Glamor, mystery, and adventure are associated with the very name of the French Foreign Legion, the tightly knit body of ground troops that, man for man, has few if any equals in the world. Its bravery and daring are legendary.

In the more than 120 years of the Legion's existence, there have never been two consecutive years of complete peace, and its percentage of casualties has probably been greater than that of any army in history. At the same time, its pay has always been of the lowest. Despite this, its glorious tradition brings new and willing recruits from all parts of the world to its headquarters at Sidi-bel-Abbes, in North Africa.

How has this happened? Why do men join the Legion, and what kind of men are they? And what is the mysterious spirit of the Legion that makes it such a superb fighting unit?

In The French Foreign Legion Wyatt Blassingame tells the story of the Legionnaires and the many battles they have fought, from their first battle against the Arabs in North Africa more than a century ago, to their most recent campaign in French Indo-China. It is a thrilling story of courage, of sacrifice, and of magnificent discipline in the face of attack by overwhelming forces.

From the book