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Sky Warriors: British Airborne Forces in the Second World War
From acclaimed historian Saul David, a stunning and gripping new history of the British airborne experience across the Second World War. The legendary ‘Red Devils’ were among the finest combat troops of the Second World War. Created at Churchill’s instigation in June 1940, they began as a single parachute battalion of 500 men and grew into three 10,000-strong airborne the 1st, 6th and 44th Indian, each composed of parachutists and glider-borne troops. Wearing their distinctive maroon berets, steel helmets and Dennison smocks, they served with distinction in every major theatre of the conflict – including North Africa, Sicily, mainland Europe and the Far East – and played a starring role in some most iconic airborne operations in the Bruneval Raid of February 1942; the capture of the Primasole, Pegasus and Arnhem Bridges in July 1943, June 1944 and September 1944 respectively; and Operation Varsity, the biggest parachute drop in history, near Wesel in Germany in March 1945.
576 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2024
42 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Saul David
53 books176 followersSAUL DAVID was born in Monmouth in 1966 and educated at Ampleforth College and Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities (History MA and PhD).
An expert in the wars of the Victorian period, he began writing his first history book when he was twenty-five and has since completed eight more. They include: The Homicidal Earl: The Life of Lord Cardigan (1997), a critically-acclaimed biography of the man who led the Charge of the Light Brigade; The Indian Mutiny:1857 (2002), shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature; Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (2004), a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year; and the bestselling Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire (2006). In 2007 he signed a three book deal with Hodder & Stoughton to write a series of historical novels set in the late Victorian period. The first, Zulu Hart, was published on 5 March 2009 to critical acclaim with The Times describing it as a 'rattling good yarn' with 'a compelling, sexy hero who could give Cornwell's Sharpe a run for his money'. He is currently writing a history of the British Army.
An expert in the wars of the Victorian period, he began writing his first history book when he was twenty-five and has since completed eight more. They include: The Homicidal Earl: The Life of Lord Cardigan (1997), a critically-acclaimed biography of the man who led the Charge of the Light Brigade; The Indian Mutiny:1857 (2002), shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature; Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (2004), a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year; and the bestselling Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire (2006). In 2007 he signed a three book deal with Hodder & Stoughton to write a series of historical novels set in the late Victorian period. The first, Zulu Hart, was published on 5 March 2009 to critical acclaim with The Times describing it as a 'rattling good yarn' with 'a compelling, sexy hero who could give Cornwell's Sharpe a run for his money'. He is currently writing a history of the British Army.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 16, 2025
Ode to the Brave
Saul David is a proven historian of great worth. All of the books I have read by him have been excellent. Sky Warriors, his book on the British Airborne Forces in the Second World War is no different. These were brave if also reckless soldiers who may also have been let down by poor leadership. But the legendary Red Devils were among them, who were considered some of the finest combat troops of the war. The parachute regiments were born at the instigation of Winston Churchill in 1940, a body of 500 men. This grew into three divisions of 10,000 men by the end of the war. They played a pivotal part in fighting in every major theatre of the war, from the Far East, North Africa and Europe.
Sky Warriors starts with the formation and training in the early years in and around Manchester. It ends with the climax and disaster at Arnhem where the famous failure to capture the bridges before German forces in the area overwhelmed them. They lost just under 2000 men and had a further 6800 captured. Despite their bravery and determination they were let down by poor intelligence which did not detect Panzer divisions in the area and lack of air support the campaign failed. One of the key features of this book is its focus on personal stories and Saul David effectively balances the broader historical story with the individual stories, bringing to life the stories of bravery, innovation and sacrifices of the men and women involved.
The strength of this book lies in David’s ability to combine military history with the personal stories of the men themselves. He draws on letters, diaries, and interviews to give the paras a voice, and it makes their experiences feel vivid and real. From their beginnings in 1940—when the idea of a British airborne force was still experimental—to their defining roles in North Africa, Sicily, Arnhem, and beyond, David traces not only what the soldiers did, but also what it meant to them. The detail is rich, but the narrative never gets bogged down; it reads quickly and keeps you turning the pages.
A good comparison to this book is Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers, as both capture the camaraderie and the cost of serving in an elite unit. The paratroopers emerge as ordinary young men thrown into extraordinary situations, tested by relentless training, chaotic drops behind enemy lines, and savage combat. However, David doesn’t romanticise their experience in some ways that Ambrose does in Band of Brothers as he shows the exhaustion, the fear, and the staggering losses they faced. Like Ambrose though, David conveys the loyalty and brotherhood that kept them fighting.
That said, I have some criticisms. It is clear that David at times leans heavily on anecdote, which, while powerful, can leave certain larger strategic contexts underexplored. Furthermore, though less of a problem for me is that his admiration for the paras sometimes shades into hero-worship (they did go through an unimaginable experience after all), glossing over darker moments of indiscipline or the controversies that surrounded some operations (soldiers are still men who aren’t perfect). Finally, even though it was their largest engagement, Sky Warriors focuses on Arnhem too much for me. They were deployed one more time in the war to liberate Norway from Nazi occupation in 1945 before the final and ultimate surrender.
Sky Warriors is a must read for anyone interested in WWII or the development of aerial combat. But you can also be the casual reader as the military history is blended with human stories. This book is of the highest standard which is well written all the same and offers an invaluable insight into how WWII massively influenced the evolution of warfare.
Saul David is a proven historian of great worth. All of the books I have read by him have been excellent. Sky Warriors, his book on the British Airborne Forces in the Second World War is no different. These were brave if also reckless soldiers who may also have been let down by poor leadership. But the legendary Red Devils were among them, who were considered some of the finest combat troops of the war. The parachute regiments were born at the instigation of Winston Churchill in 1940, a body of 500 men. This grew into three divisions of 10,000 men by the end of the war. They played a pivotal part in fighting in every major theatre of the war, from the Far East, North Africa and Europe.
Sky Warriors starts with the formation and training in the early years in and around Manchester. It ends with the climax and disaster at Arnhem where the famous failure to capture the bridges before German forces in the area overwhelmed them. They lost just under 2000 men and had a further 6800 captured. Despite their bravery and determination they were let down by poor intelligence which did not detect Panzer divisions in the area and lack of air support the campaign failed. One of the key features of this book is its focus on personal stories and Saul David effectively balances the broader historical story with the individual stories, bringing to life the stories of bravery, innovation and sacrifices of the men and women involved.
The strength of this book lies in David’s ability to combine military history with the personal stories of the men themselves. He draws on letters, diaries, and interviews to give the paras a voice, and it makes their experiences feel vivid and real. From their beginnings in 1940—when the idea of a British airborne force was still experimental—to their defining roles in North Africa, Sicily, Arnhem, and beyond, David traces not only what the soldiers did, but also what it meant to them. The detail is rich, but the narrative never gets bogged down; it reads quickly and keeps you turning the pages.
A good comparison to this book is Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers, as both capture the camaraderie and the cost of serving in an elite unit. The paratroopers emerge as ordinary young men thrown into extraordinary situations, tested by relentless training, chaotic drops behind enemy lines, and savage combat. However, David doesn’t romanticise their experience in some ways that Ambrose does in Band of Brothers as he shows the exhaustion, the fear, and the staggering losses they faced. Like Ambrose though, David conveys the loyalty and brotherhood that kept them fighting.
That said, I have some criticisms. It is clear that David at times leans heavily on anecdote, which, while powerful, can leave certain larger strategic contexts underexplored. Furthermore, though less of a problem for me is that his admiration for the paras sometimes shades into hero-worship (they did go through an unimaginable experience after all), glossing over darker moments of indiscipline or the controversies that surrounded some operations (soldiers are still men who aren’t perfect). Finally, even though it was their largest engagement, Sky Warriors focuses on Arnhem too much for me. They were deployed one more time in the war to liberate Norway from Nazi occupation in 1945 before the final and ultimate surrender.
Sky Warriors is a must read for anyone interested in WWII or the development of aerial combat. But you can also be the casual reader as the military history is blended with human stories. This book is of the highest standard which is well written all the same and offers an invaluable insight into how WWII massively influenced the evolution of warfare.
June 6, 2024
Sky Warriors is a fantastic account of the development of Britain’s airborne forces in the Second World War. Saul David weaves personal testimony and clear battlefield explanations into his historical narrative, bringing to life the Red Devils’ wartime operations; the Bruneval Raid, Operation Tonga and the Battle of Arnhem for example. I learnt a lot, especially in the North Africa and Sicily chapters - Operation Torch, Ladbroke and Fustian. I’ll be re-reading a few bits to brush up on my knowledge for sure.
