Donovan's Devils: OSS Commandos Behind Enemy Lines--Europe, World War II by Albe

Description: Donovan's Devils by Albert Lulushi The stirring, little-known story of the forerunners to todays Special Forces. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description The stirring, little-known story of the forerunners to todays Special Forces.The OSS - Office of Strategic Services - created under the command of William Donovan, has been celebrated for its cloak-and-dagger operations during World War II and as the precursor of the CIA. As the "Oh So Social", it has also been portrayed as a club for the well-connected before, during, and after the war. Donovans Devils tells the story of a different OSS, that of ordinary soldiers, recruited from among first- and second-generation immigrants, who volunteered for dangerous duty behind enemy lines and risked their lives in Italy, France, the Balkans, and elsewhere in Europe. Organised into Operational Groups, they infiltrated into enemy territory by air or sea and operated for days, weeks, or months, hundreds of miles from the closest Allied troops. They performed sabotage, organised native resistance, and rescued downed airmen, nurses, and prisoners of war. Their enemy showed them no mercy, and sometimes their closest friends betrayed them. They were the precursors to todays Special Forces operators.Based on declassified OSS records, personal collections, and oral histories of participants from both sides of the conflict, Donovans Devils provides the most comprehensive account to date of the Operational Group activities, including a detailed narrative of the ill-fated Ginny mission, which resulted in one of the OSSs gravest losses of the war. Author Biography Albert Lulushi, a native of Albania, fled to the West in 1990 and moved to the US in 1991. He built a successful career as an information technology entrepreneur working with US government agencies and Fortune 500 companies. He has assisted the US in conducting relations with Albania and Kosovo. Mr. Lulushi is the author of Operation Valuable Fiend: The CIAs First Paramilitary Strike Against the Iron Curtain, which was a History Book Club and Military History Book Club selection. He lives in Oakton, Virginia. Review Praise for Donovans Devils"Finally, thanks to Albert Lulushi, the Operational Groups of the OSS get their due. Along with the Jedburghs, the OGs were the forerunners of todays Special Forces. Lulushis thoroughly researched and excitingly written narrative gives them their proper place in the history of the OSS." —David Robarge, chief historian, CIA"Donovans Devils left me spellbound by the tales of bravery contained in its pages. Every reader will have his favorites; mine were the fates of the Ginny Men and General Anton Dostler and the campaign in the Vercors. Lulushi has given us background essential to our understanding of todays Special Operations Forces." —Frank Wisner, former ambassador, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs"Lulushi has produced a must-read book for any student of the OSS and for the general public at large. It is full of fascinating details about the little-known trials and tribulations of World War II OSS operations. Its definitely worth adding to anyones intelligence library." —Jack Devine, former deputy director for operations, CIA, and current president, the Arkin Group"This book is an important contribution to our knowledge of the OSS—General Donovans unusual experiment—and mandatory reading for anyone interested in learning about one of the most fascinating and little-known aspects of the war." —Charles Pinck, president, OSS Society"Lulushi ably delineates these specific campaigns, from Corsica to Vercors, France, to the Balkans, and focuses on the appalling treatment of POWs by the Germans. . . . A proficient, well-wrought work that emphasizes the actual fighting men, their deeds, and their fates." —Kirkus Reviews"Lulushis engaging read will be of particular interest to those interested in the American immigrant experience and the history of special operations." —Publishers Weekly"An outstanding treatment of wartime heroism, determination, and risk taking as the newly created OSS and its resistance partners found and played their role in fighting a brutal and clever enemy. The detail contained in each operation of the OGs covered in Donovans Devils almost brings the reader into the operations themselves." —David Cohen, former deputy director for operations, CIA, and depute commissioner for intelligence, NYPD"Lulushis rare descriptions demonstrate how bits of humanity—nicknames, hobbies, favorite drinks, sports, or music—can bring these heroic men to life." —Historical Novel SocietyPraise for Operation Valuable Fiend"In Operation Valuable Fiend, Albert Lulushi has told a fascinating story well and made excellent use of untapped archival resources." —David Robarge, CIA chief historian"[For the operations dismal failure, h]istorians have blamed Soviet mole Kim Philby, who worked in British intelligence and knew of the operation, but Lulushi disagrees. His lively, detailed account of Hoxhas viciously efficient intelligence service, the exiles terrible security, and CIA naivete make a convincing case." —Publishers Weekly"[Lulushis] is the most complete account to date and well worth close attention." —Studies in Intelligence"An important and well-researched account