The Houdini Club: The Epic Journey and Daring Escapes of the First Army Rangers of WWII

Highlighted by the prisoner-of-war escapes that earned them the name "The Houdini Club," here is the elite combat odyssey of World War II's "Darby's Rangers" as never told before--drawing on previously unknown sources and former Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar's exclusive, uncensored interviews with the greatest generation of Rangers themselves.

This thrilling, personality-driven account of the first United States Army Ranger battalions follows an extraordinary band of American soldiers from their rugged Ranger training to their battles in North Africa, France, Sicily, and mainland Italy, and (for some) finally back to American shores. Drawing upon unprecedented historical research, military-service expertise, exclusive interviews, and personal correspondence with original Greatest Generation Army Rangers, The Houdini Club is an uncensored work of military history, encapsulating both the history and personal drama of World War II Special Forces warfare.

From the abundant tales of glory to the tales of misery, fear, and murderous intent, the utter exhaustion and thrill of combat, and the devastating final battle that all but destroyed them, The Houdini Club puts readers on the ground alongside the Rangers who made victory in Europe possible, portraying in gritty detail the lives and acts of one of the American military's greatest collection of men.

Author: Mir Bahmanyar
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 04/22/2025
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.60d
ISBN: 9781635769784


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 02/17/2025
Booklist 04/01/2025 pg. 21

About the Author
Mir Bahmanyar earned a BA in History from UC Berkeley, enlisted in the Second Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and attained an MA in War Studies from King's College London. He served on the Board of Directors for the 75th Ranger Regiment Association and was an Associate Historian of the World War Two Ranger Battalions Association. He has been a military technical advisor on such films as The Good German, Black Hawk Down, and We Were Soldiers; a German language coach; and a producer and writer in Hollywood. He co-wrote and produced the award-winning independent historical film Soldier of God and has authored numerous books and articles from ancient history to modern war, which have been translated into Arabic, German, Japanese, Polish, and Spanish, and have featured on several US Army reading lists. Holding dual US and Canadian citizenship, he lives in Toronto.