I found there to be a few errors in the text which slightly jarred me and small mix ups with commanders and their respective brigades. I also don’t think I agree fully with David’s assessment of Operation Market Garden, which kind of follows the William F Buckingham line of thinking - in that it wasn’t doomed to fail, it failed further south down the battle route from Arnhem and was worth attempting in a bid to end the war by Christmas of 1944. I don’t agree but I’m also aware that we’re at risk of getting into armchair history territory here (yikes). A brilliant read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I found there to be a few errors in the text which slightly jarred me and small mix ups with commanders and their respective brigades. I also don’t think I agree fully with David’s assessment of Operation Market Garden, which kind of follows the William F Buckingham line of thinking - in that it wasn’t doomed to fail, it failed further south down the battle route from Arnhem and was worth attempting in a bid to end the war by Christmas of 1944. I don’t agree but I’m also aware that we’re at risk of getting into armchair history territory here (yikes). A brilliant read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
November 1, 2024
While it comes under my World War II handicap system, it does feel fair to apply the harsher judgement here in terms of novelty.
Sky Warriors is a very linear narrative with limited conclusions often thrown in at the end of each action. It lacks the tight script of Operation Thunderbolt or the thoughtful insights of Zulu, rather it feels like a book that was done to fill a perceived gap without really considering whether that “gap” mattered. Notably, the recounting of Arnhem, while factually consistent with Black Tuesday, is inferior, lacking coherent explanations for the locations of certain units that pop up in the narrative. I suspect there was a more detailed recounting that was pared back for space, which meant contextual clues went missing.
The book is worthy in its coverage of the campaigns, providing an overview of the expansion and deployment of British Airborne forces in a number of campaigns. The coverage of the Indian 50th Parachute Brigade in the lead up to Kohima, along with the last major airdrop of the war by the Gurkha Parachute Battalion, are nice additions (if a little short).
I do like this book, it is more that I believe it falls between two stools where it “fails” to cover the battles in sufficient detail, and is “limited” in its coverage of the doctrine/training of the Airborne Forces (read “fails” and “limited” very broadly, as in is not outstandingly successful in a crowded field). In a more obscure conflict, I would upgrade my rating as it is an excellent introduction to the topic. Feel free to read it in any case!
Sky Warriors is a very linear narrative with limited conclusions often thrown in at the end of each action. It lacks the tight script of Operation Thunderbolt or the thoughtful insights of Zulu, rather it feels like a book that was done to fill a perceived gap without really considering whether that “gap” mattered. Notably, the recounting of Arnhem, while factually consistent with Black Tuesday, is inferior, lacking coherent explanations for the locations of certain units that pop up in the narrative. I suspect there was a more detailed recounting that was pared back for space, which meant contextual clues went missing.
The book is worthy in its coverage of the campaigns, providing an overview of the expansion and deployment of British Airborne forces in a number of campaigns. The coverage of the Indian 50th Parachute Brigade in the lead up to Kohima, along with the last major airdrop of the war by the Gurkha Parachute Battalion, are nice additions (if a little short).
I do like this book, it is more that I believe it falls between two stools where it “fails” to cover the battles in sufficient detail, and is “limited” in its coverage of the doctrine/training of the Airborne Forces (read “fails” and “limited” very broadly, as in is not outstandingly successful in a crowded field). In a more obscure conflict, I would upgrade my rating as it is an excellent introduction to the topic. Feel free to read it in any case!
December 22, 2024
History Happy Hour (111724): The legendary "Red Devils" British Airborne forces were created at Winston Churchill’s instigation in June 1940. They started with just 500 men and grew into three 10,000-strong airborne divisions.British military historian Saul David returns for this encore episode of History Happy Hour to talk about his book Sky Warriors: British Airborne Forces in the Second World War. We’ll discuss their role in iconic operations such as Pegasus Bridge, Arnhem Bridge, and Operation Varsity, the biggest parachute drop of World War II. —History Happy Hour podcast 11/1724
August 9, 2025
More of a 3.5 really.
Charts the setting up of the UK air borne forces. Again we see that the creation of these required the co-operation of the Army and RAF and they were hampered by internal services rivalry.
We go through the learning curve through the war as they become more both larger and effective, with the exception of Arnhem where ambition and optimism caused a harrowing defeat.
The book showed the importance of accurate intelligence and navigation to ensure the men arrived at the correct destination, not always good early on, but generally improving.
You also get to meet the guiding lights of airborne forces and some of their eccentricities.
Charts the setting up of the UK air borne forces. Again we see that the creation of these required the co-operation of the Army and RAF and they were hampered by internal services rivalry.
We go through the learning curve through the war as they become more both larger and effective, with the exception of Arnhem where ambition and optimism caused a harrowing defeat.
The book showed the importance of accurate intelligence and navigation to ensure the men arrived at the correct destination, not always good early on, but generally improving.
