The Tenth Command: A WWII Novel of Leadership, Redemption, and the 10th Mountain Division (The Tenth Series) by Joe Looby

This is the story of the men who led them. Early 1945. The road to the Alps—and the heart of the Third Reich—is blocked by two monsters: Hitler’s last mountain fortress in Italy and the haunting memory of failure. To break the deadlock, Major General Price Hays, the “Rock of the Marne,” makes a terrifying gamble: his men will assault the fortified slopes of Mount Belvedere in the dead of night—with empty rifles. It is a command that defies doctrine and demands absolute trust. Silence is their only armor. Meanwhile, Colonel Will Darby, the legendary founder of Darby’s Rangers, returns to the front like a ghost. Exiled after the nightmare at Cisterna, he seeks not glory, but atonement. Guided by Annie, a British codebreaker who sees the man behind the legend, Darby must face the deadliest sin of command: coveting a victory bought with other men’s blood. As the division launches its final drive to seal the Brenner Pass—the last escape route for Germany’s army in Italy—mentor and protégé reunite. Read more