of one of the Cold Wars less known and often misunderstood clandestine operations . . . The book tells a lively and well-written if discouraging story. Any reader has a treat in store, and any student of the history of Americas role in the Cold War will find the book indispensable." —Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, former ambassador to four countries, under secretary of defense for policy and under secretary of state for international security affairs"In Operation Valuable Fiend, Albert Lulushi has done a splendid job in updating our knowledge of the clandestine activities that CIA and its partners conducted in Albania in the late 1940s and early 1950s." —Nicholas C. Pano, professor emeritus of history, Western Illinois UniversityPraise for Donovans Devils"Finally, thanks to Albert Lulushi, the Operational Groups of the OSS get their due. Along with the Jedburghs, the OGs were the forerunners of todays Special Forces. Lulushis thoroughly researched and excitingly written narrative gives them their proper place in the history of the OSS." —David Robarge, chief historian, CIA"Donovans Devils left me spellbound by the tales of bravery contained in its pages. Every reader will have his favorites; mine were the fates of the Ginny Men and General Anton Dostler and the campaign in the Vercors. Lulushi has given us background essential to our understanding of todays Special Operations Forces." —Frank Wisner, former ambassador, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs"Lulushi has produced a must-read book for any student of the OSS and for the general public at large. It is full of fascinating details about the little-known trials and tribulations of World War II OSS operations. Its definitely worth adding to anyones intelligence library." —Jack Devine, former deputy director for operations, CIA, and current president, the Arkin Group"This book is an important contribution to our knowledge of the OSS—General Donovans unusual experiment—and mandatory reading for anyone interested in learning about one of the most fascinating and little-known aspects of the war." —Charles Pinck, president, OSS Society"Lulushi ably delineates these specific campaigns, from Corsica to Vercors, France, to the Balkans, and focuses on the appalling treatment of POWs by the Germans. . . . A proficient, well-wrought work that emphasizes the actual fighting men, their deeds, and their fates." —Kirkus Reviews"Lulushis engaging read will be of particular interest to those interested in the American immigrant experience and the history of special operations." —Publishers Weekly"An outstanding treatment of wartime heroism, determination, and risk taking as the newly created OSS and its resistance partners found and played their role in fighting a brutal and clever enemy. The detail contained in each operation of the OGs covered in Donovans Devils almost brings the reader into the operations themselves." —David Cohen, former deputy director for operations, CIA, and depute commissioner for intelligence, NYPD"Lulushis rare descriptions demonstrate how bits of humanity—nicknames, hobbies, favorite drinks, sports, or music—can bring these heroic men to life." —Historical Novel SocietyPraise for Operation Valuable Fiend"In Operation Valuable Fiend, Albert Lulushi has told a fascinating story well and made excellent use of untapped archival resources." —David Robarge, CIA chief historian"[For the operations dismal failure, h]istorians have blamed Soviet mole Kim Philby, who worked in British intelligence and knew of the operation, but Lulushi disagrees. His lively, detailed account of Hoxhas viciously efficient intelligence service, the exiles terrible security, and CIA naivete make a convincing case." —Publishers Weekly"[Lulushis] is the most complete account to date and well worth close attention." —Studies in Intelligence"An important and well-researched account of one of the Cold Wars less known and often misunderstood clandestine operations . . . The book tells a lively and well-written if discouraging story. Any reader has a treat in store, and any student of the history of Americas role in the Cold War will find the book indispensable." —Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, former ambassador to four countries, under secretary of defense for policy and under secretary of state for international security affairs"In Operation Valuable Fiend, Albert Lulushi has done a splendid job in updating our knowledge of the clandestine activities that CIA and its partners conducted in Albania in the late 1940s and early 1950s." —Nicholas C. Pano, professor emeritus of history, Western Illinois University Long Description The stirring, little-known story of the forerunners to todays Special Forces. The OSS--Office of Strategic Services--created under the command of William Donovan, has been celebrated for its cloak-and-dagger operations during World War II and as the precursor of the CIA. As the "Oh So Social," it has also been portrayed as a club for the well-connected before, during, and after the war. Donovans Devils tells the story of a different OSS, that of ordinary soldiers, recruited from among first- and second-generation immigrants, who volunteered for dangerous duty behind enemy lines and risked their lives in Italy, France, the Balkans, and elsewhere in Europe. Organized into Operational Groups, they infiltrated into enemy territory by air or sea and operated for days, weeks, or months hundreds of miles from the closest Allied troops. They performed sabotage, organized native resistance, and rescued downed airmen, nurses, and prisoners of war. Their enemy showed them no mercy, and sometimes their closest friends betrayed them. They were the precursors to todays Special Forces operators. Based on declassified OSS records, personal collections, and oral histories of participants from both sides of the conflict, Donovans Devils provides the most comprehensive account to date of the Operational Group activities, including a detailed narrative of the ill-fated Ginny mission, which resulted in the one of the OSSs gravest losses of the war. