Product Description

They were the shock troops of the American Army. In their ranks were lumberjacks, miners, skiers-men from the United States and Canada who were accustomed to hardship and living on their own. Their training was extraordinary: forced marches of 100 miles in the Montana wilderness with 50-pound backpacks was typical. Weapons training was equally rigorous and the men became as dangerous with their hands and a knife as they were with rifle and machine gun.

In Italy they became the unit called to accomplish the impossible. At Monte Cassino, and at Anzio, they did, earning the respectful accolade from their German enemies: Schwartzer Teufel-Black Devils.

For the first time ever, the men of the First Special Service Force tell in their own words the full and complete story of their unit which is regarded as the parent of today's Green Berets.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #815567 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 344 pages

Review
"A terrific story of adventure, daring, and rough combat. It's essential reading for the history of special forces."

Customer Reviews

Black Devil Brigade
Should a few more years have passed, this story would never have been told. Thanks to the years of dedication of Joseph Springer and the remaining survivors or the First Special Service Force who agreed to tell their wartime experiences, this book will serve future generations as a vital history of the leadership, comradeship, heroics, courage and terror on the World War II battlefield. This is a work that tells of a unit of mixed Canadian and American men that volunteered for a 'mission' and how their training made them into the finest, and most feared by the enemy, elite unit of WWII. They were given the most dangerous and difficult assignments that other units had not been able to achieve. This is a must read for the WWII history buff.

Superlative Oral History
The Black Devil Brigade is one of the best oral histories I've read. When combined with THE SUPERCOMMANDOS by Robert Todd Ross and the official unit history by Robert Burhans, we now have the definative history of the First Special Service Force of WWII. By concentrating on narratives by a few key individuals of the unit, Springer tells a gripping story, while at the same time highlighting the exploits of this unique fighting unit. This book once and for all establishes the truth behind the Black Devils, and gives the veterans of the Force a true legacy for generations to come. this book is a must have for all those interested in first hand accounts of men in battle.

An "oral history" relating a true and incredible story
The Black Devil Brigade is an "oral history" relating the true and incredible story of the joint American/Canadian First Special Service Force. An elite and deadly combat unit formed in Montana, this blended military force was rushed to battle in the Aleutian Islands, then reinforced by a fresh batch of Canadian and American volunteers, saw action in Italy where it was used for the nastiest, deadliest missions the leadership of the U.S. Fifth Army could devise. Committed to the Anzio invasion they struck terror into the hearts of seasoned Germany troops and were dubbed "Schwartzer Teufel" -- Black Devils. Indeed, these "devils" were among the first to enter Rome. They went on to a key role in the invasion of southern France in 1944 suffering tremendous casualties (their commander was wounded nine times). They were eventually withdrawn from combat and shut down with the Canadian contingent dispersed as combat fillers and the Americans used as the core of a new standard infantry regiment. The stuff of battlefield legend, the lives and accomplishments of this unique unit is memorialized in Joseph Springer's The Black Devil Brigade and a welcome, much appreciated contribution to both military studies and the history of World War II.