X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II
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- Author：Leah Garrett
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Summary
“Brilliantly researched， utterly gripping history: the first full account of a remarkable group of Jewish refugees—a top-secret band of brothers—who waged war on Hitler。”—Alex Kershaw， New York Times best-selling author of The Longest Winter and TheLiberator
The incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now
June 1942。 The shadow of the Third Reich has fallen across the European continent。 In desperation， Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual plan: a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees who have escaped to Britain。 The resulting volunteers are a motley group of intellectuals， artists， and athletes， most from Germany and Austria。 Many have been interned as enemy aliens， and have lost their families， their homes—their whole worlds。 They will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis。 Trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat， this top secret unit becomes known as X Troop。 Some simply call them a suicide squad。
Drawing on extensive original research， including interviews with the last surviving members， Leah Garrett follows this unique band of brothers from Germany to England and back again， with stops at British internment camps， the beaches of Normandy， the battlefields of Italy and Holland， and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp—the scene of one of the most dramatic， untold rescues of the war。 For the first time， X Troop tells the astonishing story of these secret shock troops and their devastating blows against the Nazis。
“Garrett’s detective work is stunning， and her storytelling is masterful。 This is an original account of Jewish rescue， resistance， and revenge。”—Wendy Lower， author of The Ravine and National Book Award finalist Hitler’s Furies
The incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now
June 1942。 The shadow of the Third Reich has fallen across the European continent。 In desperation， Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual plan: a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees who have escaped to Britain。 The resulting volunteers are a motley group of intellectuals， artists， and athletes， most from Germany and Austria。 Many have been interned as enemy aliens， and have lost their families， their homes—their whole worlds。 They will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis。 Trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat， this top secret unit becomes known as X Troop。 Some simply call them a suicide squad。
Drawing on extensive original research， including interviews with the last surviving members， Leah Garrett follows this unique band of brothers from Germany to England and back again， with stops at British internment camps， the beaches of Normandy， the battlefields of Italy and Holland， and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp—the scene of one of the most dramatic， untold rescues of the war。 For the first time， X Troop tells the astonishing story of these secret shock troops and their devastating blows against the Nazis。
“Garrett’s detective work is stunning， and her storytelling is masterful。 This is an original account of Jewish rescue， resistance， and revenge。”—Wendy Lower， author of The Ravine and National Book Award finalist Hitler’s Furies
Reviews
Janet
，
Good account of how German Jews helped end WWII by becoming British commandos。
Lev Rothenberg
，
Amazing story of elite WWII commandos built from refugees from Nazi horrors。 Very well told and researched。
Zachary Barker
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I have finished reading “X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos Who Helped Defeat the Nazis” by Leah GarrettThis is the story of the real “Inglorious Bastards”。 No Brad Pitt’s with terrible Italian accents here， but an epic story nonetheless。Trouble often finds people who are bold enough to take a stand。 A young Jewish teenager， a few years before the start of World War 2， witnessed their father stand up in the middle of a Beer Hall in Frankfurt and declare to a neighbouring drinker exactly how he I have finished reading “X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos Who Helped Defeat the Nazis” by Leah GarrettThis is the story of the real “Inglorious Bastards”。 No Brad Pitt’s with terrible Italian accents here， but an epic story nonetheless。Trouble often finds people who are bold enough to take a stand。 A young Jewish teenager， a few years before the start of World War 2， witnessed their father stand up in the middle of a Beer Hall in Frankfurt and declare to a neighbouring drinker exactly how he felt about the Nazis。 The boy who would take the name Colin Ansom， saw his father taken away by the Gestapo who then allegedly died of “circulatory failure” while incarcerated in a concentration camp。 The anger and sorrow never left Colin。 As a child with Jewish ancestry he wasn’t safe staying where he was。 So he was sent on a kindertransport train along with younger children across the German border， bound for the UK， to get to safety。 Others would follow。 An orthodox Jewish teenager in a more rural part of Germany started to be bullied by the Hitler youth。 His parents were soon taken away by the Nazis。 He was put on a train。 But vowed one day he would be able to save them。 He got his wish years down the line。The UK was not the haven the young German and Austrian Jewish refugees thought it would be。 Arbitrarily declared “enemy aliens” by the Home Office they were interned。 They were shifted from dilapidated transit camps to internment on the Isle of Man alongside actual Nazis。 Some unlucky refugees were even transported to Australia in inhumane conditions。 On the HMT Dunera the Captain was brutally anti-Semitic， and to the applause of Nazi POWS （who had better accommodations）， revelled in beating and torturing these refugees and keeping them in squalid conditions。 Throughout all of this the refugees wished to be able to not only return home， but also have the means to take back their country from those who had mutilated it。Lord Mountbatten， who was the Chief of Combined Operations， conceived of the idea for X-Troop as a special commando detachment。 While other nationalities （French， Belgians and Norwegians） got their own commando detachments this one would be special in that they would be German native speakers and predominantly Jewish。 This would create a commando unit with a useful natural skillset， in terms of languages for in the field interrogations of captured enemy soldiers。 Their motivation for fighting given their background was also self-evident。 This motivation in turn would push these young men looking for a cause to overcome the formidable challenges of commando training。 Commandos were meant to be think much more independently compared to regular soldiers and have the endurance to carry on in the face of formidable odds。 But their first challenge was for many of them the most heartbreakingly; they had to change their name and their identity。 To do otherwise would open them and their loved ones to brutal reprisals， not just because of Nazi hatred towards Jews， but because of Hitler’s direct order to execute commandos on site。 Because of this Churchill came up with their name “X-Troop” （officially a part of the wider No。 10 （Inter-Allied） Commando unit）， X being the symbol in algebra for an unknown quantity。X Troop were at first sent in to fight in small groups for trial runs。 First in Italy and then elsewhere。 For many of the trainees landing during D Day was their first live combat experience， a baptism by fire if there ever was one。 Small groups of troopers or individual troopers were embedded with other commando troops， encouraged by X Troop’s the legendary Captain Bryan Hilton-Jones to use opportunities to show off their skills。 Their language skills in particular proved valuable in negotiating surrenders from groups of German soldiers who would otherwise have to have been fought。 Out of the 87 of those who served in X Troop， a quarter were killed in combat and nearly the same amount were seriously wounded。 These statistics show that X Troopers were always where the action was。Overall， I found this book a fascinating read。 The stories of the individual X Troopers recalled by the author were very moving。 It in particular struck a chord with me when they were sent to be trained in their adoptive Welsh town of Aberdovey where they made meaningful connections with the locals。 One of the troopers even ended up marrying a local girl。 This reminds me of stories my late grandma recalled fondly， telling me about the day Australian troops came to her hometown。 She mentioned on a side note that the Polish labourers weren’t bad looking either！ But these different stories show a fascinating time when much of the free world， or those struggling to be free came to our island either to be safe or to fight back。 The X Troopers fought back because they had skin in the game。 95% of X Troop were classified as Jews and therefore state enemies in Nazi Germany and Austria。 The way they saw it they had to fight， and they felt privileged to be given the chance。 But after the war， the X Troopers were the last of the foreign commandos to be considered for naturalisation to be offered British citizenship。 I see this as more than a petty oversight， but a gross insult to those who helped us fight against tyranny。 Eventually most got their right to settle here as citizens， while others went to live in the US。 Curiously most of the former identified as British Anglicans and never looked back， while the latter were more proud of their Jewish identity。 Maybe this had something to do with residual stigma about their identity， but keep in mind many of the Jews were only identified as such by the Nazis。 Many considered themselves secular and lived as such before the Nazis singled them out and they had to flee。The Inglorious Bastards was a wild and fun film。 But this story surely deserves it’s own telling to a wider audience one day。 。。。more
Linda
，
