U.S. Army Rangers & Special Forces of World War II tells the story of the U.S. Army's elite Rangers and special forces largely through pictures. Never before has such an expansive view of World War II been offered in one volume. Furthermore, an extensive search of public and private archives unearthed an astonishing number of rare and never before seen images, some in color. Most notable are the nearly twenty exemplary photographs of Lieutenant Colonel William O. Darby's Ranger Force in Italy, taken by Robert Capa, who is considered by many to be the greatest combat photographer of all time. Complementing the period photographs are numerous color plates detailing the rare and often unique items of insignia, weaponry, and equipment that marked the soldiers whose heavy task it was to lead the way.

"Vigorous training, hazardous duty." These were the words that lured prospective volunteers to the First Special Service Force, and that promised, for those who measured up, the chance of getting into the war quickly. Unique during World War II, the First Special Service Force evolved as the amalgam of two Armies, Canadian and American, and the men who filled its ranks were among the hand-picked best from throughout North America. Their diverse and intensive training took them from the dust-covered prairies of Montana, to the bitterly-cold peaks of the Great Divide, to the waters of Chesapeake Bay. Their skillfulness, their remarkable esprit de corps, and their legendary endurance saw them through tough combat missions in both the Asiatic-Pacific and the European Theaters of operation. The Supercommandos chronicles the organization, training, and combat operations of the First Special Service Force during its brief but exhilarating history. Accompanying the broad text are nearly 400 black and white images, most unpublished, including a photo-essay by renowned combat photographer, Robert Capa. As well, there are more than forty extraordinary full-color wartime images of the Force both in training and in the combat zone. Beautifully rendered full-color maps, highly detailed Order of Battle graphics, charts, and numerous facsimiles of noteworthy original Force documents are also included. Completing this volume are over eighty full-color images of exceptionally rare, authentic First Special Service Force uniforms, insignia, weapons and equipment. The Supercommandos offers an unparalleled view of one of the world's all-time military elites, and will prove to be an invaluable resource for any collector, reenactor, veteran, or historian.