Overview

How special-purpose, special mission units have been used in operations over the last two centuries. Throughout history there has always been a need, in military forces, for special units. In the past, these units have usually been ad hoc formations that were disbanded after their mission was complete. It has only been since the early 1950s that such units have remained active, but even in recent times special purpose, special mission units have been organised and used for a period of time or for a specific mission and then either deactivated or replaced by other units. This unique approach to the history of American special forces examines their development through a number of operations, ranging from the French and Indian War in the 18th century through to the Vietnam War. From the Son Tay raid to the Force at la Difensa and Rogers' Rangers, the operations are diverse in both organisation and purpose, but all contributed to the overall mission of their theater or larger organisation, thus proving the continuing need for special units throughout history and even today. AUTHOR: Michael F. Dilley, a former Army paratrooper, served for 20 years in the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence branch. Following his retirement, he served as an operations security consultant to Department of Defense and Department of the Army special programs, later in the White House Military Office and on the Department of Defense staff. He was a private detective in Wisconsin and New Mexico and finished his active career as an instructor for a government contractor in the Washington, D.C. area. He continues to conduct part-time research and teaching projects, to write, to speak part-time, and to assist other writers.

Full Product Details

9781636242835

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Reviews

"""Michael Dilley has added to his already significant contributions to the literature on special operations with this review of a number of units and missions, primarily American, that aren't well-known except to specialists. Ranging from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, each chapter covers a different mission performed by highly trained soldiers assigned difficult and dangerous tasks, illustrating the wide application of special operations forces. A short but most interesting book.""--Brigadier General (retired) John R. Scales, US Army Special Forces ""Mike Dilley is a reliable researcher for all things exceptional military. His research is exhaustive, his organization of historic information and the service member's perspective will find you turning page after page.""--James Pyle Conversation CODEX LLC, Northern Virginia, USA ""To paraphrase Emerson, Mike Dilley reminds us that all military history is biography. We see the special character, training, discipline, and courage of those who pushed the edges of the envelope in pursuit of excellence in operations, and laid the foundation for the successes of today's stalwart men and women in defense of freedom. Typical Dilley scholarship!""--John Nolan, retired US Intelligence and Special Operations officer and author ""Great stories about elite military units. A fine example of truth being more interesting than fiction. Well done!!""--LTC (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, author of ""Inside the LRRPs: Rangers in Vietnam"" ""A superb anthology of American special operations units created over the course of her history. The author has performed a great service by recording their achievements. Rangers, Scouts and Raiders will prove to be the go-to source for books on U.S. elite forces. A must read for all those interested in this topic. Well done, Mike Dilley.""--Gary Linderer, F/Co., 58th Inf. (LRP), L/Co. 75th Inf. (Ranger), author of ""Eyes of the Eagle"" ""Modern readers cannot personally witness significant events in history, but Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders transport readers back in time to get first-hand accounts of the courageous people who engaged in dangerous wartime missions.""--Jack Schafer, Ph.D. (Ret. FBI Special Agent) author of ""The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth"" ""How does Michael Dilley keep finding this stuff! In his latest tour de force, Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders, he again proves that he is sine pari among special operations authors. In each chapter, Dilley feeds hungry readers juicy slabs of new historical meat and garnishes the narrative with tasty visuals that inform and enhance. Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders is a wonderful contribution to the extant military history collective and a must for every special operations library. Bravo!""--Lance Zedric, author"

Michael Dilley has added to his already significant contributions to the literature on special operations with this review of a number of units and missions, primarily American, that aren't well-known except to specialists. Ranging from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, each chapter covers a different mission performed by highly trained soldiers assigned difficult and dangerous tasks, illustrating the wide application of special operations forces. A short but most interesting book. --Brigadier General (retired) John R. Scales, US Army Special Forces Mike Dilley is a reliable researcher for all things exceptional military. His research is exhaustive, his organization of historic information and the service member's perspective will find you turning page after page. --James Pyle Conversation CODEX LLC, Northern Virginia, USA To paraphrase Emerson, Mike Dilley reminds us that all military history is biography. We see the special character, training, discipline, and courage of those who pushed the edges of the envelope in pursuit of excellence in operations, and laid the foundation for the successes of today's stalwart men and women in defense of freedom. Typical Dilley scholarship! --John Nolan, retired US Intelligence and Special Operations officer and author Great stories about elite military units. A fine example of truth being more interesting than fiction. Well done!! --LTC (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, author of Inside the LRRPs: Rangers in Vietnam A superb anthology of American special operations units created over the course of her history. The author has performed a great service by recording their achievements. Rangers, Scouts and Raiders will prove to be the go-to source for books on U.S. elite forces. A must read for all those interested in this topic. Well done, Mike Dilley. --Gary Linderer, F/Co., 58th Inf. (LRP), L/Co. 75th Inf. (Ranger), author of Eyes of the Eagle Modern readers cannot personally witness significant events in history, but Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders transport readers back in time to get first-hand accounts of the courageous people who engaged in dangerous wartime missions. --Jack Schafer, Ph.D. (Ret. FBI Special Agent) author of The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth How does Michael Dilley keep finding this stuff! In his latest tour de force, Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders, he again proves that he is sine pari among special operations authors. In each chapter, Dilley feeds hungry readers juicy slabs of new historical meat and garnishes the narrative with tasty visuals that inform and enhance. Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders is a wonderful contribution to the extant military history collective and a must for every special operations library. Bravo! --Lance Zedric, author

