Like Lightning from the Sky: the book that tells the courage and soul of Italian paratroopers

It was not just a simple editorial presentation, but a moment full of memory, pride, and belonging that took place at the Sala Giunti Odeon in Florence for the launch of the volume “Like Lightning from the Sky”, a work dedicated to the Paratroopers Brigade “Folgore”, an absolute symbol of Italian military parachuting.

The book, published by Giunti Editore, takes the reader on an intense journey through historic battles, rigorous training, operational missions, and values that for decades have made Italian paratroopers one of the most recognizable expressions of the Italian Army.

From the very first pages, the profound meaning of the motto that gives the title to the work emerges strongly: “Like Lightning from the sky… like Storm Cloud”. Not just words, but a true declaration of identity. An immediate call to that mix of courage, discipline, spirit of sacrifice, and brotherhood that accompanies every paratrooper from the moment of the first jump to the last day of service.

The volume opens with a greeting from the Minister of Defense, Honorable Guido Crosetto, and with the preface by the Chief of Staff of the Army, Army Corps General Carmine Masiello, dean of the Italian Army paratroopers.

At the event, enriched by the presence of the Undersecretary of State for Defense, Senator Isabella Rauti, and moderated by TG2 journalist Fabio Chiucconi, himself a former paratrooper, Army Corps General Carmine Masiello, the Commander of the Paratroopers Brigade “Folgore”, Brigadier General Dario Paduano, Dr. Andrea Giunti, CEO of Giunti Editore, and Professor Gastone Breccia, historian and expert researcher in military history, participated.

The words spoken during the presentation conveyed the image of a Brigade that not only represents a great operational unit but a true military family, capable of transmitting over time a lifestyle based on a sense of duty, sacrifice, and the value of the group.

From El Alamein to modern operational theaters

The heart of the volume inevitably beats around the memory of El Alamein, where in 1942 the Italian paratroopers wrote one of the most intense pages of national military history.

The “Lions of the Folgore”, surrounded in the desert and aware of their enormous inferiority in means, put up a resistance that became a symbol of courage and determination. Even today, that battle represents the moral beacon of the specialty, the point from which everything originates.

However, the book also tells of the evolution of the Brigade over the decades. Not just historical memory, but continuous transformation. The modern “Folgore” is described as a highly trained force projected into the most complex international scenarios, capable of operating in high-intensity NATO and multinational missions.

Great emphasis is placed on training, the true hallmark of Italian paratroopers. From the exhausting weeks of physical preparation to the jumps from the Parachuting Training Center in Pisa, the volume shows the path that transforms a soldier into a paratrooper. A journey made of effort, resilience, and team spirit, where every difficulty serves to build mutual trust and operational capabilities.

The new capabilities developed by the Brigade in recent years also emerge: airborne operations, deployment in urban contexts, rapid response activities, and integration with modern technologies. A transformation that has allowed the “Folgore” to maintain its prestige even in the changed contemporary geopolitical scenario.

The unpublished images and testimonies collected in the book also help make the story even more engaging, offering a direct look at the daily life of paratroopers, missions abroad, and the human bond that unites different generations under the same maroon beret.

The value of “We over I”

Among the most intense moments of the presentation were the words of Army Corps General Carmine Masiello, who defined the “Folgore” as a reality built around the conviction that “duty comes before everything”.

A concept that runs throughout the book and probably represents the true heart of the specialty. Being a paratrooper means sharing sacrifices, responsibilities, and risks, always putting the group before the individual. It is the principle of “We over I”, an element that has distinguished the culture of the Brigade for decades.

In the volume, it is clear how this spirit does not belong only to the past but continues to live in today's operational units. The “Folgore” is described as a community capable of uniting tradition and modernity, historical memory and innovation, operational experience and a sense of belonging.

Dr. Andrea Giunti also emphasized the cultural importance of the work, defining it as a tribute to the men and women who represent an Italian excellence recognized worldwide. A recognition that arises not only from operational capabilities but above all from the human values that paratroopers continue to embody.

“Like Lightning from the Sky” thus manages to transform into something more than a historical book. It is the story of a military identity that transcends time, of a brotherhood built in training and missions, of men and women who continue to serve the country with the same spirit as those who, over eighty years ago, fought in the desert of El Alamein with the maroon beret and the tricolor on their chest.