What an utterly fascinating book。 I had no idea such a troop existed and this story is gripping and very well told。 Not just for the general story but for the personal stories of the men。 And I certainly never knew that a Bicycle Troop - yes， bicycles ！ - landed on Sword Beach on D Day ！ The courage， resilience and bravery of these men is breathtaking and Leah Garrett has done them proud in the telling of their story。 A couple of mistakes （Sedbergh is technically in Cumbria， not the Lake Distric What an utterly fascinating book。 I had no idea such a troop existed and this story is gripping and very well told。 Not just for the general story but for the personal stories of the men。 And I certainly never knew that a Bicycle Troop - yes， bicycles ！ - landed on Sword Beach on D Day ！ The courage， resilience and bravery of these men is breathtaking and Leah Garrett has done them proud in the telling of their story。 A couple of mistakes （Sedbergh is technically in Cumbria， not the Lake District; and on page 232 it should be ‘a muddy plain’ not ‘plane’ - but these things missed in proof-reading are only a minor distraction from the amazing story。 So pleased I read it。 。。。more
Clair Keizer
，
Why has there been so little written about this incredible story of World War II？ Leah Garrett brings the history of young Jewish refugees who escaped persecution and death under Hitler to life in her book， "X-Troop。" While it is perhaps not the best written history， the rarely reported exploits and heroism of this band of brothers is truly amazing。 These men fled to England， sent by their families alone， are then forced into internment at the start of the war。 After suffering abuse and injustic Why has there been so little written about this incredible story of World War II？ Leah Garrett brings the history of young Jewish refugees who escaped persecution and death under Hitler to life in her book， "X-Troop。" While it is perhaps not the best written history， the rarely reported exploits and heroism of this band of brothers is truly amazing。 These men fled to England， sent by their families alone， are then forced into internment at the start of the war。 After suffering abuse and injustice by the English， they are then asked to form a secret garrison of commandos to infiltrate Axis lines。 Their accomplishments are heroic， their leadership incomparable; yet their story is mostly unknown。 Credit to Garrett for bringing this history to light and gratitude to the men of X-Troop。 。。。more
Naima Holloway
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Very interesting and informative book！Good reading！！
Chet Slonina
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The X Troop or， as in Math， the X variable than stands for the unknown。 87 Jewish Commandos who found to honor the green beret the wore and the legacy the left behind。 As they were weaved into the British Army and deployed to do the unattainable， their skills of getting the job done by courage， desire and sheer madness made them invaluable。 Missions carried out throughout their existence were always taken on without regard to personal safety or for want off recognition。 It’s a great WW II read t The X Troop or， as in Math， the X variable than stands for the unknown。 87 Jewish Commandos who found to honor the green beret the wore and the legacy the left behind。 As they were weaved into the British Army and deployed to do the unattainable， their skills of getting the job done by courage， desire and sheer madness made them invaluable。 Missions carried out throughout their existence were always taken on without regard to personal safety or for want off recognition。 It’s a great WW II read that is bittersweet and inspiring。 。。。more
Stuart
，
Very interesting and well-researched book about a group of commandos of whom I had never heard。 The actual commandos were all Jews who had escaped from Germany， Austria or Hungary in the years prior to WW2。 The and their families had suffered persecution by the Nazi regime in the 1930's Germany。 They hoped for a better life in Britain。 For a while， till WW2 started and they became "enemy aliens" and were interned in the Isle of Man or Canada or Australia， the journeys to which were horrendous。 E Very interesting and well-researched book about a group of commandos of whom I had never heard。 The actual commandos were all Jews who had escaped from Germany， Austria or Hungary in the years prior to WW2。 The and their families had suffered persecution by the Nazi regime in the 1930's Germany。 They hoped for a better life in Britain。 For a while， till WW2 started and they became "enemy aliens" and were interned in the Isle of Man or Canada or Australia， the journeys to which were horrendous。 Eventually， some more enlightened army officers saw that their anti-German sentiments could be put to use and many of them were recruited to the Pioneer Corps。 （Think no weapons， just spades）。 after a year or so of this， a Commando unit was created and suddenly these enemy aliens became elite troops， planned to be shock troops in the invasion of France and ideally extracting information from prisoners。 The research that the author has done is impressive。 The stories of the individual soldiers are incredibly moving。 Most of them lost their families and friends to concentration camps。 Two were lucky enough to liberate their own families。 But two of 100 or so！ Their exploits are also detailed throughout the book - what surprised me was how they group was separated。 I had expected they would be a cohesive unit， but instead they were all sent off as individual experts - many of them carrying out daredevil exploits in Italy， Greece， France and Germany， and finally ferreting out ex-Nazis after the conflict ended。 Fascinating， moving stories。 。。。more
