Airborne

Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II / the Violent Century: Weapons Book #12

by Charles B. MacDonald

They sat in aircraft over hostile territory waiting to jump through the flak to the enemy below and carry out a special mission; the highly trained, courageous men of an elite force - the Airborne.

Genres: Military History, World War II

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1970

About the author

Charles B. MacDonald was a former Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army. He wrote several of the Army's official histories of World War II.

After graduating from Presbyterian College, MacDonald was commissioned as a US Army officer through the Army ROTC and deployed to Europe. By September 1944, as a 21 year old Captain , he commanded a rifle company in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. MacDonald received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

His first book, ''Company Commander'', was published in 1947, while his wartime experiences were fresh in his mind.

MacDonald wrote the final volume of the Green Series on the European Theatre, ''The Last Offensive''. He retired as Deputy Chief Historian, United States Army Center of Military History in 1979.

After his retirement, MacDonald wrote ''A Time for Trumpets'', his last book, a personal history of the Ardennes Offensive which concentrates on the first two weeks of the battle, which he spent five years researching. MacDonald also wrote or co-wrote two other books of the Green Series, ''The Siegfried Line Campaign'' and ''Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt''. He also contributed to ''Command Decisions''.

MacDonald suffered from cancer and lung disease and he died on December 4, 1990 at his home in Arlington, Virginia.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1970, this book looks at the use of Airborne Forces throughout WWII, from the Nazi assault on Eben Emael in 1940 to Operation Varsity Crossing the Rhine and the Conquest of Corregidor , both in 1945 . Charles Macdonald, the author of the classic Company Commander and former Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army is actually over qualified to write this book- and he does a great job at surveying the entirety of Airborne Warfare episodes in the entire war- looking to compare and contrast- attempting to evaluate the concept as whole. It seemed to me he decided that it was a strong but imperfect tool in the Commander's toolkit, one that was not perfected in WWII, but rather just in its infancy- with a lot of room to grow.

In 1970, airborne warfare was only 30 years old, but already in a state of flux. Whilst the Parachute and Glider were the means used throughout WWII for aerial assaults, it was an aircraft only beginning its creation arc in 1945 that would truly change airborne infantry. By 1970, the "Air Cav" - American helicopter borne "Skytroopers" were at their zenith in Vietnam. American helos might have gone to Landing Zones on top of their enemies, while other armies preferred to find LZs further away and walk to combat- but the helo would be the king of insertions from the Cold War until today. MacDonald highlights the weaknesses of the Parachute and Glider as he tell the story of the basic success of the concept of going over and behind your enemy. Told in such a quick and breezy manner, the story will find a receptive audience.

There are a few adult themes but few graphic passages, so this is a good read for the Junior Reader over about 11/12 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is a good general read, but I think it will serve as catalog of airborne episodes from which to choose what to study further than an end in itself. Gamers will get all the operations listed- but not enough on any one battle or campaign to be the sole resource. Modelers too will find it more a guide to further research. The Military Enthusiast gets a whole wars worth of Airborne ops discussed and will get it all placed in context both to the war and to the technologies that were applied to the problem. The general audience reader will just enjoy getting to understand a weapon new to the world in 1939- but iconic by 1945.

[Alex MacKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good overview of the use and misuse of WWII Airborne troops. Notes the theory and tactics required, but primarily is focussed upon the major airborne operations. Very well written, I learnt quite a bit; was unaware that the 1 Cdn Parachute Bn CO was killed in the Wesel drop.
Highly recommended.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read and one of the more critical takes I've seen on the Allied use of airborne troops in the 2nd World War. Quick read, and informative