To War with the All-American

A History of the 82nd Airborne Division

Martin King, Steve Mrozek

• Publisher: Casemate
• Year: 2026
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781636246260
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

"George S. Patton's part in the Great War occurred at the same time as the 82nd Division forged their reputation in those trenches. This needs to be understood and highlighted by historians. Tin hats off to my friend Martin King for writing this important legacy of a magnificent division. A wonderful account presented in Martin's very readable and highly enjoyable style." — Helen Patton, granddaughter of General George Patton

A definitive history of one of the U.S. Army’s most elite and enduring formations, this book traces the full evolution of the 82nd Airborne Division from its World War I origins to its current role as a rapid-response force. Drawing on rare archival sources and previously unpublished first-hand accounts, it offers a comprehensive portrait of the “All American” Division across more than a century of service.

While the division’s exploits during World War II—from their first combat operation jumping into Sicily, their role in the airborne assaults in Normandy and at Arnhem, and their part in the Battle of the Bulge—are widely recognized, this book goes far beyond. It explores the 82nd’s formation in 1917, its transformation into the Army’s first airborne division in 1942, its adaptation to new strategic demands during the Cold War, and the fighting it has undertaken in conflicts from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is not just a history of battles and campaigns—it is a story of the soldiers themselves. Through veterans’ voices, after-action reports, and unit records, the book captures the lived experience of paratroopers, from the trenches of the Western Front to 21st-century deployments. The result is a richly detailed and authoritative account of the 82nd Airborne Division’s combat legacy.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Maps
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Part One - The Great War
• Chapter 1 - Getting Battle Ready
• Chapter 2 - Making Heroes
• Chapter 3 - Mud, Filth, Lice, and Rats
• Chapter 4 - One in a Million, or Two
• Part Two - Getting Airborne
• Chapter 5 - Homeward Bound
• Chapter 6 - The Genesis of Airborne
• Chapter 7 - When We Go to War
• Chapter 8 - Flip, Flop, Fly
• Chapter 9 - To Heavy Attack
• Part Three - The All-American Jumps into War
• Chapter 10 - Operation Husky, Part One
• Chapter 11 - Operation Husky, Part Two
• Chapter 12 - A Hard Slog
• Chapter 13 - Saving Salerno
• Chapter 14 - “Devils in Baggy Pants”: Anzio
• Chapter 15 - I Say, Old Boy
• Chapter 16 - Game On: Normandy, Part One
• Chapter 17 - Game On: Normandy, Part Two
• Chapter 18 - We’re Going to Market, Part One
• Chapter 19 - We’re Going to Market, Part Two
• Chapter 20 - The Bulge, Part One
• Chapter 21 - The Bulge, Part Two
• Part Four - From the Cold War to Vietnam, Then Iraq to Afghanistan
• Chapter 22 - Cold War
• Chapter 23 - Vietnam
• Chapter 24 - Once Upon a Time on the Island of Grenada
• Chapter 25 - There’s This Canal
• Chapter 26 - Iraq, Again and Again
• Chapter 27 - Where Empires Go to Die, Afghanistan
• Epilogue
• Endnotes
• Bibliography