Book Description
In a daring plan to end the war, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne jumped into the heart of Nazi-held Europe -- and began a journey into hell....
In September 1944 -- sixteen weeks after the D-Day invasion -- British Field Marshal Montgomery unleashed a daring attack aimed at the heart of Nazi Germany. For the men of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne, including nineteen-year-old Donald Burgett, the plan meant parachuting in broad daylight into Holland, securing the road to the Rhine River, and helping the British cross into Germany. It was a mission that sent thousands of young men to their deaths.
In this electrifying memoir, Donald Burgett takes us into seventy-two days of close-quarter combat in foxholes and towns against brutal Panzer counterattacks and into the face of the feared German 88mm artillery as the Screaming Eagles push straight into the might of the German Army. Capturing the horror and confusion of war, as ally and enemy move within yards of each other, Burgett tells the story of a legendary fighting unit's bloody victory -- in an epic battle for "a bridge too far."
Customer Reviews:
A Continuing Saga.......2007-09-17
I first read Donald Burgett's "Currahee" way back around 1975 or so. Many years later with the popularity of "D-Day","Citizen Soldiers" and "Band of Brothers" by Steven Ambrose I decided to re-read "Curahee". On doing so I found to my pleasant surprise that Don Burgett had continued his saga with "The Road to Arnhem - A Screaming Eagle in Holland".
When I re-read "Curahee" I found that it now seemed to me compelling but almost amateurish in its writing. Certainly as a 15 year old it had seemed more polished. But I was very pleasantly surprised by "The Road to Arnhem". While still compelling in its honest recitation of Donald Burgett's experiences as a member of the famed 101st Airborne infantry in World Wary Two, "Arnhem" is both more polished and more insightful into not only the events as they occured but also the author's feelings both at the time and in retrospect. For those of us who have never experienced combat Don Burgett does an excellent job of not only describing the physical nature but also of what was going through his mind as the events happened. The author also gives a wonderful tribute to the part played in the operation by both the British and Polish airborne troops - his sense of comraderie with these fellow troops is evident.
For anyone interested in a "ground eye view" of events of Operation Market Garden this book is a must.
An excellent first hand account of Operation Market Garden.......2007-05-16
I had a hard time understanding why Burgett's book about WW2 are
such good reads. The prose is relatively simple and direct, and
he most certainly does not rely on any literary devices. But perhaps it is exaclty
this, together with the fact that the man must have a most extraordinary
memory (or most vivid imagination - although I assume the former),
that makes these books so gripping. His books do transport
the reader back to the fields and foxholes of Europe in late 1944.
While no book can bring across the actual firsthand experience of war,
Burgett's books are probably as close as one can get.
Honor above victory.......2006-11-05
The real story of how the pompous banty rooster General Montgomery nearly lost the war on the Western front. It is a tale of arrogance and betrayal, wherein the betrayed fought nobly and many gave their last measure of devotion to a lost cause.
Heavy dose of Monty bashing.......2006-05-18
This is Burgett's personal account in Operation Market Garden. A good read if you enjoy first-person accounts sprinkled with liberal dose of humor.
Trapped 72 days behind enemy lines.......2005-12-20
This is the second book in a set of 4 books by the author, the books start with his training as a paratrooper in WWII, and follow his time in the war until he gets discharged after the war. The books in chronological order are 1)Currahee! 2) The Road to Arnhem 3) Seven Roads to Hell 4) Beyond the Rhime.
For those who call WWII, the last "good war", this is a wake up. This war was just as full of horror and nightmare as any conflict, and the men treated as poorty. We get a view of the daily misery of the troops between the episodes of their bravery driven by the urge to kill or be killed. The author was a member of the newly formed Screaming Eagles 101st Paratroop Airborne division, and the division made history and a reputation in this war.
