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Angels Against the Sun: A WWII Saga of Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood
In the tradition of Band of Brothers , historian and former paratrooper James M. Fenelon offers a grunt’s-eye view of the 11th Airborne’s heroic campaign to liberate the Philippines in World War II. A soldier’s history at its best.
A Grunt’s-Eye View of Pacific Warfare
The Pacific theater of World War II pitted American fighting men against two merciless the relentless Japanese army and the combined forces of monsoons, swamps, mud, privation, and disease.
General Joseph Swing’s rowdy paratroopers of the 11th Airborne Division— nicknamed the “Angels”—fought in some of the war’s most dramatic campaigns, from bloody skirmishes in Leyte’s unforgiving rainforests to the ferocious battles on Luzon, including the hellish urban combat of Manila.
The Angels were trained as elite shock troops, but high American casualties often forced them into action as ground-pounding infantrymen. Surviving on airdropped supplies and reinforcements, the Angels fought their way across nearly impassable terrain, emerging as one of the most lethal units in the Pacific War. Their final task was the occupation of Japan, where they were the first American boots on the ground.
Angels Against the Sun is an unforgettable account of the liberation of the Philippines. In the tradition of Band of Brothers , historian and former paratrooper James M. Fenelon offers a grunt’s-eye view of the war. This is a soldier’s history at its best.
A Grunt’s-Eye View of Pacific Warfare
The Pacific theater of World War II pitted American fighting men against two merciless the relentless Japanese army and the combined forces of monsoons, swamps, mud, privation, and disease.
General Joseph Swing’s rowdy paratroopers of the 11th Airborne Division— nicknamed the “Angels”—fought in some of the war’s most dramatic campaigns, from bloody skirmishes in Leyte’s unforgiving rainforests to the ferocious battles on Luzon, including the hellish urban combat of Manila.
The Angels were trained as elite shock troops, but high American casualties often forced them into action as ground-pounding infantrymen. Surviving on airdropped supplies and reinforcements, the Angels fought their way across nearly impassable terrain, emerging as one of the most lethal units in the Pacific War. Their final task was the occupation of Japan, where they were the first American boots on the ground.
Angels Against the Sun is an unforgettable account of the liberation of the Philippines. In the tradition of Band of Brothers , historian and former paratrooper James M. Fenelon offers a grunt’s-eye view of the war. This is a soldier’s history at its best.
512 pages, Hardcover
Published April 18, 2023
14 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
James M. Fenelon
4 books23 followersJames Fenelon is the paratrooper-turned-author of "Four Hours of Fury," the story of the American 17th Airborne Division’s combat jump over Germany’s Rhine River in March 1945. His most recent book, "Angels Against the Sun," follows the 11th Airborne Division’s campaign through the Pacific and their eventual landing in Japan as the vanguard of the occupation forces.
As an author, Fenelon leverages his military service to provide readers with engaging accounts of average GIs swept up by events beyond their control. His desire to give readers a “boots on the ground” perspective is reflected in his narrative-driven writing style.
Fenelon’s study of WWII combat has taken him to numerous battlefields and historically-related sites, including those in France, Italy, Britain, Holland, Belgium, Egypt, Germany and Greece. He is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and has been previously published in FlyPast, Britain’s largest selling aviation magazine as well as ARMY and Military History. With his expertise in military history, he has consulted as a technical advisor for video games, screenplays and documentaries.
An alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, he lives with his wife in the Texas Hill Country.
Please visit www.jamesfenelon.com for more information.
As an author, Fenelon leverages his military service to provide readers with engaging accounts of average GIs swept up by events beyond their control. His desire to give readers a “boots on the ground” perspective is reflected in his narrative-driven writing style.
Fenelon’s study of WWII combat has taken him to numerous battlefields and historically-related sites, including those in France, Italy, Britain, Holland, Belgium, Egypt, Germany and Greece. He is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and has been previously published in FlyPast, Britain’s largest selling aviation magazine as well as ARMY and Military History. With his expertise in military history, he has consulted as a technical advisor for video games, screenplays and documentaries.
An alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, he lives with his wife in the Texas Hill Country.
Please visit www.jamesfenelon.com for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 29, 2023
James Fenelon has emerged as a champion for underappreciated airborne units.
The author captures the heart, soul and essence of the 11th Airborne during its World War II battles in the Philippines in the page-turning “Angels Against the Sun.” In this new, exhaustively researched and gripping chronicle of WWII combat, Fenelon brings to life an often-overlooked unit through its paratroopers’ personalities and experiences.
Fenelon has done this before.
Some may remember his debut book from a few years ago, “Four Hours of Fury,” centered around the 17th Airborne’s combat jump in the closing months of the war in Germany. Whereas that story integrated the big picture – think Eisenhower and Ridgeway – along with the rank and file, in “Angels” Fenelon puts the reader in the mud with the paratroopers.
And stays there.
The author captures the heart, soul and essence of the 11th Airborne during its World War II battles in the Philippines in the page-turning “Angels Against the Sun.” In this new, exhaustively researched and gripping chronicle of WWII combat, Fenelon brings to life an often-overlooked unit through its paratroopers’ personalities and experiences.
Fenelon has done this before.
Some may remember his debut book from a few years ago, “Four Hours of Fury,” centered around the 17th Airborne’s combat jump in the closing months of the war in Germany. Whereas that story integrated the big picture – think Eisenhower and Ridgeway – along with the rank and file, in “Angels” Fenelon puts the reader in the mud with the paratroopers.
And stays there.
August 31, 2025
Fenelon gives a thorough accounting of the 11th Airborne's WW2 heroism in the Philippines. Blood-thirsty, marauding genocidal maniacs of Japan and the 11th went head to head, and America sent them off to Hell in droves. Also mentions the rape of Manila by the bad guys. Not for the feint of heart. It's bloody, it's gruesome, and it's Real. Keeps you on your seat as you read tales of heroism, you feel a sense of pride and the debt of gratitude we owe these brave soldiers. One of America's finest hours.
October 17, 2023
I didn’t realize that airborne troops fought in the Pacific Theater. Quite a fascinating book.
June 9, 2024
If your into WWII non-fiction, this is a must read. Army in Asian battles.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews