Robert H. Adleman (May 7, 1919 – November 16, 1995) was an American novelist and historian. His book ''Devil's Brigade'', about

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, was turned into a film in 1968.

Biography

Adleman was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Pennsylvania. A photographer and

tail gunner A tail gunner or rear gunner is a crewman on a military aircraft who functions as a gunner defending against enemy fighter or interceptor attacks from the rear, or "tail", of the plane. The tail gunner operates a flexible machine gun or au ...

in the

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during

, he became a businessman and a historian, and began a collaboration with U.S. Army Colonel George Walton to write books about

, the most successful of which was 1966's ''The Devil's Brigade.'' A story about the

1st Special Service Force The 1st Special Service Force (FSSF) was an elite joint American–Canadian commando unit in World War II, formed by Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Frederick of the Operations Division of the U.S. General Staff. During the Italian campaign of ...

nicknamed the "Devil's Brigade", the book would be turned into a motion picture of the same name in 1968 and starred William Holden and Cliff Robertson. Adleman was co-owner and president of Robinson, Adleman, and Montgomery, a Philadelphia public relations and advertising firm. An innovator, he constantly started new ventures including publishing of "The Record-Breeze and Mall Journal newspapers; produced forerunner of "Today" TV show, "Modern Living", and chain of fast food restaurants, "Take Out Kitchens" and "Hush Puppy House." He also owned the Bessie V. Hicks School of Dramatic Arts. Graduates included Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Bronson, and Bruce Dern. After selling the movie rights, Adleman and his wife moved from Philadelphia to

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; ; ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about west of downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching along the Pacific Ocean coa ...

. They remained there for a number of years until they acquired a large ranch property in

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. At which point they opened the restaurant The Bella Union, featuring the "peach baboo", a cocktail named after their grandson's childhood treat. Adleman died in

Ashland, Oregon Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population w ...

, in 1995. His wife and two daughters scattered his ashes on the ocean at the beach in Malibu.

Selected bibliography

* ''The Devil's Brigade'' (1966) (written with Col. George Walton) * ''Rome Fell Today'' (1968) (written with Col. George Walton) * ''The Champagne Campaign'' (1969) (written with Col. George Walton) * ''The Bloody Benders'' (1970) * ''Annie Deane'' (1971) * ''What's Really Involved in Writing and Selling Your Book'' (1972) * ''The Black Box'' (1973) * ''Alias Big Cherry: The Confessions of a Master Criminal'' (1973) * ''Sweetwater Fever'' (1986)

References

External links

Hoover Institution Archives of Adleman's papers
at Stanford University. 1919 births 1995 deaths American war novelists People from Jacksonville, Oregon 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American historians American male novelists Novelists from Philadelphia United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II American male non-fiction writers Historians from Pennsylvania {{US-novelist-1910s-stub