Sixteen weeks after their heroics in the D-Day invasion, where they had been parachuted in the dark behind enemy lines, the 101 is being deployed again. Rested and resupplied they are anxious to get into the fray, if only to help speed the end of the war. This time they are turned over to British Field Marshal Montgomery to be used in his plan for Operation Market Garden. Paratroopers are best applied when dropped behind enemy lines to busy the enemey for 24 hours until the infantry can move up. Montgomery planned to drop English, American, and Polish paratroops as a new Airborne Army deep in enemy lines to secure the road to the Rhine River and it's vital bridges before the Germans blew them up while retreating. Because Montgomery did not fully understand the role of paratroopers, he had them risk a day time drop, as well as the gliders that were to bring their suppliles. The Germans had learned of their plans, due to Montgomery's tremendous blunder in failing to secure the battle plans, and simply attacked each glider from a hidden position with artillary and tanks as they landed. Our boys now had no food, transportation, or heavy weapons to rely on and were dropping right where the Germans knew they would. They just needed to hold out a day or two for the British infantry and supply convoy that was only 60 miles away. The support from mechanized units and infantry did not arrive on the next day, or even 8 days later, when the decimated British Paratroopers in one sector were finally given permission to withdraw. By then nearly the entire unit had been killed by overwhelming firepower from mechanized units. Outmannned and outgunned, the Red Devil unit fought on bravely. Betrayed by ineptness in command, help never came. The Polish paratroops suffered the same fate. The 101st could not come to their aid with the huge Rijnn River blocking their path, and their own survival at stake. In fact the 101st were stuck in the battle without aid or resupply from Montgomery for an unbelievable 72 days. They had been sent out much further than was an accessible goal for the infantry, tanks, and supplies to reach them. Even without supplies or support, the American paratroopers met their goals as ordered, but the failure of support and the misuse of their real skill as quick shock troops had been wasted along with the thousands of lives of nearly 80% of the men who had dropped in from the sky into the operation. Monty had blundered in a horrific manner, and worse yet would not admit a failure and kept the men there well past any reasonable judgement.
This book series by Donald Burgett is the most graphic and honest description of being an active fighting soldier in WWII I have read and left a deep impression on me. Simple words and detailed memeories from a simple man. It is a great read, and I could not put it down.
Book Description
Arnhem was the heaviest Allied defeat of 1944 and was the subject of the famous film A Bridge Too Far. Casualties during the battle were appalling; the brave and enduring Dutch people suffered catastrophically in the aftermath and German morale was strengthened at a time of otherwise ebbing fortunes. This new revised edition besides being a superb history is, above all, a record of quite extraordinary courage. It is unlikely to be superseded as the standard work on a bold, gallant, yet doomed, undertaking.
Customer Reviews:
"A Bridge Too Far" Indeed.......2005-10-06
I originally obtained a copy of Geoffrey Powell's "Devil's Birthday" on a visit to London 20 years ago. Unlike most works on the Arnhem battle, Powell, who was a company commander in the British "Red Beret" paratroopers who fought there, gives the reader the full scope of the campaign - not just the battle for Arnhem bridge.
He chronciles the bitter strife between the Allied commanders involved - not only Montgomery versus Eisenhower but within First Allied Airborne Army, between the American Air Force General, Lewis Brereton, an "odd choice" to command this Airborne Army, capable but with the shadow of the destruction of his command in the Phillipines at the beginning of the war hanging over him, and with his deputy, the brilliant but irascible British General Frederick "Boy" Browning, who as a genius in Airborne warfare had never actually fought in an Airborne engagement! Pressured by the quick Allied advance into France and the Low Countries after D-Day, Brereton and Browning kept planning airborne operations that were stopped at the last minute by Allied successes on the ground, Brereton and Browning clashed bitterly, and at one point the high-strung Browning (husband of "Rebecca" novelist Daphne DuMaurier)submitted his resignation - but chose to stay on.
Then Montgomery came up with his plan to secure the Rhine Bridges in Holland and open the gates into Germany's Ruhr - Operation Market-Garden. Browning became an enthusiastic proponent of this, in no small part for finally unleashing his trained and beloved 1st British Airborne Division into battle. (its sister division, 6th Airborne, had already seen combat on D-Day as chronicled in Stephen Ambrose's "Pegasus Bridge") The normally cautious Browning failed to heed or take seriously all warnings including one from his chief intelligence officer, Major Brian Urquhart (later Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations) that the Germans, far from beaten, had brought tanks into the Arnhem area, Thus, as thousands of brave, enthusiastic British and American paratroopers prepared for battle, a tragedy was already in the works.
Powell surprisingly is not as critical of Browning as are other British participants, including the Arnhem field commander, the late John Frost are. Colonel Frost (later a Major General in the British Army) was wounded and captured along with the majority of his command trapped alongside the Arnhem bridge by German tanks and infantry. His only criticisms of Browning is for taking his battalion-sized headquarters into Holland at the Groesebeek Heights outside the town of Nijmegen, where the American 82nd Airborne had landed and were more successful than the British were, however suffering extremely heavy casualties. Powell felt that Browning, desirious to see combat, should have stayed in Britain and directed the battle from there, including further drops by Polish paratroopers and the subsequent relief effort. Being "on the ground" in the midst of it all could not and did not give Browning an overall sense of the fight. Otherwise Powell's criticisms of Browning are mild compared to other Airborne personnel - including Frost who bitterly writes how Browning told airborne commanders - Arnhem Bridge - take that, and then went on to say to the Americans - and seize Groesebeek Heights.
General John "Shan" Hackett, a great British Military Historian who was also one of the 1st Airborne Battalion commanders, was wounded and narrowly evaded capture in the confusing, swirling battles that marked the aftermath of the failure to take Arnhem Bridge has rightfully credited Powell with writing a full book about the full campaign, including the splendid contributions of the American paratroopers of Jim Gavin's 82nd Airborne and Max Taylor's 101st, who did achieve their objectives albeit with heavy casualties; and of the efforts of the Polish Airborne, who tried to relieve their British comrades - wishing though that they had been deployed over Warsaw instead of the Dutch countryside. The Polish commander, a very experienced officer who had fought the Nazis in the battle of Warsaw and had escaped via the underground to France, had constantly warned Browning about "the Germans, General, the Germans" and had been rewarded with being dismissed from command following the debacle.
If not the best book written on the scope of the Arnhem campaign, Powell's book is indeed the best one written by an active "Red Beret" participant of "The Bridge Too Far".
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This, my country: A view of Arnhem Land
Penny Tweedie
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0002164485 |
Book Description
THE CLASSIC ACCOUNT OF ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC BATTLES OF WORLD WAR II
A Bridge Too Far is Cornelius Ryan's masterly chronicle of the Battle of Arnhem, which marshalled the greatest armada of troop-carrying aircraft ever assembled and cost the Allies nearly twice as many casualties as D-Day.
In this compelling work of history, Ryan narrates the Allied effort to end the war in Europe in 1944 by dropping the combined airborne forces of the American and British armies behind German lines to capture the crucial bridge across the Rhine at Arnhem. Focusing on a vast cast of characters -- from Dutch civilians to British and American strategists to common soldiers and commanders -- Ryan brings to life one of the most daring and ill-fated operations of the war. A Bridge Too Far superbly recreates the terror and suspense, the heroism and tragedy of this epic operation, which ended in bitter defeat for the Allies.
Customer Reviews:
Should be in the library of every military history buff.......2007-06-17
A Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Battle of World War II by Cornelius Ryan gives one of the best accounts of General Montgomery's ill-fated plan and operation to turn the German northern flank on the Western front during September 1944 of World War II. Montgomery hoped to push into the heart of industrial Germany. It was his plan for personal glory to end the war in 1944.
