This is an illustrated history of one of our most celebrated elite forces, commemorating their first 50 years of operations. From their early World War II exploits, when airborne forces were a novel, untried strategy, through the activities of the Parachute Regiment in the bushfire wars of the end of Empire, to their outstanding work in Northern Ireland and the Falklands and their deployment in the Gulf War, the story of the Paras is told in readable detail, including many first-hand accounts. The illustrative content includes colour art by top military artists and recent shots of the Paras at work.