One of the most famous units of World War II and all of military historyFirst Americans to see active combat in the European theaterExpands on events described in Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn and The Day of BattleIn this gripping companion to his acclaimed The Battalion (978-0-8117-0184-6), which told the story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in World War II, Robert W. Black turns his attention to the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions, otherwise known as Darby's Rangers. These elite soldiers accompanied British commandos on the failed Dieppe Raid in August 1942, participated in Operation Torch in North Africa three months later, battled across Sicily the following summer, and ended the war in Italy, where they landed at Salerno in September 1943 and Anzio in January 1944 and were decimated at the Battle of Cisterna.

Proloue -- Birth in war -- The men -- Training -- Dieppe : Background and plan -- Dieppe : in battle -- Dundee -- Operations Torch : Background -- Operation Torch : Execution -- Algeria -- Sened Station -- El Guettar -- Birth of the Ranger Force -- Sicily : The plan -- Assault on Gela -- Butera : the Eagle's nest -- Sicily : the 3rd Ranger Battalion at Licata -- Sicily : Palermo to Messina -- Salerno -- The Winter line : Venafro -- Anzio : The beachhead -- Anzio : Planning the breakout -- Anzio : The battle of Cisterna -- Resistance -- The 4th fights on -- Escape -- Epilogue -- Appendixes.