Lisa Litz-Neavear
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I am not normally a fan of books which go into detail about combat。 I admittedly got a little mixed up at times， not really caring about which particular unit an X-trooper was attached to when carrying out a specific mission。 But I feel compelled to give this book 5 stars。 The stories of the X Troop need to be told， and after hearing the author speak on the History Unplugged podcast as well as reading her acknowledgements， she is grateful to be the teller of the stories。 As this generation of he I am not normally a fan of books which go into detail about combat。 I admittedly got a little mixed up at times， not really caring about which particular unit an X-trooper was attached to when carrying out a specific mission。 But I feel compelled to give this book 5 stars。 The stories of the X Troop need to be told， and after hearing the author speak on the History Unplugged podcast as well as reading her acknowledgements， she is grateful to be the teller of the stories。 As this generation of heroes dies off， we need to be reminded about their bravery and sacrifice。 That these men were all refugees who were treated horribly by the British further reinforces their status as heroes。 。。。more
Natalie L。
，
This was a very exciting read as we follow these intelligent， brave driven men into battles during WW2。 If that weren't enough， their back stories as Jewish refugees to England are amazing。 This was a very exciting read as we follow these intelligent， brave driven men into battles during WW2。 If that weren't enough， their back stories as Jewish refugees to England are amazing。 。。。more
Caren
，
The historical account of the little known X Troop was a secret just bursting to be revealed， 75 years after WWII。 The 87 mainly Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria were teenagers when they arrived in Britain after having been sent by their families to escape the Nazi threat in Europe。 Selected for training in a new secret unit to be formed within the British army， these young men， "enemy aliens"， were chosen because of their fluency in German， their intelligence， and their "anger and hunge The historical account of the little known X Troop was a secret just bursting to be revealed， 75 years after WWII。 The 87 mainly Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria were teenagers when they arrived in Britain after having been sent by their families to escape the Nazi threat in Europe。 Selected for training in a new secret unit to be formed within the British army， these young men， "enemy aliens"， were chosen because of their fluency in German， their intelligence， and their "anger and hunger for revenge" against the Nazis， those who had destroyed their childhoods and， in many cases， murdered their families。 This secret commando unit became "central to the allies' success during the war and later to their denazification effort。"Garrett's research is astounding， covering the training and the subsequent three years of operations in which these brave young men truly steered the course of the war with their work as commandos and intelligence officers。 The text reads like a compelling novel， with its narrative focused on the individuals featured and the close relationships that developed between the men。 Garrett also revealed the steps taken by the British Army to guarantee that the men's Jewish identities were concealed， requiring them to adopt new names and identities， which many of the men carried into civilian life post-war。 Their experiences were breath-takingly dangerous， Garrett's research presenting their eye-witness accounts of battles， infiltrations into German territory and， especially， the battle of Normandy on D-Day。 Amongst the incidents recorded was the incredible rescue of his parents from Theresienstadt by Manfrad Gans， the long-held goal of this trooper throughout his three years with his unit。 It also touched me that there was an atttempt by the Jewish troopers to replace the crosses that had been set on the graves of their fellow soldiers with Jewish stars。 Most outstanding is Garrett's presentation of the resistance to the Nazis by a mainly Jewish unit， adding to the recent publications that finally defeat the long-held myth that the Jews went to their deaths "like sheep to the slaughter"。 These resistance narratives， like Batalion's "The Light of Days"， break through the misinformed stereotypes that have overshadowed Holocaust history。 。。。more
Jbussen
，
I read tons' of WW2 books and tons of holocaust books。 （I'm 50 BTW） So it's tough to find something new and something that can stand up to the other 100's of WW2 books I've read。 I was wary when the book was advertised as reading like a novel。 Pfft！ Yeah sure。 whatever， buuuhhhttt！ It was suspenseful and characters developed etc。 With a slightly altered writing style （and changed to fiction） it could be a novel。 This book would make a good Movie as well。 Underdog， buddy， injustice to redemption。 I read tons' of WW2 books and tons of holocaust books。 （I'm 50 BTW） So it's tough to find something new and something that can stand up to the other 100's of WW2 books I've read。 I was wary when the book was advertised as reading like a novel。 Pfft！ Yeah sure。 whatever， buuuhhhttt！ It was suspenseful and characters developed etc。 With a slightly altered writing style （and changed to fiction） it could be a novel。 This book would make a good Movie as well。 Underdog， buddy， injustice to redemption。 Not quite Inglorious Bastards as this one has legit love interests。 There are some crazy plot twists so improbable that if I saw it in a movie I'd be "yeah right， of course that happened"。 You really got to like the Germans turned Brit Commando。 It felt as if you grew with them。 You and rooted for them and felt their elation， as well as devastation when one died。 。。。more
