History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Predominately British Battles
A Great Look at famous battlefields.
DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT THE BATTLES IN THE PAST
greg's review
GREAT, GREAT BOOK! 1

Great Battlefields of the World
John MacDonald
Manufacturer: Hungry Minds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0020444648

Book Description

For the first time, breakthrough computer graphics re-create with unparalleled accuracy every detail of history's most important battles. Battlefields have been reconstructed in amazing detail allowing you to analyze how and why the winners won.

Customer Reviews:

Predominately British Battles.......2006-02-12

Good overview of some well known(Austerlitz, Saratoga, Gettysburg), and lesser known (Colensa, Omduran) battles. Concentrates on 1700-present, and preference to battles involving the British.

Very good graphics, with unique battlefield illustrations. Touches upon weapons, leaders in multiple inserts. The text is relatively brief, strssing a few key issues.

Best suited to someone who already has a general knowledge of military history, looking for a broad overview of the battles covered. Not an "academic" history.

A Great Look at famous battlefields........2005-01-09

I first took this book out from the local library a few years ago, and still read it now, as it has found a position on my bookshelf. The illustrations in this book are truly amazing, from Cannae to Dien-Bien-Phu, they clearly show the terrain, and the troop deployments. The Author clearly defines what happens on the battlefield, and helpfull side columns and miscellaneous information pad out the package. This is a book I still love to read, and I assure you that any other military history buff will love it as well.

DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT THE BATTLES IN THE PAST.......2004-12-10

THIS BOOK SHOWED ME SOME OF HISTORY MOST IMPORTANT BATTLES. I REALLY ENJOYED THE WAY THEY SHOWED THEM, THE GRAPHICS WAS WELL DONE. YOU COULD REALLY SEE HOW THE BATTLE WOULD GO AND WHY TERRAIN KNOWLEDGE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE OUTCOME. IF YOU REALLY LIKE MILATARY BATTLES YOU WILL ENJOY THIS

greg's review.......2002-04-16

The book is excellent especially since it starts with Hannibal at Cannae. It must have been difficult to choose battles and the ones covered were great. However, some changes and updates are in order:

Sea battles and air campaigns were completely ignored. The battle of Brittain should have been included as well as some ancient sea battles, especially between the Greeks and Persians.

Other interesting points:

Where are the african battles before the 19th century?

The book was a little too Europe centered.

Why no battles of Midway, Coral Sea or Pearl Harbor.

Kohima could have been left out.

Too much was written about Arnhem.

Why was Stalingrad left out.

The diagrams were superb.

The Falklands should be included in a new edition.

Warfare in Asia was amost completely ignored except for Port Arthur, especially the Mongols in China.

All in all a SUPERB book.

GREAT, GREAT BOOK! 1.......1999-11-25

This book is the best! They go through about 25 different battles with great pictures of the whole battle. Using little troops and vechiles so you can see the battle from a sky perspective. Along with the pictures it gives you a huge amount of imformation on every battle in there. Some famous ones it covers are: Waterloo, Iwo Jima, Gettysburg.... If you like this, check out GREAT BATTLES OF WW2, GREAT BATTLEFEILDS OF THE CIVIL WAR

AIRFIELDS AND AIRMEN : SOMME (Battleground Europe)

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AIRFIELDS AND AIRMEN : SOMME (Battleground Europe)
Michael O'Connor
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

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General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 085052864X

Book Description

Following on the success of Airfields and Airmen of Ypres, the author turns his attention to the most legendary sector of the British effort in World War I, the Somme. From 1916 to 1918 the British and German armies were locked in a deadly struggle here, while the Royal Flying Corps and the Imperial German Air Service flew overhead. Initially acting as scouts and artillery spotters, the ever more sophisticated aircraft became instruments of war themselves, engaging in deadly conflict far above the deadlocked armies below.