This narrative non-fiction work by Cornelius Ryan brings together the objectivity and insights of a historian with the narrative style of a novelist. Ryan brings historical events to life in a style like Stephen Ambrose. Ryan's writings keep your interest. He gives the experiences of the individual soldiers and Dutch resistance members. He tells the story from all sides. The roles and effects of these operations on the civilians unfortunate enough to be caught up in events are included. I was shocked to learn of the horrific communication issues among the British. I felt Ryan was placing blame for those problems at the feet of the Americans. From reading Ryan's work I found a dramatic lack of urgency on the part of the British. An example is after the 82nd had secured their main bridge objective which included tremendous sacrifice the British simply camped for the night brewing their tea while their fellow countryman were still encircled and dying in Arhen. I was disappointed that Montgomery was not slammed for this operation. From the account Montgomery is lucky he wasn't relieved of command or sacked on the spot.
I recommend the book, though at times I found the reading and story too slowly unfolding. It is one of the all time classics of World War II and should be in the library of every military history buff.
classic literature.......2007-06-08
excellent book. i remember seeing the movie when it first came out and it blew me away. this book remains my favorite all-time military choice. if you can get your hands on the paperback, i suggest it. the paperback has more detail, but this book is truly remarkable even if it has been condensed a bit. cornelius ryan was a fantastic author. this book tells about a military campaign that is usually overlooked due to d-day and the battle of the bulge. i think this military campaign needs to be remembered due to the heroism of the men involved and cornelius ryan brings out that heroism as if you are actually seeing the battle unfold. great military literature.
classic literature.......2007-06-08
excellent book. i remember seeing the movie when it first came out and it blew me away. this book remains my favorite all-time military choice. if you can get your hands on the paperback, i suggest it. the paperback has more detail, but this book is truly remarkable even if it has been condensed a bit. cornelius ryan was a fantastic author. this book tells about a military campaign that is usually overlooked due to d-day and the battle of the bulge. i think this military campaign needs to be remembered due to the heroism of the men involved and cornelius ryan brings out that heroism as if you are actually seeing the battle unfold. great military literature.
classic literature.......2007-06-08
excellent book. i remember seeing the movie when it first came out and it blew me away. this book remains my favorite all-time military choice. if you can get your hands on the paperback, i suggest it. the paperback has more detail, but this book is truly remarkable even if it has been condensed a bit. cornelius ryan was a fantastic author. this book tells about a military campaign that is usually overlooked due to d-day and the battle of the bulge. i think this military campaign needs to be remembered due to the heroism of the men involved and cornelius ryan brings out that heroism as if you are actually seeing the battle unfold. great military literature.
A Most Moving Account of Monty's Market-Garden.......2007-03-22
A Bridge Too Far is one of the best accounts of Operation Market Garden. Ryan's writing style - a third person narration cycling from such major figures of the whole operation as Major General Roy Urquhart of the Red Devils and Lieutenant General Wilhelm Bittrich of the II SS Panzer Corps to the NCO's and officers that fought out the various skirmishes succeeds in presenting an unbiased account of the proceedings. Through Ryan's lucid, unexaggerated words, the reader will find himself/herself transported to the various scenes the author has chosen to portray and will personally experience the courage and resolve of the Airborne Units as well as the frustration the Germans no doubt felt at their inability to crush their outnumbered enemies.
The detail that Ryan so meticulously works in to the book outlines the situation for the Allies just before the conceiving of Operation Market Garden, the planning that went into it, the actual events that shaped its outcome, and finally the ending of what was to be the greatest Allied defeat on the Western Front. The scope that Ryan was able to incorporate in this book - with personal accounts of Germans, Britons, Americans and Dutch given, is in my opinion, his greatest achievement.
