Dropping from the air to seize and overwhelm key invasion points, Germany's Fallschirmjaegar (parachute infantry) were a vital part of the blitzkrieg, bringing a new dimension to the science of warfare. These paratroopers were an elite, justifying again and again their great reputation for courage and hard fighting in Russia, North Africa, Italy, and Crete. Along with archival research, James Lucas interviewed many of the leading members of the Fallschirmjaegar who survived the war, providing here a history of these courageous troops.