This new volume uses the Battleground Europe format of maps and then-and-now illustrations to cover all the airfields, crash sites and areas associated with the units, battles and individual aces of the aerial conflict of World War I. Coverage also includes French actions, and a few American units that served in the region near the end of the war.

Battlefield Britain: From Boudicca to the Battle of Britain

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Battlefield Britain: From Boudicca to the Battle of Britain
Peter Snow , and Dan Snow
Manufacturer: BBC Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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Battlefield Britain

ASIN: 0563487895
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Book Description

For much of its history, Britain has been ravaged by war and internal strife. Foreign invasions have devastated British society, bitter battles have been fought over social and political rights, and warlords have torn the country asunder in their struggles for dominance. In Battlefield Britain, Peter and Dan Snow tell the story of eight decisive battles that have done much to shape Britain: Boudicca’s Battle with Rome, the Battle of Hastings, the Battle for Wales, the Spanish Armada, the Battle of Naseby, the Battle of Boyne, the Battle of Culloden, and the Battle of Britain. For the first time, groundbreaking computer graphics are used to recreate the ebb and flow of these famous battles in vivid and dramatic detail.

AIRFIELDS AND AIRMEN : CAMBRAI (Battleground Europe)

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AIRFIELDS AND AIRMEN : CAMBRAI (Battleground Europe)
Michael O'Connor
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0850529581

Book Description

Airfields and Airmen:Cambrai covers the earliest days of the RFC with the retreat from Mons. We visit the graves of Fokker Eindecker aces and the airfields where the first Jastas were formed. Also covered are airfields from which Allied aces such as Beauchamp and Proctor VC flew, and there is a visit to the American cemetery at Bony that contains a number of aviators.

Cassell's Battlefields of Britain & Ireland (Cassell)

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An exhaustive survey of military actions fought upon British and Irish soil throughout history, from 55 B.C. to 1940

Cassell's Battlefields of Britain & Ireland (Cassell)
Richard Brooks
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0304363332

Customer Reviews:

An exhaustive survey of military actions fought upon British and Irish soil throughout history, from 55 B.C. to 1940.......2006-05-06

Cassell's Battlefields of Britain & Ireland is an exhaustive survey of military actions fought upon British and Irish soil throughout history, from 55 B.C. to 1940. Organized by chronology, Cassell's Battlefields of Britain & Ireland chronicles major events site by site with battle statistics and descriptions ideal for casual readers and professional historians alike. Over 100 detailed battle maps round out this hefty compendium, which tackles its immense subject matter in as orderly a fashion as possible. Enthusiastically recommended for library and military history collections.

Sword Beach: 3rd British Infantry Division's Battle for the Normandy Beachhead: 6 June-10 June 1944 (Battleground Europe) (Battleground Europe. Normandy)

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Ortona the First real test
Too Many Missions

Sword Beach: 3rd British Infantry Division's Battle for the Normandy Beachhead: 6 June-10 June 1944 (Battleground Europe) (Battleground Europe. Normandy)
Tim KilvertJones
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0850526736

Book Description

As the left most inland flank of the D-Day landings, Sword Beach was thought most likely to receive the first German counterattacks. The British troops selected for the assault had the tasks of securing the beach and advancing on the heavily defended medieval town of Caen. The troops also were determined to link up with British paratroopers and glider units who had landed the night before on special missions and were not equipped to withstand an armored counterattack alone.

Backed up by an impressive array of modified armored vehicles, the veteran 3rd Division, spearheaded by No. 4 Army Commando and 41 Royal Marine Commando, stormed ashore and secured its objectives with moderate casualties. No. 4 Commando also reached the airborne troops before they could be overwhelmed by German armor. However, the British failed to secure the key town of Caen on schedule.

The action on this Normandy beach is now covered in all the detail that has become standard with the Battleground Europe series.

