Special operations have not always been viewed so positively. Prior to the early 1960's- when President John F. Kennedy expanded U.S. Special Forces and made counterinsurgency the cornerstone of his Flexible Response doctrine- the lot of special operations soldiers was far from satisfactory. Few in number, they were criticized as elitist and were considered suitable only for behind-the-lines operations in a major East-West conflict. Little has been written about the missions and activities of special forces in the 1950's and even less about their predecessors in World War II. The Jedburghs were one such group, dropped in three-man teams in France during 1944 to assist the Allied advance from behind the German lines. Dr. S. J. Lewis' study on the activities of a number of Jedburgh teams operating in northern France during the last year of the war addresses this often-overlooked aspect of the war in Europe. This study should advance the understanding of Special Operations Forces on the part of the military professionals and civilians alike and stimulate further inquiries into a topic still shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding.

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