Andrew Gowen
，
This is an excellent story and I had no idea that German Jews did so much to support the allied cause。One feels that their efforts have not been properly recognised although this book goes some way to correct this。Having attended the Outward Bound Sea School at Aberdovey and been a Royal Marine for 31 years and served in many of the Commandos mentioned。， I felt much affinity with the stories in this account。This book was a pleasure to read。
Sue
，
Amazing stories well researched and told。 Heard about it on the radio and wanted to read it。
Peter Goodman
，
“X Troop: the secret Jewish commandos of World War II，” by Leah Garrett （Houghton Mifflin， 2021）。 The book opens with an anecdote: Lt。 George Lane is captured on a French beach a month before D-Day， and brought to Field Marshall Erwin Rommel for interrogation。 Instead， they have tea。 George Lane is actually Lanyi György， a Hungarian with a Jewish mother and Catholic father who fled to England before the war and became a member of X Troop， a tiny group of very highly trained German and Austrian J “X Troop: the secret Jewish commandos of World War II，” by Leah Garrett （Houghton Mifflin， 2021）。 The book opens with an anecdote: Lt。 George Lane is captured on a French beach a month before D-Day， and brought to Field Marshall Erwin Rommel for interrogation。 Instead， they have tea。 George Lane is actually Lanyi György， a Hungarian with a Jewish mother and Catholic father who fled to England before the war and became a member of X Troop， a tiny group of very highly trained German and Austrian Jews who fought in ones and twos in France， Italy， and elsewhere capturing and interrogating hundreds of Germans， undertaking daring reconnaissance missions， and otherwise wreaking small-scale havoc on the Nazis who were killing their families。 Several were with Lord Lovat’s commandos who relieved the paratroopers at Pegasus Bridge。 One actually convinced several hundred Germans in a massive fortress to surrender to him。 The men were all given fake names and identities; their unit was so secret virtually no one has heard of them。 This was not the Jewish brigade raised in Palestine in 1944。 Once they finished training in Wales they never fought as a unit。 They were given battlefield commissions; were killed or wounded; were considered the elite of the elite。 Yet during the war and after the British treated them very badly。 Several were sent on a horrendous voyage to Australia; many were kept in internment camps on the Isle of Man。 And afterward the British refused to make them naturalized citizens until a major general commanding Combined Operations after the war overrode tremendous official opposition to win them citizenship。 The official monument at the Welsh town where they trained does not say they were Jewish。 Some of them were Orthodox; some of them were largely secular。 They were profoundly conflicted: were they Brits， were they Jews， were they Germans？ There is one good map of the D-Day landings （they came in on Sword Beach）， and many fascinating maps。 Garrett is the director of the Jewish Study Center and director of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at Hunter College。 She spoke with children of some of the commandos， and interviewed two of the surviving veterans。 This is a remarkable story about a group of remarkable men。https://www。hmhbooks。com/shop/books/X。。。 。。。more
Dan Mendelevitz
，
Excellent writing of little known history。 She takes the history and makes it read like a novel。 Well researched and compelling。 Good read。
EVAN
，
A Story That Needs to be ToldI had never heard anything about the men of X Troop and the important role they played in WWII。 Ms。 Garrett has written a gripping， well-researched story， and I'm grateful。 A Story That Needs to be ToldI had never heard anything about the men of X Troop and the important role they played in WWII。 Ms。 Garrett has written a gripping， well-researched story， and I'm grateful。 。。。more
Nick
，
A remarkable story of men from "The Greatest Generation"Awareness of X troop and other commandos is sadly lacking 。 It is desperately sad that their experiences as refugees was so bad （and still occurs today） yet they volunteered for the most dangerous missions as a chance to fight back。 This is a must read for any student of British forces in world war two。 A remarkable story of men from "The Greatest Generation"Awareness of X troop and other commandos is sadly lacking 。 It is desperately sad that their experiences as refugees was so bad （and still occurs today） yet they volunteered for the most dangerous missions as a chance to fight back。 This is a must read for any student of British forces in world war two。 。。。more
