Written by an expert on modern special forces units and the operations they undertake, this book explains the evolution of the Rangers' missions in Panama, the first Gulf War, Somalia, and the post-9/11 invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. It reveals the training and organizational changes that the unit has undergone and investigates, in particular, how their doctrine and mantra have changed during the fourteen-year war in Afghanistan.

At the beginning of the war, the Rangers were an elite light infantry unit of men tasked with short-duration recon raids and securing ground behind enemy lines in support of Special Forces--eventually becoming a special-mission unit themselves--on the cusp of being assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command.

Leigh Neville is an Australian national who has written a number of books on both modern conventional military units and special operations forces serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and on their weapons and vehicles, including six titles for Osprey, with several more in development. He has also consulted on military topics for several wargame companies and television documentary-makers. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two dogs. www.leighneville.com

Peter Dennis, inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. A keen wargamer and model-maker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.