Overview

Charles Sweeny (1882-1963) was the heir to a fortune. Renouncing a life of comfort, he became a warrior for causes he believed in. Twice kicked out of West Point, he fought in revolts against three Latin American dictators. He was a decorated officer in the French Foreign Legion and in the U.S. Army during World War I, a brigadier general in the Polish-Soviet War and a military advisor in the Greco-Turkish War. He led a flying squadron in Morocco's Rif War, advised Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War and spied for French intelligence during World War II. Before America entered the war, he dodged FBI agents and U.S. neutrality laws to recruit American pilots to fight the Nazis and became a group captain in the R.A.F.'s Eagle Squadron. After Pearl Harbor, he worked with ""Wild Bill"" Donovan to devise guerrilla campaigns in North Africa and Eastern Europe. This richly detailed biography draws on Sweeny's personal papers, historical documents and photographs to chronicle the fascinating life of America's most celebrated soldier of fortune--a lifelong friend of Ernest Hemingway and a model for his fictional heroes.

Full Product Details

Author:   Charley Roberts ,  Charles P. Hess
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.367kg
ISBN:  

9781476669946

ISBN 10:   1476669945
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   20 October 2017
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Preface Introduction: Heroes, Role Models and Legends  1. Family Influences  2. His Early Years  3. West Point Cadet  4. Revolution in Mexico  5. Venezuela: A Stand Against a Tyrant  6. Nicaragua: Deposing Zelaya  7. Paris, Wife and Children  8. French Foreign Legion in the First World War  9. “Over the Top” with the U.S. Army 10. Polish-Soviet War 11. Greco-Turkish War 12. Morocco and the Rif War 13. Spanish Civil War 14. Dodging the FBI to Recruit Pilots for France 15. The Eagle Squadrons and the Battle of Britain 16. “Wild Bill” Donovan and the Office of Strategic Services 17. Moment of Truth, or How Sweeny Would Have Won World War II 18. A Thorn in the Side of Roosevelt 19. 2600 Walker Lane 20. Defending Petain 21. Blaming FDR for Pearl Harbor 22. World Disorder and Revolution 23. Sweeny’s Last War Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

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Author Information

Charley Roberts is a journalist and military historian. He has been an investigative reporter and state capital correspondent for the Orange County Register and Washington bureau chief and executive editor of the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He lives in Roseville, California. Charles P. Hess is a business executive and historian and has published several books on historical characters in Utah. He lives in Taylorsville, Utah.

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