You also get to meet the guiding lights of airborne forces and some of their eccentricities.
October 30, 2024
A great read about the formation and history of this proud regiment.
December 31, 2024
A wonderful read, though I had read of many of the battles that British parachute forces had engaged-in before, not least Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far about the ill-fated Operation Market Garden. Not the last or largest of Britain's airborne-troops operations, but the one most associated with their use. The hugely successful operation to secure what we now know as Pegasus Bridge, over the River Orne on the 5/6th June 1944 is well told, indeed better explained and recounted than in Antony Beevor's D-Day, itself a fabulous history book.
Throughout though is the sense of missed opportunities and wasted potential. Poor planning beset many of the operations, notably Arnhem, which required just a few bits of fine-tuing to have delivered a complete success. Saul David points-out these shortfalls succinctly, but always focuses on the true stories, of the 'common' soldiers, the NCO's and the officers. A key feature of the British airborne troops, perhaps more emphasised than their American cousins (who also fought superbly throughout WWII) was that the ordinary Private or Corporal was encouraged to employ their own initiative where necessary (such as when all the officers and NCO's had been killed, wounded or captured). That license saved-the-day on numerous occasions, and that encouragement probably highlights the nature of British parachute and glider troops more than anything.
There's a Index, which I always appreciate, some useful maps and comprehensive Notes.
Throughout though is the sense of missed opportunities and wasted potential. Poor planning beset many of the operations, notably Arnhem, which required just a few bits of fine-tuing to have delivered a complete success. Saul David points-out these shortfalls succinctly, but always focuses on the true stories, of the 'common' soldiers, the NCO's and the officers. A key feature of the British airborne troops, perhaps more emphasised than their American cousins (who also fought superbly throughout WWII) was that the ordinary Private or Corporal was encouraged to employ their own initiative where necessary (such as when all the officers and NCO's had been killed, wounded or captured). That license saved-the-day on numerous occasions, and that encouragement probably highlights the nature of British parachute and glider troops more than anything.
There's a Index, which I always appreciate, some useful maps and comprehensive Notes.
September 1, 2024
Fascinating premise, and there are some wonderful details scattered throughout. I learned a lot about parachute training, and the tactics involved with airborne warfare.
My only, slight, criticism, is that perhaps there’s too much detail. My head was spinning at times with names and numbers of regiments, some of which I could have done without.
But, it’s a compelling read, and brings the reality of the experience to life vividly.
My only, slight, criticism, is that perhaps there’s too much detail. My head was spinning at times with names and numbers of regiments, some of which I could have done without.
But, it’s a compelling read, and brings the reality of the experience to life vividly.
November 25, 2024
Doesn't have the lucidity of Beevor or Hastings or more populist writers. There is much heroism.Gallantry and incredulity in the operations described. However it is even for someone who knows many of the operations and outcomes a difficult read. Placing the maps closer to the relevant chapters would have been useful for reference. There also seem to be a lot of things going badly wrong and though that is the nature of war it questions if the strategy was the most effective.
July 21, 2024
This is the second book I've read by the author, and I've enjoyed both. This gives a first rate account of British airborne forces in WW2 (albeit without covering the SAS, a subject well covered in the superb books of Damien Lewis), from inception to victory. A valuable addition to any military history fan's library.
November 16, 2025
Gritty war time heroism
This is a very honest account of the formation and activities of the Parachute arm of the forces in WW2.
They were very brave and the chances if dying were great.
The whole thing was very risky.
There were failures and successes, but on the whole they achieved a lot, although at great cost.
This is a very honest account of the formation and activities of the Parachute arm of the forces in WW2.
They were very brave and the chances if dying were great.
The whole thing was very risky.
There were failures and successes, but on the whole they achieved a lot, although at great cost.
September 22, 2024
Another great by Saul David.
Here, we learn in great detail about various battles fought by British airborne troops.. From the beginning at their creation by Churchill to the final battles, where it seemingly all comes together as one. After some good and some terrible rehearsal.
Here, we learn in great detail about various battles fought by British airborne troops.. From the beginning at their creation by Churchill to the final battles, where it seemingly all comes together as one. After some good and some terrible rehearsal.
March 29, 2025
Very interesting and well written
A very interesting and well written book about a fascinating topic. I would love to read equivalent books about the parachute units from other countries, e.g. the USSR and Germany
A very interesting and well written book about a fascinating topic. I would love to read equivalent books about the parachute units from other countries, e.g. the USSR and Germany
March 31, 2025
Extremely comprehensive review of the British Airborne experience in WW2. A must read for any military enthusiast.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews