. Bolstered by an in-person interview with World War II veteran Sgt. Jack Risler (U.S. Marines Operation Union II) and a collection of rare black-and-white period photographs, Shadow Warriors is not only a gripping account of top-secret exploits: it is an homage to some of the brilliant, courageous, and previously unacknowledged heroes of World War II.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
R.D. Camp
20 books11 followersColonel Richard D. "Dick" Camp Jr., a Purple Heart recipient, served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 1988. Upon retirement he served as the Deputy Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division (he was Acting Director for most of 2006) and as the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Vice President for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. Currently residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he is the author of ten books and over 100 magazine articles on various military related subjects.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 30, 2023
Fascinating and sad read about the lives of those who risked all for peace. I also read another book about the women in Resistance Europe by this author.
February 11, 2014
Part One of Shadow Warriors covered the Office of Strategic Services activities in North Africa and Europe. Instead of presenting a full picture of the activities, it honed in on four main examples: The story of William Eddy, Operation Torch, operations in Yugoslavia, and a unit sent into France in January, 1944. In each of these examples, the information was detailed, but one often wondered how these activities fit into others going on nearby, both American and British Special Operations Executive. This question is only answered in regards to the mission in Yugoslavia.
Part Two dealt with OSS operations in the Pacific. With the exception of the final chapter, this section followed the 1st Marine Raider Battalion at Tulagi and Guadalcanal, 1st Marine Parachute Battalion at Gavutu-Tanambogo and Guadalcanal, 2nd Marine Raider Battalion at Makin Atoll, and 2nd Parachute Battalion at Choiseul during 1942-43. Here, the detail was much more in-depth than what was presented in Part One and we learned how the units discussed interacted with other Allied forces in the area and about the Japanese they faced. The final chapter of this section should have been presented as a Part Three. It followed Captain Francis Thomas “Frank” Ferrell as he worked to uncover the German spy ring in China between 1945 and 1946.
Overall, I have a few comments. First, the gray boxes of additional information within the chapters are best read first. I found I understood the main chapter text better if I did so. Second, there was clear bias. The Pacific Theater was clearly given more prominence (over 2/3rds of the book) and all the actions covered were undertaken by Marine units. I know from past research, the OSS had quite a bit of sabotage and espionage activities in Europe and I’m sure other branches had roles within the OSS. Third, the book did make good use of incorporating oral history interviews, occasionally utilizing large segments. In conclusion, the book did well in presenting the included stories but I wish there had been more about Europe. The description on Goodreads does not precisely match the one on the dust jacket, as the jacket makes the focus on the Marines and the Pacific clear.
Note: I received a copy of this title from Goodreads' First Reads program.
Part Two dealt with OSS operations in the Pacific. With the exception of the final chapter, this section followed the 1st Marine Raider Battalion at Tulagi and Guadalcanal, 1st Marine Parachute Battalion at Gavutu-Tanambogo and Guadalcanal, 2nd Marine Raider Battalion at Makin Atoll, and 2nd Parachute Battalion at Choiseul during 1942-43. Here, the detail was much more in-depth than what was presented in Part One and we learned how the units discussed interacted with other Allied forces in the area and about the Japanese they faced. The final chapter of this section should have been presented as a Part Three. It followed Captain Francis Thomas “Frank” Ferrell as he worked to uncover the German spy ring in China between 1945 and 1946.
Overall, I have a few comments. First, the gray boxes of additional information within the chapters are best read first. I found I understood the main chapter text better if I did so. Second, there was clear bias. The Pacific Theater was clearly given more prominence (over 2/3rds of the book) and all the actions covered were undertaken by Marine units. I know from past research, the OSS had quite a bit of sabotage and espionage activities in Europe and I’m sure other branches had roles within the OSS. Third, the book did make good use of incorporating oral history interviews, occasionally utilizing large segments. In conclusion, the book did well in presenting the included stories but I wish there had been more about Europe. The description on Goodreads does not precisely match the one on the dust jacket, as the jacket makes the focus on the Marines and the Pacific clear.
Note: I received a copy of this title from Goodreads' First Reads program.
September 16, 2013
I enjoyed the amount of detail the author presented in each of his four major stories. At times the in depth portrayal may have slowed down the story line, but I felt it helpful, if not necessary, to get the "big picture" context of what was being conveyed. Overall, a good read and recommended for any history enthusiasts
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews