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“Gripping, even gruesome, yet deeply moving, Crucible of Hell sweeps us masterfully from a coral charnel house in the Pacific to the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima.”
— David Reynolds, author of The Long Shadow
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[Saul David] is peerless now among our military historians... [A] superb book...that often reads like a screenplay, but depicts suffering that was all too real.
— Telegraph
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Excellent. Saul David's gripping narrative is admirably clear.
— Antony Beevor, #1 internationally bestselling author of D-Day
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Gripping, even gruesome, yet deeply moving, Crucible of Hell sweeps us masterfully from a coral charnel house in the Pacific to the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima.
— David Reynolds, author of In Command of History and The Long Shadow
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Vivid and deeply moving, Crucible of Hell paints a rich portrait of one of the most horrific battles in modern memory. David masterfully evokes the desperation and courage of soldiers, civilians, and commanders on both sides, constantly switching perspectives to capture the deep story of Okinawa's horror. Hard to put down, harder to forget.
— Stephan Talty, author of Saving Bravo: The Greatest Rescue Mission in Navy SEAL History
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David restores a human dimension to this battle - both sides are brave, stoic, frightened, barbaric and occasionally cowardly. This is narrative history at its most visceral as battles unfold almost in real time... In short chapters David shifts between American and Japanese fronts, providing a gripping reconstruction of the action.
— The Times (UK)
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Superbly researched, well-written...Reminds us that the defining characteristic of war is the mass destruction of individuals, both physically and psychologically.
— The Spectator
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A worthy addition to the literature of the Okinawa campaign.
— Wall Street Journal
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Read this book.
— David Saunders, Military History Magazine
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The Forcebrilliantly recounts the heroic exploits of the first U.S. and Canadian Special Operations team, tasked with decommissioning a supposedly impregnable Nazi stronghold. Every chapter is filled with harrowing adventure, life and death struggle, and bedrock patriotism. The amount of new cutting-edge research is impressive. A monumental achievement!
— Douglas Brinkley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
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Action packed...this thrilling tale will captivate readers.
— Publishers Weekly
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This remarkable story of the most unique special operations unit in Allied service during World War II throws you into battle during the meat grinder campaign in Italy, where the men of the Force displayed exceptional loyalty to each other and courage under fire all while undertaking some of the most difficult missions of the war. Told at soldier's-eye level, The Force is a gripping and awe-inspiring account of a storied unit and a legendary battle.
— John R. Bruning, bestselling author of Race of Aces and Indestructible
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With this riveting story of an unlikely group of men becoming elite soldiers and contributing to the Allied victory, Saul David brings us a superb tale, well told.
— Gregory A. Freeman, bestselling author of The Forgotten 500
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The Force provides incredible insight into the formation, development, and performance of the U.S. Army Special Forces Group, which traces its lineage to these fearless men. With his incomparable gift for storytelling, Saul David captures the brotherhood forged in war, the tragedy and chaos of battle, and the rich tradition of American tactical brilliance that these elite soldiers helped to launch.
— David M. Reel, Executive Director, West Point Museum
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The First Special Service Force created in 1942 was a unique elite unit...As Saul David makes clear in this stirring account of their heroics, they did much more than their share and established precedents for the U.S. and Canadian Special Forces of today.
— James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Battle-Cry of Freedom
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Compelling and well-researched, The Force is an uplifting story of bravery, duty, and honor, an account of men who found the courage to take on an impossible mission -- and prevail against all odds.
— Howard Blum, New York Timesbestselling author of Dark Invasion and The Last Goodnight
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A real page-turner [about] a remarkable military unit whose story ought to be better known.
— Kirkus Review