Conclusion- this book being one of the first accurate accounts of Market-Garden in that it gave readers in the victorious countries of the UK and the US the first proper account of the magnitude of its failure, is a great read for anyone who is interested in learning more of the events on the Western Front of World War Two, or simply searching for a good book that gives proper credance to the events of history, and to the bravery of the men who so gallantly shaped it.
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Australian Aboriginal Paintings
Jennifer Isaacs
Manufacturer: New Holland Publishers,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1864368039 |
Book Description
A collection of traditional Aboriginal paintings which spans decades and which displays the distinctive styles of two regions of Australia: the western desert and Arnhem Land. The paintings are simply presented to be easily appreciated, with brief notes interpreted from the information provided by the artists themselves.
Book Description
Since its original publication in 1996, this book has become an important classic account of the operations of Holland in September of 1944.
Despite a plethora of books on the Market-Garden Operation, most notably Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far, the German perspective has never been fully examined. After years of research, author Robert Kershaw has written a comprehensive account of the operation from the German point-of-view. Kershaw has completed exhaustive research of the few remaining German archival documents, corroborated by numerous eyewitness and diary accounts, including much previously unpublished material.
Why did the German soldiers fight so doggedly in Holland when the was was clearly lost? How was the Arnhem bridge so easily captured by the British? These and other crucial issues are examined through the eyes of the German participants, themselves, and a wealth of new comment and information brings the German perspective to life.
"before this book, German sources had never been adequately examined... The result is a compelling story, not just of the German reaction to the Allied attach, but also of the personal thoughts and experiences of men in Combat."--Marine Corps Gazette
Customer Reviews:
The one book on Market Garden you must have.......2007-05-18
Blow by Blow , Maps, Orbats,comentary by those that where there.
After reading this book I felt at first as if I had lost a Family Member.
It shows the British Airbourne to be a Fragile Human thing torn to bits frame by frame in front of my eyes , tear filled I was unable to close them. My own myths where shatered ,they were mere human beings not the gods I had always admired.I went the standard route Denile (nazi propaganda)Anger (so many brave young men and a Division gone)In the End I came to realise that in truth The first Airbourne stood higer shined all the Brighter for that very Fragility. The German reactions should be seen as one of the greatest acts of command and controll ever excersised on a modern Battlefield. Stop reading this and buy the book.....
An excellent history..........2003-08-01
For anyone interested in a comprehensive understanding of how the Market Garden campaign was fought by the German forces, this book is essential. It provides a thorough analysis of the units that fought the battle, their individual strengths and compositions, in addition to the roles they played in the actions at Arnhem, Nijmegen, and other sectors of fighting.
Kershaw's book is concise and objective. He clearly illustrates the actions fought, and draws sound conclusions on how and why German successes were achieved, as well as failiures. It is one of the best chronicles of battle at the Kampfgruppe level that this reader has encountered.
Numerous personal recollections are drawn upon, enlivening the academic recital of operational details. It is also supported by a generous selection of maps and photos that complement the text.
Detailed and very readable at the same time, it must rank among the foremost works on the battle for the crucial bridges targeted in Market Garden.
Fantastic Presentation of the German Viewpoint.......2003-04-27
The difficulty with reading Ryan's "A Bridge to Far" or Middlebrook's "Arnhem" (both excellent books) is you don't get the full sense of what's happening on the other side. It wouldn't matter so much in histories of many other battles, but Operation Market-Garden was notable for its confusion. As a result, the understanding of the whole story particularily benefits from the German viewpoint.
Kershaw takes a logical method of breaking the battle down into pieces, and has added new insights to each section of the battle. Some parts are slightly sketchier than others, but I suppose that's due to the lack of available information. The book also has several series of photographs, though Kershaw takes the somewhat annoying tack of describing each photograph in the text as well -- one picture is worth a thousand words. Lastly, the author disputes the theory that the British 1st Airborne would have held the Arnhem bridge if they had landed closer to it.