Customer Reviews:

Ortona the First real test.......2002-10-15

The Canadian have been repeatedly set apart from the grand scheme of the hole war by some historian most of them from England, but in reality they have been deeply involve even if the quantity of man and woman was not as big as other countries.
Ortona gives you a sense of what it is to be a Canadian soldier. Well written, and well depicted, the story of some of the best regiment will give you a grip of the real thing, the fear and the bound that emerge from the hell of the shell and blood.

This book is a must have in any serious collection.

Paul Bougault
2Lt/Fus MR21/34thCBG/RCAC

Too Many Missions.......2002-03-18

Sword Beach is easily the best of the Battleground Europe series on the 1944 Normandy landings, even better than the same author's previous volume on Omaha Beach. This volume meticulously details the landings of the British 3rd Infantry Division and 27th Armored Brigade on the easternmost sector of the Allied invasion of France on D-Day. Tim Kilvert-Jones, a Sandhurst graduate and retired officer, uses all his professional acumen to deliver a fresh and incisive account that sheds much new light on one of the most neglected aspects of D-Day. Sword Beach is written with military students uppermost in mind and it provides far more narrative depth and insight than the standard Battleground Europe "tour guide" approach, although the volume is well written for staff rides. Since Field Marshall Montgomery had planned to take the city of Caen on the first day of the invasion, the British troops landing at Sword have often been accused of sluggish advancement inland toward Caen. In fact, Tim Kilvert-Jones aptly describes, the 3rd Division was tasked with too many competing missions and thus, could not fulfill all of them.

Sword Beach consists of seven chapters, beginning with two chapters that paint the strategic picture from both the German and Allied perspectives. The 24 pages of the third chapter discuss the Overlord Assault Plan for Sword Beach and Caen in great detail, including German defenses in the Sword sector, the 3rd Division assault plan, an excellent summary of each brigades' assigned tasks and composition and an aerial photograph of the invasion beach. The author is to be greatly applauded for including this sort of detail - which may seem tedious to some civilian readers - because proper historical evaluation requires knowledge of what was planned versus what occurred. The fourth chapter covers the assault landings in forty pages and includes several more excellent aerial photographs of German defensive positions and a 1:50,000 scale map that depicts the operational movements of the 3rd Division on D-Day. The fifth chapter is also excellent and covers the eight-hour struggle for the Hillman position and the German armored counterattack on Periers Ridge. The fifth chapter covers the consolidation of the bridgehead between June 7-17, 1944 but without the same level of detail as in previous chapters. The final chapter is rather weak and consists primarily of a strategic re-cap of the D-Day landings. A complete order of battle for the British combat units that landed on Sword is provided in an appendix.

Normally, the landings on Sword don't get much coverage in other D-Day narratives and for that reason alone, Sword Beach is well worth having. The author even includes unique information, such as the role of the British 3rd Division's artillery on D-Day. Unlike most British divisions which used towed 25-pounder howitzers, the 3rd Division had acquired three battalions of US-made 105mm M7 "Priests" for the landing, and trained to fire from landing craft. During the assault, the British artillery was firing battalion volleys while embarked on landing craft and heading in to the beach. Probably not very accurate, but probably the only occasion in history that a Divisional artillery group fired while moving onto to the objective. Unlike the Americans, who landed a great deal of infantry in the first waves, the British landed only four companies of infantry on Sword Beach in the first two waves. Instead, the British relied on combat multipliers to aid the initial assault and landed a great deal of amphibious tanks, armored engineer vehicles and even frogmen. The landing was not a cakewalk - which some glib American accounts suggest - since the South Lancashire Battalion suffered heavy casualties before the German "Cod" position was overrun. Overall, the British landing was a well-rehearsed, well-executed operation that rapidly overcame a prepared defense.

