If Chaos Reigns

Gentlemen, do not be daunted if chaos reigns; it undoubtedly will.' So said Brigadier S. James Hill, commanding officer of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, in an address to his troops shortly before the launching of Operation Overlord, the D-Day invasion of Normandy. No more words were ever spoken, for indeed chaos reigned on that day and the many more that followed.Much has been written about the Allied invasion of France, but award-winning historian Flint Whitlock has put together a unique package; the first history of the assault that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American, British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of 6 June 1944. Landing into the midst of the unknown, the airborne troops found themselves fighting for their lives on every side, while striving to seize their own key objectives in advance of their seaborne comrades.Whitlock details the formation, recruitment, training and deployment of the Allies' parachute and glider troops. First-person accounts by the veterans who were there as well as commanders Eisenhower, Taylor, Gavin, and more make for compelling reading. If Chaos Reigns is a fitting tribute to the men who rode the wind into battle and managed to pull victory out of confusion, chaos, and almost certain defeat.About the AuthorFlint Whitlock graduated from the Army's Airborne School in 1965 and spent five years on active duty, including a combat tour in Vietnam. He is the author of nine books, and is currently the editor of WWII Quarterly.