Eine Brücke auch weit.......2003-04-16
While Robert Kershaw's "It Never Snows in September" doesn't read like C. Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far", it is a wonderful complement and serious study. Kershaw's book details the Battle for Arnhem and associated actions of the Allies Operation Market-Garden from the German perspective. As such this book is in many way the mirror image of Ryan's book, told from the Allied side of the fence. Where "A Bridge Too Far" is wonderful literature on its own right, independent of its value as a historical work, "It Never Snows" is a more difficult read from a pure reading pleasure standpoint but is a WONDERFUL historical treatise. Kershaw uses both historical documents and first hand accounts from interviews of surviving German soldiers to weave an intricate story of the German's surprise to Market and subsequent response to Market and Garden that ultimately stop dead the push Monty thought could go all the way to the Ruhr and beyond to Berlin. While there are no real surprises in terms of the battle perspectives themselves the vantage point provided from looking back at the Allies rather than the traditional way (we Americans) look out at the Axis armies is very refreshing. Another aspect of "It Never Snows" that makes it a really nice piece of work is its thorough documentation of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps' role that was critical to the German blunting of Market-Garden. "It Never Snows" is possible one of the most thorough studies of the 2nd SS (aside from Michael Reynold's "Sons of the Reich") out there that is also enjoyable to read.
Certainly "It Never Snows In September" is not written a la Ryan or Ambrose - so if you need your history slick and stylish this is probably not for you - but it is readable and fun to read. Kershaw is a military man by training not a writer like Ryan or Ambrose and given that fact "It Never Snows" is actually a quite good read. It's not simple a dry treatise of facts, there is heart and sole. If you want to know more about Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem, and want to have fun learning about it, I suggest combining "A Bridge Too Far" and "It Never Snows in September" as a tag-team. These two books alone will give you your fix and them some. "It Never Snows" is currently out of print and getting a copy will cost you (unless you can find one in a library somewhere) but it's worth every cent!!!
An Excellent Battlefield Account.......2002-01-03
Although there are many books on the famous Operation Market-Garden in September 1944, It Never Snows in September is the best account in English that covers the German perspective on the battle. The author, a serving British army officer, delivers an excellent account that offers valuable insights from the enemy viewpoint as well as sound military analysis. Furthermore, the well-written narrative is enriched by excellent photographs (many from German collections) and detailed tactical maps. This book is a feast for military historians and deserves a place in any military library.
The book is divided into 27 short chapters that cover the period from 2 September to 4 October 1944. Three interesting appendices cover the German orders to 2nd SS Panzer Corps on 17 September 1944, a detailed German order of battle for the entire campaign and a casualty estimate broken down by sub-units. Kershaw's research into German sources is extensive and while it does have gaps, it provides far more detail than standard sources on the battle than journalistic accounts like A Bridge Too Far. For example, Kampfgruppes Spindler, the vital blocking force that prevented the British 1st Airborne from reaching its objectives in strength on the first day, is not even mentioned in Ryan's classic account.
Kershaw's view of the battle differs from most of the Allied accounts of the operation. In his view, "Allied historians have tended to blame mistakes rather than effective countermeasures in order to account for the failure." It was, "improvisation and rapid build-up of [German] force [that] blunted the attacks...German reaction times were astonishing." Certainly the ability of the German commanders to rapidly assemble effective battle groups from various odds and ends - including Luftwaffe ground troops, sailors and railway workers - and throw them into the battle was incredible, but it came at the price of high casualties. The untrained German kampfgruppes often suffered 50% losses in initial combat and these units had little ability to gain ground. Nevertheless, the rapid deployment of these hodgepodge formations frustrated the over-complicated Allied plan that had not allowed for any significant enemy action. Thus, Kershaw concludes that alterations to the Market-Garden plan, such as dropping the British 1st Airborne Division closer to Arnhem Bridge, probably wouldn't have changed the outcome very much.