Jeff Francis
，
Is it a real-life “Inglorious Basterds？” Not quite， but Leah Garrett’s “X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II” is still pretty good。 Garrett introduces us to a British commando unit for whom fighting the Nazis was personal， since so many of them were Jewish， and had been personally affected by Germany’s institutionalized anti-Semitism。 She wisely focuses on just a few characters， including those who suffered as children under the Nuremberg laws of the ‘30s。 As could be said to be Is it a real-life “Inglorious Basterds？” Not quite， but Leah Garrett’s “X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II” is still pretty good。 Garrett introduces us to a British commando unit for whom fighting the Nazis was personal， since so many of them were Jewish， and had been personally affected by Germany’s institutionalized anti-Semitism。 She wisely focuses on just a few characters， including those who suffered as children under the Nuremberg laws of the ‘30s。 As could be said to be endemic to Jews in ‘30s and ‘40s Europe， the extent to which many of these characters can’t catch a break is staggering。 Some of them flee Germany for Britain during the encroaching persecution of pre-WWII （a longshot feat in itself）， only to be put into British internment camps when the war breaks out because—they’re from Germany！ “X Troop” does a good job of telling a very specific， well-researched story from WWII while addressing the bigger points of the War in broad strokes—an approach I’ve always found appealing （e。g。， this book introduced me to the term “Potemkin Village”）。 Recommended。 。。。more
Rachel
，
Readers might think there are no more World War II stories to tell。 Yet， new nonfiction works appear on a regular basis。 Sometimes， it’s because a researcher takes an interest in a different aspect of the war or because top-secret files have finally been declassified。 Both these actions inform two recent books about the war。 Judy Batalion’s “The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos” （William Morrow） brings to light the tales of women whose resistance t Readers might think there are no more World War II stories to tell。 Yet， new nonfiction works appear on a regular basis。 Sometimes， it’s because a researcher takes an interest in a different aspect of the war or because top-secret files have finally been declassified。 Both these actions inform two recent books about the war。 Judy Batalion’s “The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos” （William Morrow） brings to light the tales of women whose resistance to the Nazis has been ignored， while “X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II” by Leah Garrett （Houghton Mifflin Harcourt） records the war efforts of a group of Jewish immigrants who fought for England。 See the rest of my review at https://www。thereportergroup。org/past。。。 。。。more
Anne Morgan
，
An interesting look at a group of German and Austrian Jewish refugees who escaped the Nazis and made it to England， and eventually were allowed to fight as an elite commando troop。 I enjoyed learning about this aspect of the war I hadn't heard about before， and Leah Garrett does an excellent job placing the reader among the men and bringing their journeys to life。。 Reading about their young lives in Germany and Austria was tragic， but in a way what was worse was reading about how they were treat An interesting look at a group of German and Austrian Jewish refugees who escaped the Nazis and made it to England， and eventually were allowed to fight as an elite commando troop。 I enjoyed learning about this aspect of the war I hadn't heard about before， and Leah Garrett does an excellent job placing the reader among the men and bringing their journeys to life。。 Reading about their young lives in Germany and Austria was tragic， but in a way what was worse was reading about how they were treated when they came to England。 I had no idea the cruelties the refugees suffered once they were 'safe' in 'free' England and I'm glad to have learned a bit about that aspect。 Garrett focuses on a few men in particular to provide detailed examples of what happened to members of the troop， and I thought did a great job bringing these men， their hopes and ambitions， tragedies and triumphs， to the reader。 A book on a little known aspect of World War II， as well as before and after the war， and a book that everyone should read。 I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Russel Henderson
，
