Paras in Action

“A compelling and riveting account of “The Red Devils,” Britain’s iconic parachute regiment, from birth to present day. . . . Gripping” (Damien Lewis).

The date is the six June 1944. The paratroopers are crammed together on board the aircraft, none of them dwelling the fear inside them. Reaching the French coastline, everyone goes quiet as explosions and flashes erupt around the aircraft. Pilots desperately dodge and swerve through the night air while the men prepare to jump. They reach the open door; the green light flicks on and they leap without hesitation into a sky lit up by flak, ready to meet their fate. One after another, thousands of white parachutes billow out and the men fall through the air. They are clear about their mission and its critical importance as part of the bigger picture. Some ’chutes do not open, weapons and kit are torn off in the slipstream, and anti-aircraft guns pick men off and many never make it to the ground alive . . .

The Normandy landings of 1944 were just one of the many famous operations in the stunning history of the Paras. In Paras in Action, former paratrooper Jason Woods gives the reader an unprecedented snapshot of the role these brave and determined paratroopers have played throughout their history. He demonstrates not only the courage, strength and fitness of the men who make up this mighty regiment, but also their intelligence, compassion, and wicked sense of humor.

This powerful journey through aspects of all the key wars and conflicts that the regiment has been engaged in over the last eighty years is made through the eyes of those who served. The book reveals how the Paras have become seen as an elite fighting force, feared by those who have had the misfortune to come up against them on the field of battle. Woods discusses challenging operations in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. He also shares an exciting overview of Operation Telic in Iraq, the epic battles in Afghanistan, and subsequent withdrawal of all British citizens and troops from Kabul in 2021, on Operation Pitting.

Packed with short interviews and poignant quotes from current and former Paras, Paras in Action highlights the regiment’s constant evolution as the battlefield conditions have changed. Today it is the sixteen Air Assault Brigade Rapid Reaction Force and Special Forces Support Group but it still maintains the core standards and ethos embodied in the regimental motto Utrinque Paratus—”Ready for Anything.” Finally, Woods shares a glimpse into the transition many Paras make when they eventually leave the regiment and join the secretive private security industry, known as the “Circuit.”