Another unique aspect that Kershaw brings out is the huge command and control problems affecting the German response to a huge, unexpected airborne attack. The German chain of command in Holland was vague when the attack began and the Germans had made the amateur mistake of making the main north-south highway the command boundary; the British 30th Corps attack up this highway physically split the German forces. Lack of radios in most units forced the German to rely on telephones and runners, which made response times very slow and inhibited the flexible tactical style that the German leaders preferred. Officers were given ad hoc units and had to inspire untrained, often un-motivated troops to assault elite Allied paratroops that were dug-in. Coordinating the attacks to sever the vital Allied link on "Hells Highway" was very difficult for the Germans and their command and control deficiencies were a critical restraint on their ability to effectively counterattack.
Although the book overall is excellent, there are a few noticeable omissions and errors. In terms of omissions, the critical actions around Elst on 21-23 September 1944 are not detailed. How exactly did the Germans stop the final Allied lunge toward Arnhem Bridge and what exactly did the British do to try and break through? Interestingly, part of the initial contact between the British 43rd Wessex Division and kampfgruppes Knaust near Elst on the evening of 22 September 1944 is mentioned, but only concerning British casualties. There is no mention that the British ambushed and destroyed five Tiger tanks in that action. With the artillery, air and armored firepower available to 30th Corps, the inability to breach the German defenses at Elst deserves more attention in this account, particularly since the author cites the actions north of Nijmegen as decisive in determining the outcome. In terms of errors, there are some noticeable mistakes in the German order of battle, particularly concerning the Tiger tanks used in the battle. Only two companies of the 506th Heavy Tank battalion, with 30 Tiger II tanks, served in the later stages of the battle - the other company went to Aachen. Kershaw incorrectly identifies the "Hummel" company as part of the 506th, but it was actually an independent company with 14 Tiger I tanks. Panzer Company 224 had 16 ex-French Char B tanks, not 8 Renault tanks. The composition of the 10th SS Panzer is also overly-vague. The point is that the author's research is over twelve years old and new research in German archives have turned up information that clarifies and refines some of the data presented in this book.
Overall, this book provides a much-needed English language account of the German view of Operation Market-Garden. Many fine details that help to clarify the critical elements of the battle are presented here. Some of the author's conclusions, such as those attempting to develop lessons that might assist a NATO defense against a Soviet airborne attack, are no longer relevant but the details of this brutal, exhausting, nerve-wracking, too-close-to-call battle provide their own lessons. This book belongs in any professional military reading list.
Book Description
In the fall of 1944, Allied commanders planned to land airborne divisions in an attempt to capture a series of bridges behind German lines, including the "bridge too far" at Arnhem. Geoffrey Powell, himself a veteran of the Arnhem operation, drew on conversations with many other survivors of the battle to write one of the most dramatic of all accounts of the battle
When the book was first published in 1976 under a pseudonym, it was at once recognised as one of the finest evocations of an infantryman's war ever written.
Customer Reviews:
A Gripping Tale of Combat.......2004-02-14
Geoffrey Powell describes his experiences during the British fight at Arnhem. He packs emotion into every sentence. Powell, as a company commander, readily admits mistakes he made in battle and the pain he experienced as a result of those mistakes shows in his words. His detailed desciptions of moments on the battlefield resonate with the reader long after the book is finished. The suffering and sacrifice endured by the British Paratroopers comes to life in this book. If you liked any of the American Airborne books by Donald Burgett or Ross Carter, you will love this book.
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- Meticulous Research Into British Battle.
- Arnhem Lite
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Arnhem (Great Battles)
Christopher Hibbert
Manufacturer: Phoenix Press
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ASIN: 1842127276 |
Book Description
Here is the true story of the events that inspired the famous film, A Bridge Too Far, told in compelling style by Christopher Hibbert, one of Britain's foremost historians.