Unfortunately, the British difficulties began with the problem in getting masses of men and vehicles through the handful of narrow breaches through the beach obstacle belt. The congestion was terrible for several hours and ruined any attempt to adhere to the planned schedule. After clearing the beach defenses, the 3rd Division had four primary missions: to link-up with the British 6th Airborne troops at Pegasus bridge, to send a reinforced brigade to seize Caen, to secure the western flank against counterattack and to eliminate the remaining German strong points in sector. Unfortunately, this was just too many missions for even a reinforced division and with the advance inland falling rapidly behind schedule, the division and corps commanders had to make choices. Priority was given to link-up with the airborne and securing the western flank, both missions which were achieved on D-Day; Lord Lovat's commando brigade reached Pegasus Bridge six hours after H-Hour and in the west, an efficient British anti-tank screen defeated the 21st Panzer Division's hasty counterattack and destroyed 16 German tanks. Third priority was given to eliminating German strong points, which while successful, was time consuming. The German position known as "Hillman," which had about 150 troops inside, held up the bulk of a British brigade for eight hours in a long-drawn out fight. British infantry seemed incapable of simply bypassing resistance nests and thus, the British also succeeded in this mission but at great cost in terms of time and resources spent. The fourth mission, to seize Caen, was a failure. Few resources were left after all the other missions were allotted forces and only a company was left to probe toward Caen. This one company reached the city outskirts but prudently turned back once the extent of German forces in the area became apparent. Something had to give, and it was Caen. Tim Kilvert-Jones makes a very good case that while other commanders or units might have advanced more rapidly that day, that the 3rd Division commander made the right choice that day. Sword Beach vividly demonstrates the tough nature of command in combat, where leaders must choose between allocating resources against competing tasks.

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MAJOR AND MRS HOLT'S BATTLEFIELD GUIDE OPERATION MARKET GARDEN: Leopoldsville to Arnhem (Major and Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide)
Major Holt
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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Tourist Destinations & Museums | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
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A Tour of the Bulge Battlefield

Maj and Mrs. Holt's /Normandy

The 25 Best World War II Sites, European Theater: The Ultimate Traveler's Guide to Battlefields, Monuments & Museums (25 Best World War II Sites: European ... Ultimate Traveler's Guide to Battlefields)

Michelin Battle of Normandy Map No.102

A Traveller's Guide to the Battle for the German Frontier (Traveller's Guides to the Battles & Battlefields of WWII Series)

ASIN: 0850527856

Book Description

This guide to the area of the Arnhem operation features hundreds of color photographs, detailed tours of all the monuments and battle sites, and a large color map in addition to numerous ones in the text.

Besides tourists, re-enactors, gamers and readers fascinated with the drama of the Arnhem epic will find this an invaluable guide.

The Great Warpath: British Military Sites from Albany to Crown Point

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Worthwhile survey of Colonial Military sites
The Type of Work History Needs More of.

The Great Warpath: British Military Sites from Albany to Crown Point
David R. Starbuck
Manufacturer: UPNE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0874519039

Book Description

The waterway that runs between Albany and Canada contains the richest cluster of 18th-century military sites in the US. Fort William Henry and Fort Ticonderoga experienced fierce conflict during the French and Indian War, and the Saratoga Battlefield is forever linked to the American Revolution. While military historians have told and retold stories of the area's battles and generals, archeologist David Starbuck turns to the daily lives of soldiers, officers, and camp followers by examining the many objects and artifacts they left behind.

Enhanced by 150 photographs and drawings, Starbuck's interpretation of the journals, huts, pottery, ammunition, and other artifacts found at encampments and forts in the Lake Champlain, Lake George, and Hudson River area vividly re-creates the difficulties of soldiering. Because Starbuck and his crews unearthed many of these discoveries, his excitement drives the narrative and enhances an understanding of how colonial American battles were fought.

