If Chaos Reigns by Flint Whitlock

by Flint Whitlock

“Gentlemen, do not be daunted if chaos reigns; it undoubtedly will.” So said Brigadier S. James Hill, commanding officer of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, in an address to his troops shortly before the launching of Operation Overlord—the D-Day invasion of Normandy. No more prophetic words were ever spoken, for chaos indeed reigned on that day, and many more that followed.Much has been written about the Allied invasion of France, but award-winning military historian Flint Whitlock has put together a unique package—the first history of the assault that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American, British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of 6 June 1944. Landing into the midst of the unknown, the airborne troops found themselves fighting for their lives on every side in the very jaws of the German defenses, while striving to seize their own key objectives in advance of their seaborne comrades to come.Whitlock details the formation, recruitment, training, and deployment of the Allies’ parachute and glider troops. First-person accounts by the veterans who were there—from paratroopers to glidermen to the pilots who flew them into the battle, as well as the commanders (Eisenhower, Taylor, Ridgway, Gavin, and more)—make for compelling, “you-are-there” reading. If Chaos Reigns is a fitting tribute to the men who rode the wind into battle and managed to pull victory out of confusion, chaos, and almost certain defeat.Author/military historian Flint Whitlock graduated from the Army's Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA, in 1965 and spent five years on active duty, including a combat tour in Vietnam. He is the author of nine books, six of which are about World War II, and is currently the editor of WWII Quarterly. He has appeared in documentaries on The History Channel and on the Fox Channel's "War Stories with Oliver North," and now lives in Denver, CO.

Genres: World War II, History, Nonfiction, War

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

As an art major, Flint Whitlock graduated from the University of Illinois in 1964 with a degree in Advertising Design, but has always been as much a writer as an artist. His love for military history began at an early age—fueled by his father, James, who served with the famed 10th Mountain Division in World War II. Flint also had an uncle who was a military policeman with the 1st Infantry Division and another uncle who served with the Navy in the Pacific.

Wanting to serve his country, Flint was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Commission Training Program and entered active duty in December 1964. After attending the basic Air Defense Artillery officers' course at Fort Bliss, Texas, Flint earned his jump wings at Airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was then posted to a Nike Hercules battery in Baumholder, Germany. After two years in ADA, he received a branch transfer to the Quartermaster Corps and spent an additional year with the Supply and Maintenance Agency in Zweibruecken, Germany, where he was promoted to captain.


In 1968, Flint was transferred to South Vietnam, arriving one day before the Tet Offensive in January, 1968. He served for six months as a supply specialist at 1st Logistical Command Headquarters at Long Binh, northeast of Saigon, before being transferred to the 14th Inventory Control Center at the same post. He returned to the States in 1969 and spent a year with the 5th Infantry Division Supply and Maintenance Battalion at Fort Carson, Colorado, before resigning his commission and returning to civilian life.

After a stint as the Public Relations Director for the Denver Dynamos of the now-defunct North American Soccer League, he served as a copywriter, art director, and creative director for several major Colorado advertising agencies. While holding down these positions, he also continued to paint and write, becoming a locally prominent artist of the “photo-realist” genre. His attention to visual detail also translated to the written word, as he sought to convey the emotional and physical aspects of the soldier's experience.

To heighten his understanding of, and appreciation for, what the World War II combat soldier went through, he became involved in World War II re-enactment groups, in which he has been active for over 20 years. As a tribute to his father, he founded the 10th Mountain Division Living History Display Group in 1983 (www.tenthmountain.org). He is also a member of the 10th Mountain Division Foundation Board of Directors and the 10th Mountain Division Resource Center Advisory Committee.

Flint Whitlock lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Dr. Mary Ann Watson, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Metropolitan State College of Denver. They have three grown children: Gillian Lee Whitlock, an actress and make-up artist in Hollywood; Suki Montgomery, a psychologist and member of the counseling staff at Ithaca (NY) College; and Matthew Montgomery, an anesthesiologist in Denver. To keep in shape, Flint skis, referees soccer, and plays tennis.

Reviews

[Checkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Competent, solid and readable account about the British and American airborne component of the Normandy Invasion in June 1944. It breaks no new ground, but rather incorporates the experiences of American, British and Canadian paratroopers and glider infantry into a comprehensive book. In addition the first few chapters also cover the evolution of the American and British airborne forces as well as the problematic evolution (and construction) of the American glider program. I liked the perspective of the American and British battles linked together and I was particularly interested in the attention paid to the Canadian paratroopers - a unit that I know very little about. WWII is a difficult war to cover for modern historians. It's been written about by a couple generations of historians now. Mr. Whitlock doesn't break any new ground, but he does present a highly readable account.

