Customer Reviews

The Supercommandos: First Special Service Force, 1942-1944 An Illustrated History

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a book about the unit with which I served in World War II. It's the book for which veterans of the Force, like me, have been waiting since Robert Burhans wrote the first Force history in 1947. It's a true successor to Burhans because it contains none of the bombast,mistruths and basic errors of many other writings. Author Todd Ross, in his first book, has proven what a careful, conscientious,and honorable researcher he is, and the book amply demonstrates that. During World War II, there was no other elite unit as unique as the First Special Service Force, if one were to consider only the fact that its Combat Echelon contained trained soldiers from the Canadian Army. They served alongside their U. S. Army compatriots, wearing the same uniform, totally integrated. When I and a fellow Canadian Sergeant walked into our pyramidal tent in 5th Company, Second Regiment, we found two trained American volunteers awaiting our arrival.Within days, it was hard to tell American from Canadian as we learned to parachute together, laughed over trying to integrate basic drill commands and actions. In his text, Ross covers this uniqueness, before moving on to our weapons training, demolitions, mountain climbing, skiing, unarmed combat, the use of German weapons,and the range of other training elements, including development of the Weasel, the first truly effective over-the-snow vehicle. He follows our path into combat, with the dry run at Kiska when the Japanese left before we and others landed. Our sudden shift to Italy: fighting in the mountains leading to Cassino;our 98 days without relief at Anzio holding almost one quarter of the entire Beachhead;the road to Rome--the first Allied troops to enter the Eternal City in force, two days before Normandy; our role in leading the invasion of S. France; and the saddest day of all when the Force was disbanded in December, 1944, in S. France. This is an illustrated history, with photos by Robert Capa, famed WWII photographer, as well as many others; maps which give battle details, charts, reports,an extensive bibliography, and a host of color plates showing our uniforming and equipment. This is the best-appearing and most complete book on the Force ever published. As veterans who lived through the life of the Force, we have nothing but praise for it, and heartily recommend it to Amazon.com readers.

If only one word could be used to describe Todd Ross's book the Supercommando's, that word would have to be awesome! Ross's book is the most definitive work about the unit known as the 1st Special Service Force since Robert Burhan's book War History of the North Americans. The book contains many never seen before photographs of the force and is worth the price of the book alone. Maps are in vivid color, and are very easy to read and understand. The Force equipment and weapons are authentic and not cheap reproduction look a likes. A real highlight of the book is Ross's attention to detail and accuracy. Ross is to be commended for the outstanding layout of the book and its smooth transition from one point to the next. This book traces the force from its inception to its heartbreaking disbandment and shows the force for what it really was, a tough, daring, resouceful, highly specialized special force that had few equals in WWII. This book dispells the myth created by the highly entertaining but highly inaccurate movie the "Devils Brigade and the book by the same name, No Dirty Dozen here! This is a must have book for those interested in Special Forces, and military history. This book is a must have reference for the professor of military history and historians. This is not a book to be read once and then put away, this is a reference book to be used over and over again. If you have Robert Burhan's book and Ross's book the Supercommandos, you have the history, expolits and unparalleled view of the 1st Special Service Force. I salute Mr. Ross for a job well done!

Having just received my copy of this book in the mail, I can't say that I've read through the entire text yet. But this is not necessarily the type of book that you plod through dutifully from the first to the last page in rigid sequence. After all, as one veteran of the First Special Service Force commented to me, this is a "coffee table" book. And, as with the best of that species (whatever the subject matter), it's meant to be savored slowly and appreciated over time!

Lavishly illustrated in both colour and black and white, it presents a fine visual record of almost every aspect of the First Special Service Force. Numerous contemporary photos are complemented by frequent carefully constructed plates which meticulously document more than half a century later the uniforms, equipment, and insignia of the Force. (The author, incidentally, is present in more than one, photographed wearing the typical "kit" of Forcemen from various periods of the unit's short but significant existence.) Maps show the major areas of operations, and are graphically clean and easily absorbed. An appendix at the end even corrects omissions made in a previously published list of all men who served with the Force.

While the illustrations immediately catch the eye, there is also a detailed and rigorously annotated text. A quick examination of the extensive bibliographic notes at the end of the book reveals an impressive depth and comprehensiveness of background research. That matches the overall production values of this large book, which is simply a pleasure to hold in your lap and and enjoy the more you browse through it.

Well done!

This is perhaps one of the finest unit histories I have read. It is a fine tribute to the men of an incredible unit -- the First Special Service Force. There hasn't been a book on this unit in over 30 years, and this book certainly sets the record straight. Everything you want to know about the Force is here. Not only is it full of never before seen photgraphs of the Force, it includes comprenhensive information on how the unit was organized and fought. There is information and photographs detailing everything from the weapons used to the uniforms worn. The text is quite excellent, and includes detailed footnotes (which is unusual for a book of this sort.) This book will appeal to all those interested in the Force, special forces, and WWII in general. I hope to see more work like this from the author. This book is truly a treasure!

The Supercommandoes is an excellent pictorial history of the First Special Service Force, a joint American-Canadian unit that served with distinction during World War II. The book tells the story of these brave many in pictures so that it brings to life their daring exploits. This is a book that I can highly recommend as it tells the often forgotten story of the unit that was the progenitor of today's U. S. Army Special Forces.

Italy and southern France was overshadowed by the Normandy invasion and consequently received scant recognition as a most violent and costly theatre of operations. Robert T Ross pays homage to the struggles of that campaign by highlighting the First Special Service Force's unique role and remarkable successes. Well researched and supported by photographs it plots the history and creation of the FSSF which was lead by a true fighting general Robert T Frederick. This book should be an inspiration to the likes of Spielberg and Hanks to tell the full story of another unique unit in military history. We have experienced D day Normandy and now The Pacific from the safety of our armchairs. Both of these stories and 'Saving Private Ryan' have given us the flavour of war and a greater understanding of the men and the conflicts. This book 'Supercommandos' puts these forgotten fronts firmly in the same category as it outlines in detail the struggle and daring exploits of this US/Canadian force. It also serves as a bible for re-enactors through displaying photographic evidence and the authors personal collection of FSSF uniforms and equipment. Those who's image of the FSSF is fogged by the inacuracies of the Hollywood film The Devil's Brigade will better appreciate what happened at Anzio, Selerno and the mountain fighting around Monte Casino, Monte la Difensa and the push into Rome; by reading about these extraordinary men. Those who have never heard the phrase 'Das Dicke Ende Kommt Noch' might never know the significance and the affect that this chilling note had on the hardest of German troops. Imagine waking to see a komarad with slit throat and a calling card stuck on the body stating 'The Worst Is Yet To Come' and all this feet away as you slept. The Germans called the FSSF the Black Devils and not without good reason. A very good read and a great reference book that gives the facts with no sensationalism.