Customer Reviews:

Worthwhile survey of Colonial Military sites.......1999-10-06

Very good illustrated survey of Colonial Military sites in in the Lake George, Champlain area. Nicely illustrated with a brief history of each site. A true bargain at the price!!!! The only flaw I found was the author repeats the old misinformation regarding the excavation of the HMS Invincible site in England. This warship sunk in the 1750s which was excavated along with late 18th and 19th Century military buttons that washed into the wreck afterwards leading Archeologists to believe British military buttons were regimentally marked in the 1750s. It shows how Archeology can sometimes provide misleading history when the excavators have little knowledge of material culture.

The Type of Work History Needs More of........1999-05-24

The Great Warpath is a comprehensive integration of archaeology and history, the type of book history needs more of to make past subject matter more tangible and believable. Ironically, there are surprisingly few works which supplement history with archaeology or vice-versa. With The Great Warpath Starbuck fills the vacancy as he carefully balances the two fields and raises archaeology to a new level of importance. Specifically, the book deals with British Military history in the late 18th century as Starbuck interprets it from his many years as an archaeologist. All the major sights of the French and Indian War in New York State are covered, as well as a few sights from the American Revolution. The Great Warpath refers to the Hudson River, the main corridor in New York State, along which military engagements of the French and Indian War, and the American Revolution occured. Undoubtedly, The Great Warpath has something to offer every military historian who is not satisfied solely with the limits of written history.

ISLAND, THE: Nijmegen to Arnhem (Battleground Europe. Operation Market Garden)

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Wargamers Gem/Market Garden
Good Summary
Fills in Many Gaps in Market-Garden Story

ISLAND, THE: Nijmegen to Arnhem (Battleground Europe. Operation Market Garden)
Tim Saunders
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0850528615

Book Description

Having fought their way up fifty miles of Hell's Highway and through Nijmegen, XXX Corps was just ten miles from Arnhem and the 1st British Airborne Division. Here it found itself on an island of flat land between the Waal at Nijmegen and the Rhine at Arnhem. The situation was increasingly bad with the remainder of II SS Panzer Corps in the area and German counter attacks on Hell's Highway preventing the Allies applying their material superiority. The Guards Armoured and then 43rd Wessex Infantry Division took turns to lead before reaching the Rhine opposite the paratroopers in the Oosterbeek Perimeter.

Attempts to cross the Rhine by the Polish Paras and the Dorset Regiment had little success, but meanwhile, the guns of XXX Corps ensured the survival of the Perimeter. After some desperate fighting on the island, 43rd Wessex Division evacuated just two thousand members of the elite Airborne Division who had landed eight days earlier.

Customer Reviews:

Wargamers Gem/Market Garden.......2007-05-18

One of my favorites this book provides Maps Photos showing the routes of
attack and defensive positions, for British and German units locked in a death embrace for the "Island".The writing puts you in the front lines up close . So close that you begin to imagine you hear that dry unemotional British Narative cracking with fear and the bone tiredness that only the walking dead infantry know,Yet rising in defiant waves and carrying the lads to final victory. Filled with comments of Participents BUY IT.

Good Summary.......2004-03-15

The book is a quick read that provides a good summary of the battle. However, the editing and grammatical errors detract from the rating as they present too frequent distractions to enjoying the book.

Fills in Many Gaps in Market-Garden Story.......2003-01-19

Even readers familiar with the tragic events of Operation Market-Garden in September 1944 can learn quite a bit from this thin Battleground Europe volume entitled The Island. Betwe Island was located between the Rhine and Waal Rivers in Holland and had the final stretch of highway that led from Nijmegen to Arnhem. The island was the scene of intense fighting in the final stages of Market-Garden as the British XXX Corps frantically tried to batter its way through the German units that were threatening to overwhelm the British 1st Airborne Division located on the north bank of the Rhine. Tim Saunders, a veteran Battleground Europe author, brings his usual flair for battle narrative and military analysis to this account. The strength of this volume lies in its coverage of many important but oft-neglected facets of actions that contributed to the Allied failure in Market-Garden. Since Saunders covers events on the island between 21 September and 7 October 1944, it also demonstrates that the fighting in this area did not cease with the evacuation of the British 1st Airborne.