"""...a recommended read for anyone interested in the development of airborne operations, special mission units, and the organizational perspectives of U.S. special operations during the Office of Strategic Services in World War II to the John F. Kennedy years.""-- ""On Point: The Journal of Army History"" ""Well-written and meticulously researched, the book is an excellent example of truth being more interesting than fiction. It is easy to read with photos, charts and maps that help the reader keep pace with the action.""-- ""ARMY Magazine"" ""Michael Dilley has added to his already significant contributions to the literature on special operations with this review of a number of units and missions, primarily American, that aren't well-known except to specialists. Ranging from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, each chapter covers a different mission performed by highly trained soldiers assigned difficult and dangerous tasks, illustrating the wide application of special operations forces. A short but most interesting book.""--Brigadier General (retired) John R. Scales, US Army Special Forces ""Mike Dilley is a reliable researcher for all things exceptional military. His research is exhaustive, his organization of historic information and the service member's perspective will find you turning page after page.""--James Pyle Conversation CODEX LLC, Northern Virginia, USA ""To paraphrase Emerson, Mike Dilley reminds us that all military history is biography. We see the special character, training, discipline, and courage of those who pushed the edges of the envelope in pursuit of excellence in operations, and laid the foundation for the successes of today's stalwart men and women in defense of freedom. Typical Dilley scholarship!""--John Nolan, retired US Intelligence and Special Operations officer and author ""Great stories about elite military units. A fine example of truth being more interesting than fiction. Well done!!""--LTC (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, author of ""Inside the LRRPs: Rangers in Vietnam"" ""A superb anthology of American special operations units created over the course of her history. The author has performed a great service by recording their achievements. Rangers, Scouts and Raiders will prove to be the go-to source for books on U.S. elite forces. A must read for all those interested in this topic. Well done, Mike Dilley.""--Gary Linderer, F/Co., 58th Inf. (LRP), L/Co. 75th Inf. (Ranger), author of ""Eyes of the Eagle"" ""Modern readers cannot personally witness significant events in history, but Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders transport readers back in time to get first-hand accounts of the courageous people who engaged in dangerous wartime missions.""--Jack Schafer, Ph.D. (Ret. FBI Special Agent) author of ""The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth"" ""How does Michael Dilley keep finding this stuff! In his latest tour de force, Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders, he again proves that he is sine pari among special operations authors. In each chapter, Dilley feeds hungry readers juicy slabs of new historical meat and garnishes the narrative with tasty visuals that inform and enhance. Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders is a wonderful contribution to the extant military history collective and a must for every special operations library. Bravo!""--Lance Zedric, author"

