LATEST BOOK
ANGELS AGAINST THE SUN
A WWII Saga of Grunts, Grit, and Brotherhood
Angels Against the Sun is paratrooper-turned-historian James M. Fenelon’s chronicle of the 11th Airborne Division—nicknamed ‘The Angels’— whose Pacific campaigns were defined by two merciless foes: the Imperial Japanese Army and the combined forces of monsoons, swamps, insects, mud, privation and disease. Fenelon’s book gives readers a boots-on-the ground, narrative-driven account of American airborne troops on the road to Tokyo.
FOUR HOURS OF FURY
The Untold Story of World War II’s Largest Airborne Invasion and The Final Push into Nazi Germany
One of the most authentic, viscerally exciting accounts ever of an airborne invasion, Four Hours of Fury is Fenelon’s gripping narration of Operation VARSITY—WWII’s largest single-day airdrop which, over the space of four hours, dropped more than 17,000 Allied airborne troops across the Rhine River into the heart of Nazi Germany.
MAGAZINE ARTICLES
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Below are several of Fenelon’s World War II articles.
The 555th's Campaign for Equality
ARMY :: MARCH 2023
There are lessons to be learned from both the struggles and the legacy of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the Army’s first all-Black parachute unit.
'Jumpin' Jim' Sets Example for His Troops
ARMY :: DECEMBER 2022
James’ review of Gavin at War: The World War II Diary of Lieutenant General James M. Gavin published by Casemate.
True Colors: Athens, Greece
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: JUNE 2022
An exploration of Athens’ World War II history, where the Acropolis, for millennia the focal point of the city skyline, was the site of a fabled first act of resistance.
Meet Huie Lamb, WWII Fighter Pilot
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: MARCH 2021
James had the privilege of interviewing Huie Lamb, who flew with the 78th Fighter Squadron and was one of the first American pilots to shoot down a German Me-262 jet fighter.
A Bet Lost, the Battle Won
MILITARY HISTORY MAGAZINE :: MAY 2020
Led by Colonel Edson Raff, the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment parachuted into Germany just weeks before war’s end in Europe.
Interview: Four Hours of Fury
MILITARY HISTORY MAGAZINE :: JANUARY 2020
James was interviewed by Military History’s Senior Editor; they discussed various aspects of Operation Varsity and James’ book, Four Hours of Fury.
Now Is When You Pray
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: AUGUST 2019
Troopers of the 17th Airborne Division’s 194th Glider Infantry Regiment drop into Nazi Germany via glider to seize key bridges during Operation Varsity.
Against All Odds
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: APRIL 2019
The troopers of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion faced the fight of their lives on the battlefields of Belgium.
The Darkest Valley
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: OCTOBER 2017
Scattered behind enemy lines in Italy, American paratroopers of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion resorted to wreaking havoc.
Yanks In Cambridge
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: MARCH/APRIL 2017
Retracing the steps of American servicemen and woman in Cambridge, England.
Jump Into the Fire
WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE :: MAY/JUNE 2016
German paratroopers leaped into the breach in Belgium, only to be clawed down.
Low-flying Liberators
FLYPAST MAGAZINE :: NO. 405, APRIL 2015
A daring B-24 mission flown at treetop level to resupply the airborne troops of Operation Varsity.