The Island consists of ten narrative chapters, beginning with a short background to the Operation Market-Garden plan. Chapter two covers the failed effort by the Irish Guards to reach Arnhem on 21 September. Chapter three covers the Polish parachute drop near Driel and XXX Corps fire support to the 1st Airborne on 21 September. Chapter four covers the 43rd Wessex Division attack on Oosterhout and the "dash to Driel" on 22 September. Chapter five covers the various efforts on 23-24 September to reinforce 1st Airborne across the Rhine, including the disastrous crossing of the 4th Dorsets. The evacuation of the 1st Airborne is covered in the sixth chapter. Chapter seven covers the "high water mark" of XXX Corps, with the final attacks on Elst on 23-24 September. Chapter eight covers the German bridgehead on the island at Randwijk and subsequent British counterattacks during 27 September - 10 October. Chapter nine covers the Battle of Aam-Bemmel, the final British 50th Division attacks on 4-5 October. The final chapter covers the activities of the US 101st Airborne Division on the island during the period 4-7 October, including the Battle of Opheusden. A short section on touring the battlefield follows the campaign narrative. Saunders provides an order of battle for the British XXX Corps and the US 101st Airborne, but not for the Germans.

Saunders does a great job showing how the British were unable to exploit the spectacular American capture of the Nijmegen Bridge on 21 September and sprint the final distance to Arnhem. The British spearhead - the Guards Armored Division - had become a very blunt instrument by this phase of the operation due to logistic problems and the diversion of forces to deal with German counterattacks on the exposed flanks of the salient. In modern terms, XXX Corps culminated at Nijmegen and had insufficient combat power remaining to accomplish its mission. Nor was the Allied failure only the fault of the ground forces; it was the collapse of Allied air support and artillery support at the critical point that doomed the breakthrough to Arnhem. Indeed, Allied air superiority had so deteriorated that the Germans were able to ferry 20 tanks on to the island and Saunders notes that, "it is a measure of the loss of air superiority, which the Allies had enjoyed since D-Day, that the Germans were able to move in daylight without being attacked by fighter-bombers." However, the Allies did get one lucky break in an operation otherwise plagued by chronic misfortune: the 1st Airborne fire support officers were able to contact and direct XXX Corps artillery despite the lack of proper code books. It was this artillery support that helped to discourage German attacks on the encircled 1st Airborne and probably prevented a massacre of that unit.

After a deliberate attack on a German blocking position at Oosterhout, the British were finally able to slip some units around the German flank and reach the south bank of the Rhine opposite the 1st Airborne. One interesting action rarely covered in other books is the German armored counterattack against the 5th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on the evening of 22 September. Five German Tiger tanks were knocked out by a combination of mines and light anti-tank weapons and Saunders notes that, "this incident reveals how a few determined infantry can destroy what would be during full daylight, an overwhelmingly powerful force." However, by the time that XXX Corps reached the Rhine, the position of the 1st Airborne was so precarious that evacuation was the only viable course of action.

Most accounts of Market-Garden stop once the British 1st Airborne is evacuated, but the fact that Saunder's account continues for two more weeks adds great value to this volume. Yet the fighting was not over and Saunders shows that both sides committed new resources to attempt to gain full control over the island. Indeed, flushed with victory at Arnhem, the Germans hoped to launch a major counterattack that would push the Allies all the way back across the Waal River. American readers should also note that the chapter on US 101st Airborne operations on the island highlights the lack of research in Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers. In BoB, Ambrose claims that the efforts of E Company, 506th PIR were decisive in stopping the German counterattack on 5 October, but this version is an insult to the men of the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 506th PIR who did the bulk of the fighting (with British tank support). Overall, The Island does an admirable job filling in many of the important details usually omitted from standard Market-Garden accounts. The author's skillful narrative, combined with excellent maps, makes this volume a first-rate piece of military history writing.

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