For as long as armies have clashed on fiery fields of battle, professional soldiers of fortune have fought, bled, and died. They are the ultimate warriors, sharing skills few men possess, a pride few men can merit, and an unassailable courage in the face of overwhelming numbers and superior weaponry. These are the men who take the risks that others would never dare; the men who change history and keep the enemy at bay; the men who change history and keep the enemy at bay. And, if need be, they are willing to die in prusuit of their objective: total victory on the field of war. MERCS is a collection of remarkable true accounts of mercenaries in action -- from the ancient Greeks against the Persians in 400 B.C. to the blood-curdling siege at Vietnam's Dein Bein Phu and the modern-day drug wars of Central and South America. Here are stories of incredible battleground stands, of daring raids and revolutionary operations, of astonishing bravery in desperate situations -- and of the rare breed of fighting men who made war their vocation...and honor their guide. -- From the publisher.

Mercenaries in History1 -- Greek Mercenaries in Persia: The Anabasis, 400 B.C. 5 -- Hannibal in Italy: The Battle of Lake Trasimene, 217 B.C. 10 -- Fine Art of Contract Negotiation: The White Company and the Battle of Florence, 1364 20 -- Game of Survival: Sir John de Hawkwood at Borgoforto, 1367 28 -- Mercenaries Triumphant: The Battle of Castagnaro, 1387 33 -- Hessians in America: The Battle of Trenton, 1776 44 -- Faithful unto Death: The Massacre of the Swiss Guards, 1792 57 -- Death With Honor: The Battle of Camerone, 1863 61 -- Twentieth-Century Mercenaries 71 -- Combat in a Strange New World: The French Foreign Legion in World War II 75 -- A Meeting of Honor: Bir Hakeim, 1942 79 -- Lost Cause: Dien Bien Phu, 1953 84 -- Mercenary Knight of the African Skies: Count Carl Gustav von Rosen (1909-1974) 94 -- Crusade against Castro: Alpha 66 107 -- Buyer and Seller of Men: Jonathan Banks 112 -- Civilian Irregular Defense Group: Montagnard Mercenaries in Vietnam, 1961-1974 119 -- American Soldiers of Fortune 125 -- Revolution over China: Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers, 1937-1942 129 -- Larger Than Life: Captain James B. "Earthquake" McGovern 142 -- Soldier, Jurist, Patriot: David "Mickey" Marcus (1902-1948) 152 -- Unknown Mercs: Allen Pope and the Freedom Fighters of Asia 157 -- Cuban Second Front: William Morgan and the Directorio Revolucionario 161 -- Today's Legionnaire: Djibouti, 1973 168 -- An American in Angola: George Bacon III (1946-1976) 181 -- Modern Mercs 191 -- Coal Miners' Mercenaries: Appalachia, 1985 195 -- Cocaine Wars: Drug Mercs in the 1980s 199 -- Direct Action in Cali: The Assault on Hacienda Napoles, 1989 208 -- Rules of Engagement: International Anti-Mercenary Laws 222 -- Victory and Betrayal in Ghana: The Ultimate Mercenary Story 233.