Pop WWII nonfiction tends to follow a familiar pattern， and while it is often enjoyable it rarely adds much to the understanding or to the conversation above a certain knowledge level。 It's the history buff's equivalent of a beach read。 Where a particular unit is profiled， such books tend to overstate its importance。 This book was different。 In profiling X Troop， Garrett tells the story largely through the experiences of four soldiers for whom a good deal of documentary evidence exists。 It is de Pop WWII nonfiction tends to follow a familiar pattern， and while it is often enjoyable it rarely adds much to the understanding or to the conversation above a certain knowledge level。 It's the history buff's equivalent of a beach read。 Where a particular unit is profiled， such books tend to overstate its importance。 This book was different。 In profiling X Troop， Garrett tells the story largely through the experiences of four soldiers for whom a good deal of documentary evidence exists。 It is deeply personal， following each of them from boyhood before and under Hitler， through the indignities of internment and transport， into the maelstrom of European war itself， and then through demobilization into the rest of their lives。 In so doing， Garrett gives us a look at the war but also much， much else。 She provides a contrast between the lethal hatred of the Nazis toward the Jews and the more genteel anti-Semitism and discrimination of the British。 She gives us a personalized glimpse into the Holocaust as it impacted men the reader grew to know。 She does of course tell of the war， and provides some new wrinkles on familiar stories， from D-Day and the Rhine crossings to the clearing of the Scheldt Estuary。 She shows us mercy and justice among men who would have been forgiven had they put it to the side for a few years。 She gives us a glimpse into de-Nazification， an important story many contemporary readers understand little if at all， and the pursuit of Nazi war criminals。 And she shows us how the survivors of the Holocaust and of some of the most perilous duty of the war went on to live long and full lives， perpetuating families and bloodlines that the Nazis sought to snuff out。 Yet her book raises its own vexing questions too; why did so many X Troopers initially singled out by the Nazis for their Jewish faith and roots retain their assumed identities and even their （initially feigned） Church of England affiliation after the war？ In this we come to appreciate the difficulties of post-war identity for these men and for the kindertransport of whom they were just a small fraction。 So yes， it is a book about war， and a compelling one。 But it shines because it offers so much more。 。。。more
Nolan Martin
，
An excellent book about one of the least known chapters of WW2。 The bravery， courage， and skill of the Jewish commandos is unparalleled。。。especially while suffering the loss of some or all of their families and relatives that were still in occupied Europe and who were murdered by the Nazis。 A must read for anyone who loves WW2 history。
Jan
，
I think that fear drove much of the humanity from the British government both in the early days of Hitler's rise to a time after the war when uncommon sense should have reigned。 Men and young men who were born in Hitler's domain were sent away to other continents as enemy aliens after they had escaped and were treated very badly despite being Jewish。 As things got worse for England it was determined that the Royal Marines commando units would be a good place for some of them because of their lan I think that fear drove much of the humanity from the British government both in the early days of Hitler's rise to a time after the war when uncommon sense should have reigned。 Men and young men who were born in Hitler's domain were sent away to other continents as enemy aliens after they had escaped and were treated very badly despite being Jewish。 As things got worse for England it was determined that the Royal Marines commando units would be a good place for some of them because of their language skills。 So they were given the rigorous training and stripped of their previous identity and sent off。 Their actions and exploits are the stuff of legends， but their motivation was to destroy the regime that cruelly murdered their families and their former homelands。 After the war， the British government remained averse to granting citizenship to these warriors！ The research was meticulous and the documentation includes diaries and declassified government documents as well as interviews done this millennium with survivors， wives， children， and grandchildren （some of whom were raised Christian out of personal fears）。 Fortunately， the epilogue gives a good amount of information about their lives after the war。I learned a lot， and that's always a positive for a history geek。I requested and received a temporary digital ARC of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you！ 。。。more
John Davis
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X Troop， by Leah Garrett; Houghton， Mifflin， Harcourt Publishing， New York; $28。00 hardback Young Jewish men， primarily fully integrated intellectuals and educators， were driven under savage threats of death from their homes in Nazi Germany， and Nazi occupied Austria and the German-speaking Sudetenland。 Upon arrival in England， and the declaration of World War II， they were again， in superb irony， rounded up and deported as 'enemy German aliens' to a desert wasteland in New South Wales， Australi X Troop， by Leah Garrett; Houghton， Mifflin， Harcourt Publishing， New York; $28。00 hardback Young Jewish men， primarily fully integrated intellectuals and educators， were driven under savage threats of death from their homes in Nazi Germany， and Nazi occupied Austria and the German-speaking Sudetenland。 Upon arrival in England， and the declaration of World War II， they were again， in superb irony， rounded up and deported as 'enemy German aliens' to a desert wasteland in New South Wales， Australia。 