[Jon Zug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alas I can give this book but two stars. Given the many other bodies of work published about the airborne operations for the allied Normandy invasion this one pales in comparison and adds nothing new to the history or discussion. I found the book to be poorly researched, and it was clear he relied too heavily on secondary sources as opposed to primary sources like after-action or battle reports. I appreciate that he did many interviews of veterans of the campaign, but without following those up with comparisons to the battle reports and unit official histories there is a distortion of many facts. A prime example of this is his recounting Colonel Robert Coles' bayonet charge at the causeway on the outskirts of Carentan. The reader is left with the impression of a leader ordering a suicidal charge over open ground that was nothing short of miraculous in its pyrrhic success. While the assault was risky, the author ignores the fact that Colonel Cole had artillery support and a smoke screen barrage laid to cover his approach. This is just one example of what I felt was sloppy work. Far better accounts of this operation exist. Try Joseph Balkoski's Utah Beach, Phil Nordyke's All American All The Way, Stephen Ambrose's Pegasus Bridge, or Napier Crookenden's Dropzone Normandy for far better accounts of what Mr. Whitlock portrays in this book. It seemed to me that he tried too hard to imbue desperation and drama into a history that really needs no adjectives to understand the drama and heroics of the Normandy airborne operations. I cannot recommend this book and it will not join my library.

[Tom Sells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courage and freedom stand together

Great book to read. Many harrowing moments and tales of valor and sacrifice. Duty and courage are part of a soldier. They lead and drive men to attempt and achieve, often with success !

[Leo Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the Airborne operations

I appreciated the accounts of all the sky soldiers, including the Canadian airborne battalion. It was a good summary of all the glider and paratrooper operations that occurred.

[Adam Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read about airborne operations in WW2 from the conceptual stage to implementation on D-day. The ingenuity and collaboration of the Allied airborne troops was incredible.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often rate books, but when I do it is because I feel strongly one way or another. If Chaos Reigns by Flint Whitlock is an informative and entertaining read. I could not wait to get home and read it at the end of my day. If your looking for an in-depth history of the airborne forces, there are other excellent books. What If Chaos Reigns provides is an excellent balance of history and first person accounts of battle. It tells the story of the Allied airborne forces through the critical battles on and soon after D-Day, which define there legacy as elite troops to this day. I highly recommend it and I look forward to other books written by Mr. Whitlock.

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on the paratroopers, both American,British,and Canadian, which took part in Operation Neptune, a prelude to the D-Day invasion. The author begins with an interesting history of the idea and development of airborne troops. Not only was the concept revolutionary, but the equipment used had to be invented and tested. The author also traces the development of the glider forces. The production and refinement of gliders is also related. The book then describes the recruitment and training of these forces in all three countries.
The book then moves into the plans for the paratroopers as a prelude to the landings at Normandy. The landings of each of the forces a detailed as is their subsequent battles. Despite the failures of landing off target, unexpected stiff German resistance, and the problems with getting resupplied, the paratroopers were remarkably successful in achieving their objectives and stopping German reinforcements from reaching the beaches.
Based on memoirs, unit reports, and interviews the book is an absorbing read.

[Richard Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The best laid plans ...."

I was struck in reading the comment of one officer about being briefed on one of the most important military operations in history--he said he didn't pay attention because airborne operations never go according to plans! Chaos reigns. That was certainly true for airborne and glider units on D-day in Normandy. Be prepared for a fresh look at the strategic decisions and tactical results as told largely through the words of the undaunted participants. This is a must read account of an operation commemorated but with many fresh details seldom read. Airborne!

[Jennifer Zartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flint Whitlock obviously spent a good deal of time in careful research, and gives the reader a clear picture of the overwhelming chaos and doom that our airborne soldiers faced on D-day. I oftentimes found it confusing because of the rapid change in characters, my lack of experience in identifying people by numbers, and the unfamiliarity of the places mentioned, but these things could hardly be helped. Mr. Whitlock dealt with a cast of thousands in a foreign setting. This book raised my appreciation for the sacrifices made by the men, their families, and the people of Normandy during those desperate days of that horrible war.

[Ross Safford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-organized chaos.

Well-organized chaos.

Whitlock did a masterful job of describing the chaos of war in this description of the airborne portion of Operation Overlord. He covered something that I hadn't studied much about before. It was well written and well organized.

[jean hummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable research!

Mr. Whitlock has presented an absolutely finely detailed account. Well done Flint. I'm a real "nut" for airborne operations. This one goes to the top of the list. Gene

[Janetta Bitting · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent study of the airborne efforts on d day

This is a very well researched book. the story of the courageous allied troops is both sad and inspiring. I recommend this book

[Christopher Cybert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very well written (but that may have been a formatting issue) but still amazingly true stories.

[Doncourtright · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is Hell

Well researched with meticulous detail about the units that caught many battles in the first days of Operation Overloard. If you like data, you will like this book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a nice balance to this book because it covers American, British and Canadian paratrooper and glider forces. It starts with their inception then moves on to their training prior to D-Day. The last half of the book covers their drops into Normandy and lots of the initial battles, mainly told by individual's stories covering the first week or so. After reading this book I am surprised they managed to be as successful as they were. I seems like very few of them were dropped where they were intended to be. One glider coming down 80 miles from it's prearranged target. As the book says it was through "courage, cunning and indefatigable spirit" that the airborne soldiers, most of whom were virgins to combat, were able to triumph.