"""Well-written and meticulously researched, the book is an excellent example of truth being more interesting than fiction. It is easy to read with photos, charts and maps that help the reader keep pace with the action.""-- ""ARMY Magazine"" ""Michael Dilley has added to his already significant contributions to the literature on special operations with this review of a number of units and missions, primarily American, that aren't well-known except to specialists. Ranging from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, each chapter covers a different mission performed by highly trained soldiers assigned difficult and dangerous tasks, illustrating the wide application of special operations forces. A short but most interesting book.""--Brigadier General (retired) John R. Scales, US Army Special Forces ""Mike Dilley is a reliable researcher for all things exceptional military. His research is exhaustive, his organization of historic information and the service member's perspective will find you turning page after page.""--James Pyle Conversation CODEX LLC, Northern Virginia, USA ""To paraphrase Emerson, Mike Dilley reminds us that all military history is biography. We see the special character, training, discipline, and courage of those who pushed the edges of the envelope in pursuit of excellence in operations, and laid the foundation for the successes of today's stalwart men and women in defense of freedom. Typical Dilley scholarship!""--John Nolan, retired US Intelligence and Special Operations officer and author ""Great stories about elite military units. A fine example of truth being more interesting than fiction. Well done!!""--LTC (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, author of ""Inside the LRRPs: Rangers in Vietnam"" ""A superb anthology of American special operations units created over the course of her history. The author has performed a great service by recording their achievements. Rangers, Scouts and Raiders will prove to be the go-to source for books on U.S. elite forces. A must read for all those interested in this topic. Well done, Mike Dilley.""--Gary Linderer, F/Co., 58th Inf. (LRP), L/Co. 75th Inf. (Ranger), author of ""Eyes of the Eagle"" ""Modern readers cannot personally witness significant events in history, but Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders transport readers back in time to get first-hand accounts of the courageous people who engaged in dangerous wartime missions.""--Jack Schafer, Ph.D. (Ret. FBI Special Agent) author of ""The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth"" ""How does Michael Dilley keep finding this stuff! In his latest tour de force, Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders, he again proves that he is sine pari among special operations authors. In each chapter, Dilley feeds hungry readers juicy slabs of new historical meat and garnishes the narrative with tasty visuals that inform and enhance. Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders is a wonderful contribution to the extant military history collective and a must for every special operations library. Bravo!""--Lance Zedric, author"

Michael Dilley has added to his already significant contributions to the literature on special operations with this review of a number of units and missions, primarily American, that aren't well-known except to specialists. Ranging from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, each chapter covers a different mission performed by highly trained soldiers assigned difficult and dangerous tasks, illustrating the wide application of special operations forces. A short but most interesting book. --Brigadier General (retired) John R. Scales, US Army Special Forces Mike Dilley is a reliable researcher for all things exceptional military. His research is exhaustive, his organization of historic information and the service member's perspective will find you turning page after page. --James Pyle Conversation CODEX LLC, Northern Virginia, USA To paraphrase Emerson, Mike Dilley reminds us that all military history is biography. We see the special character, training, discipline, and courage of those who pushed the edges of the envelope in pursuit of excellence in operations, and laid the foundation for the successes of today's stalwart men and women in defense of freedom. Typical Dilley scholarship! --John Nolan, retired US Intelligence and Special Operations officer and author Great stories about elite military units. A fine example of truth being more interesting than fiction. Well done!! --LTC (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, author of Inside the LRRPs: Rangers in Vietnam Modern readers cannot personally witness significant events in history, but Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders transport readers back in time to get first-hand accounts of the courageous people who engaged in dangerous wartime missions. --Jack Schafer, Ph.D. (Ret. FBI Special Agent) author of The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth How does Michael Dilley keep finding this stuff! In his latest tour de force, Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders, he again proves that he is sine pari among special operations authors. In each chapter, Dilley feeds hungry readers juicy slabs of new historical meat and garnishes the narrative with tasty visuals that inform and enhance. Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders is a wonderful contribution to the extant military history collective and a must for every special operations library. Bravo! --Lance Zedric, author

Michael Dilley has added to his already significant contributions to the literature on special operations with this review of a number of units and missions, primarily American, that aren't well-known except to specialists. Ranging from the American Revolution to Viet Nam, each chapter covers a different mission performed by highly trained soldiers assigned difficult and dangerous tasks, illustrating the wide application of special operations forces. A short but most interesting book. --Brigadier General (retired) John R. Scales, US Army Special Forces Great stories about elite military units. A fine example of truth being more interesting than fiction. Well done!! --LTC (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, author of Inside the LRRPs: Rangers in Vietnam How does Michael Dilley keep finding this stuff! In his latest tour de force, Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders, he again proves that he is sine pari among special operations authors. In each chapter, Dilley feeds hungry readers juicy slabs of new historical meat and garnishes the narrative with tasty visuals that inform and enhance. Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders is a wonderful contribution to the extant military history collective and a must for every special operations library. Bravo! --Lance Zedric, author

Author Information

Michael F. Dilley, a former Army paratrooper, served for 20 years in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence branch. Following his retirement, he served as an operations security consultant to Department of Defense and Department of the Army special programs, later in the White House Military Office and on the Department of Defense staff. He was a private detective in Wisconsin and New Mexico and finished his active career as an instructor for a government contractor in the Washington, D.C. area. He continues to conduct part-time research and teaching projects, to write, to speak part-time, and to assist other writers.

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