News from Royal Italian Airborne Forces

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From the Stone & Stone site:


10 April 2023
Author Jeff Leser sent this update on his upcoming Infantrymen of the Air:
"My history of the Italian parachute forces, Infantrymen of the Air, is nearing publication. The manuscript and associated map/photo files are at Helion being typeset for the first proof. I expect to have the proof in the upcoming week for my review. If all goes to plan, the book will likely be published in May of this year.
"Infantrymen of the Air follows the development and employment of the paracadutisti italiani from 1936 to the Italian armistice in September 1943. The focus of the book is whether fascist Italy had a valid requirement for airborne forces and how the speciality was developed and used over the seven years covered in the narrative. Infantrymen discusses the challenges/problems of establishing a parachute training program and the development of the equipment for an effective combat force.
"Infantrymen mainly leverages Italian sources to tell the story of the units raised by the Regio Esercito, Regia Aeronautica, and the Regia Marina during the war. Numerous documents from the archive of the Esercito Italiano guide and support the narrative. Included for the first time in English is the development of the reparti aviotrasportabile (air mobile units) and a look at the Servizi Aerei Speciali (the R.A.'s transport service).
"The ~350 pages of narrative are supported by 54 color maps covering all the actions fought by these units. Sixty-three B&W and 10 color photographs illustrate the book. Eleven appendices provide additional details, including the organizations and the order of battles for Italian airborne force; weapons, equipment, and transport aircraft; and the availability of air transports over the three years of the war. 843 footnotes provide readers the source of the information presented in Infantrymen.
"While Infantrymen of the Air will not likely be the definitive work on the Italian parachute forces, it is the most comprehensive account available in English or Italian. There is more information available in the various Italian archives awaiting researchers. My hope that others will use Infantrymen as a starting point for further research."