From Army Rangers to Green Berets to the U.S. Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden, this book explains what makes Special Forces "special," covering the rich and varied history of elite formations in American military history and describing their recruitment, intense training, and equipment in depth.
Most civilians have only a vague idea of what the U.S. Special Forces are all about-who they are, how they differ from our "normal" military forces, what they've accomplished throughout our history, and how they operate today. Fighting Elites: A History of U.S. Special Forces examines the rich and varied history of U.S. Special Forces, identifies their contributions to specific conflicts from colonial times forward, and highlights their present operational excellence.
In this first-ever reference guide to U.S. Special Forces, military historian John C. Fredriksen provides a carefully balanced presentation, describing all units in their own detailed section that discusses their origins, recruitment, training, tactics, and equipment, and defining military engagements, if known. The text also contains 20 biographical entries of noted personalities associated with special purpose activities.
Initial chapters provide an overview of all American special purpose unitsA bibliography points to additional reading and sources of information50 illustrations of famous leaders, uniforms, and troops in the fieldA highly detailed chronology of all known special forces activities
- ISBN10 6613364797
- ISBN13 9786613364791
- Publish Date 31 December 2011 (first published 12 December 2011)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 14 March 2012
- Publish Country US
- Imprint ABC-CLIO
- Format eBook
- Pages 380
- Language English