
Shadow Commander
The Epic Story of Donald D. Blackburn; Guerrilla Leader and Special Forces Hero
Mike Guardia(Author)
Casemate Publishers
Published on 19. December 2011
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-61200-065-7 (ISBN)
Description
Praise for Mike Guardia:
"...meticulously researched, with facts verified by exhaustive sleuthing...a fine work of investigative history."-Military Writers Society of America
The fires on Bataan burned on the evening of April 9, 1942, illuminating the white flags of surrender against the night time sky. Woefully outnumbered, outgunned, and ill-equipped, battered remnants of the American-Philippine army surrendered to the forces of the Rising Sun. Yet amongst the chaos and devastation of the American defeat, Army Captain Donald D. Blackburn refused to lay down his arms.
With future Special Forces legend Russell Volckmann, Blackburn escaped from Bataan and fled to the mountainous jungles of North Luzon, where they raised a private army of over 22,000 men against the Japanese. Once there, Blackburn organised a guerrilla regiment from among the native tribes in the Cagayan Valley."Blackburn's Headhunters," as they came to be known, devastated the Japanese 14th Army within the western provinces of North Luzon and destroyed the Japanese naval base at Aparri, the largest enemy anchorage in the Philippines.
After the war, Blackburn remained on active duty and played a key role in initiating Special Forces operations in Southeast Asia. Following his return to the United States, Blackburn was appointed"Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities," where he was the architect of the famous Son Tay Prison Raid.
This book follows Donald D. Blackburn through both his youthful days of desperate combat against an Empire, and through his days as a commander, imparting his lessons to the newly realised ranks of America's own Special Forces.
"...meticulously researched, with facts verified by exhaustive sleuthing...a fine work of investigative history."-Military Writers Society of America
The fires on Bataan burned on the evening of April 9, 1942, illuminating the white flags of surrender against the night time sky. Woefully outnumbered, outgunned, and ill-equipped, battered remnants of the American-Philippine army surrendered to the forces of the Rising Sun. Yet amongst the chaos and devastation of the American defeat, Army Captain Donald D. Blackburn refused to lay down his arms.
With future Special Forces legend Russell Volckmann, Blackburn escaped from Bataan and fled to the mountainous jungles of North Luzon, where they raised a private army of over 22,000 men against the Japanese. Once there, Blackburn organised a guerrilla regiment from among the native tribes in the Cagayan Valley."Blackburn's Headhunters," as they came to be known, devastated the Japanese 14th Army within the western provinces of North Luzon and destroyed the Japanese naval base at Aparri, the largest enemy anchorage in the Philippines.
After the war, Blackburn remained on active duty and played a key role in initiating Special Forces operations in Southeast Asia. Following his return to the United States, Blackburn was appointed"Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities," where he was the architect of the famous Son Tay Prison Raid.
This book follows Donald D. Blackburn through both his youthful days of desperate combat against an Empire, and through his days as a commander, imparting his lessons to the newly realised ranks of America's own Special Forces.
Reviews / Votes
This is a very informative book, particularly to a reader with an interest in US Military History of the mid-twentieth Century. * Army Rumour Service 01/01/2012 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
16 pp illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
549 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61200-065-7 (9781612000657)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Mike Guardia, currently an armored captain in the 4th Infantry Division, is also author of two highly acclaimed biographies, American Guerrilla, about the life of the true founder of Special Forces, Russell Volckmann, and Shadow Commander, about the career of Donald Blackburn.