There they languished until Lord Mountbatten devised an idea which fit neatly with Winston Churchill's plan to 'set Nazi occupied Europe ablaze。' These men， Jewish refugees， were called upon to form a special unit， a secret commando unit titled X Troop， since X was the mathematical designation of unknown。 They were to be kept totally secret， and even had their names changed， to protect them or their families from Nazi revenge。 Leah Garrett，， professor at Hunter College， and oft-awarded author of books on Jewish contributions to America， offers a truly inspirational， not to mention awe-inspiring and valiant summary of this unit's exploits in World War II。 Gathered from various camps for enemy aliens throughout the British Empire， the future X Troop Commandos were sent for initial training to remote Wales on the west of the British mainland。 There they learned the basics of soldiery， but also further aspects of radio communications， explosive usage， and intelligence gathering。 Remarkable enough Garrett， whose research is outstanding from primary military， personal， and government sources， complemented by personal interviews of soldiers and their family members， tells of their varied and horrifying forays into occupied Europe。 These men were valuable。 They were first of all fluent German linguists。 Without this， the ability for regular commando raids to identify valuable documents and get real time intelligence from prisoners was nil。 Thus they were included in tiny groups to accompany virtually every raid， large and small， by the British Joint Service Commandos。 Troop X soldiers accompanied raids from the disaster at Dieppe， to Sicily， to Italy， and time and again into France。 Additionally， they were invaluable on raids into Yugoslavia， where often the taking of prisoners for intelligence reasons was the only reason for some raids。 X Troop assisted as well those larger units of expatriates who formed British Commandos from the Netherlands， France， and so forth。 After all， there was a need for German speakers in all occupied Europe。 We learn their personal stories。 We discover that Welsh locals were impressed that they weren't like rowdy， combative soldiers billeted elsewhere。 These were intellectuals who occupied their time with reading， music， and political discussions。 Perhaps among the most powerful of these stories is of Trooper Gans， who set out to find his family as the war ground to a tumultuous halt。 Among the wandering millions on Europe's roads， he came to Theresianstadt Concentration Camp， where they had been held。 The conclusion of that story alone is worth reading。 X Troop commandos became specialists in interrogation of German prisoners。 They helped separate basic soldiers from Nazis， and contributed until their services were no longer needed。 Their story， which needed to be told， is done in a remarkable， readable， and totally satisfying way by Leah Garrett。 。。。more
Azalter
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Excellent read。 Extremely well researched and written。 Must read for any war， history and holocaust student。 Superbly written history of little know group of soldiers。
Patrick J。 Salem
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Read this book over Memorial Day weekend 2021， and I felt humbled and shamed at how little effort we expend and how little willingness to come together fit the greater good we are as a nation。
Don
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Released 5/26/2021， I read an advanced copy。 The story of a troop of Jewish men who gave up everything - names， families， and in some cases their lives in order to fight the Third Reich。 These men their changed their names and their backgrounds to train and fight under the British forces as commandos。 Amazing story。
Steph
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I thought I knew a decent amount about the war from books and movies that I've read in the past。 X Troop showed me parts of an impressive and important story that I had never heard。 The stories of British and Canadian troops fighting fail to mention how horribly they also treated Jewish refugees。 They highlight their heroes， but don't talk about how critical these immigrants were。 Leah Garrett does a great job of detailing a lot of facts about different men and battles while still making it feel I thought I knew a decent amount about the war from books and movies that I've read in the past。 X Troop showed me parts of an impressive and important story that I had never heard。 The stories of British and Canadian troops fighting fail to mention how horribly they also treated Jewish refugees。 They highlight their heroes， but don't talk about how critical these immigrants were。 Leah Garrett does a great job of detailing a lot of facts about different men and battles while still making it feel personal and exciting。 I was worried X Troop would be like a text book， but you really got a sense for who these men were， bringing their different personalities to life。 They each had presence and you were cheering them on。I don't read a lot of non-fiction， but I'm so grateful to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing this book for a review。 It is a great reminder of how people's real lives can be so much greater than fiction。 。。。more
Susan Vladeck
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