Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders

"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

"...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

"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

"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"

"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

"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"

"The strength of Rangers, Scouts, and Raiders: Origin, Organization, and Operations of Selected Special Operations Forces is its exceptional prose and style; it is simply hard to put down. Each chapter contains a list of sources for further research. The work is highly readable and would be an excellent addition to the library of any historian or student with an interest on the subject." ~Infantry Magazine