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. Review Quote Praise for Donovans Devils "Finally, thanks to Albert Lulushi, the Operational Groups of the OSS get their due. Along with the Jedburghs, the OGs were the forerunners of todays Special Forces. Lulushis thoroughly researched and excitingly written narrative gives them their proper place in the history of the OSS." --David Robarge, chief historian, CIA " Donovans Devils left me spellbound by the tales of bravery contained in its pages. Every reader will have his favorites; mine were the fates of the Ginny Men and General Anton Dostler and the campaign in the Vercors. Lulushi has given us background essential to our understanding of todays Special Operations Forces." --Frank Wisner, former ambassador, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs "Lulushi has produced a must-read book for any student of the OSS and for the general public at large. It is full of fascinating details about the little-known trials and tribulations of World War II OSS operations. Its definitely worth adding to anyones intelligence library." --Jack Devine, former deputy director for operations, CIA, and current president, the Arkin Group "This book is an important contribution to our knowledge of the OSS--General Donovans unusual experiment--and mandatory reading for anyone interested in learning about one of the most fascinating and little-known aspects of the war." --Charles Pinck, president, OSS Society "Lulushi ably delineates these specific campaigns, from Corsica to Vercors, France, to the Balkans, and focuses on the appalling treatment of POWs by the Germans. . . . A proficient, well-wrought work that emphasizes the actual fighting men, their deeds, and their fates." -- Kirkus Reviews "Lulushis engaging read will be of particular interest to those interested in the American immigrant experience and the history of special operations." -- Publishers Weekly "An outstanding treatment of wartime heroism, determination, and risk taking as the newly created OSS and its resistance partners found and played their role in fighting a brutal and clever enemy. The detail contained in each operation of the OGs covered in Donovans Devils almost brings the reader into the operations themselves." --David Cohen, former deputy director for operations, CIA, and depute commissioner for intelligence, NYPD "Lulushis rare descriptions demonstrate how bits of humanity - nicknames, hobbies, favorite drinks, sports, or music - can bring these heroic men to life." --Historical Novel Society Praise for Operation Valuable Fiend "In Operation Valuable Fiend , Albert Lulushi has told a fascinating story well and made excellent use of untapped archival resources." --David Robarge, CIA chief historian "[For the operations dismal failure, h]istorians have blamed Soviet mole Kim Philby, who worked in British intelligence and knew of the operation, but Lulushi disagrees. His lively, detailed account of Hoxhas viciously efficient intelligence service, the exiles terrible security, and CIA navet make a convincing case."-- Publishers Weekly "[Lulushis] is the most complete account to date and well worth close attention." -- Studies in Intelligence "An important and well-researched account of one of the Cold Wars less known and often misunderstood clandestine operations . . . The book tells a lively and well-written if discouraging story. Any reader has a treat in store, and any student of the history of Americas role in the Cold War will find the book indispensable." --Ambassador Frank G. Wisner, former ambassador to four countries, under secretary of defense for policy and under secretary of state for international security affairs "In Operation Valuable Fiend , Albert Lulushi has done a splendid job in updating our knowledge of the clandestine activities that CIA and its partners conducted in Albania in the late 1940s and early 1950s." --Nicholas C. Pano, professor emeritus of history, Western Illinois University Details ISBN1628728280 Author Albert Lulushi Pages 408 Year 2018 ISBN-10 1628728280 ISBN-13 9781628728286 Format Paperback Imprint Arcade Publishing Country of Publication United States DEWEY 940.548673094 Publication Date 2018-03-06 Short Title Donovans Devils Language English NZ Release Date 2018-03-06 US Release Date 2018-03-06 UK Release Date 2018-03-06 Illustrations 15 B&W photos, maps Subtitle OSS Commandos Behind Enemy Lines—Europe, World War II Audience General AU Release Date 2018-04-30 Publisher Skyhorse Publishing Place of Publication New York We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:137985226;

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