In September, 1944, in Arnhem, Holland, what was to have been a brilliant battle-a battle meant to hasten an end to the war-instead turned into an epic tragedy. Nine-thousand men of the First British Airborne division parachuted into the countryside, behind German lines, with a mission: to capture and hold the bridge over the Rhine ahead of the advancing British Second Army. But the result was disastrous: the men faced constant bombardment. Nine days later, after some of the fiercest street fighting of the war, only 2,000 of the paratroopers managed to escape to safety.
Customer Reviews:
Meticulous Research Into British Battle........2007-02-06
"Arnhem" by Christopher Hibbert. Phoenix Paperbacks, New York 1998.
This book was originally written in 1962, which predates the 1974 book, "A Bridge Too Far" by Cornelius Ryan. Ryan's book is about the defeat of the Allies in Operation Market Garden. Hibbert's book is about the defeat of the British at the bridge in Arnhem.
In my opinion, Christopher Hibbert has written a meticulous history from the British point of view, so much so that the author lionizes Field Marshall Montgomery. Later books, including Ryan's, point out the inconsistencies in Montgomery's plans for Operation Market Garden, 1944. The author, Hibbert, however, would almost have you believe that the failure of Market Garden was due to General Eisenhower's decision to spread the logistics around so that General Bradley and General Patton received too many supplies with the result that Montgomery's forces did not receive enough. At least that's what I get from reading the book.
Then, Hibbert mentions but does not give enough emphasis, in my opinion, to some of the mistakes that Montgomery made. For example, on page 45 (paperback), the author mentions that the Dutch resistance reported that there were two SS Panzer Divisions near the proposed drop zone at Arnhem. Further, the major, who was the aerial photograph analyst, was brow-beaten into quiet, so photos showing the Nazi armor were ignored.
Having said all this, bear in mind that this review is not intended to cast any aspersions on the superlative efforts of the British forces. All in all, this book gives you many, many details abut the heroism of the British forces at Arnhem.
Arnhem Lite.......2003-09-27
While not as wordy as works by Ryan and Middlebrook, this is a great small book that details the battle waged by the heroic 1st Airborne Division.
I would reccomend on that basis alone.
Book Description
Ernie says goodbye to his friends Rosie, Frank, Tessa, Nicky, Clive, and Celeste, and promises to write to them. He flies over the desert and crosses the floodplains and the East Alligator River to his new home in Arnhem Land in the Australian outback, where he will live for a year while his parents work in a hospital there. Ernie writes to each friend about a different season â Kudjewk, Bangekerreng, Yekke, Wurrkeng, Kurrung, or Kurnumeleng â explaining what that time of year brings and revealing the exciting things that he and his new friends are doing. Back home, his six old friends share what they have learned and try some of the activities of the Australian outback.
Customer Reviews:
Open Letter to Author.......2006-07-25
We have had so much fun reading these books over the years...with each new release we have enjoyed them all over again. Even though my kids have long outgrown them from an age perspecitve, we still joke about when Nikki will get her own title! Ms. Lester...you have given Frank, Clive, Rosie, Tessa, Celeste and Ernie their time in the limelight...it is now time to give Nikki her chance to shine!
Adventures in another culture.......2001-07-03
This book is about a little boy who fly to Australia where his parents are working. He sends letters to his classmates home in America to let them know of all the things he is doing. My girls loved the story. A very cute book for learning about another culture, in this case the Aborigines of Australia.
Book Description
This unique volume presents only the finest images from this battle as never seen before utilizing a layout that emphasizes maximum photographic reproduction and dramatic impact.
All images presented in this unique photo book were taken by official German War Correspondents.
Books:
- The Secret of the Incas: Myth, Astronomy, and the War Against Time
- The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Awakening, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND: 10 Keys for Unlocking Your Personal Potential, Achieving Spiritual Awakening, ... of Humanity's Ultimate Cosmic Destiny
- The Triumph of the Sun
- The Venona Secrets, Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors
- The Vietnam War: An Encyclopedia of Quotations
- The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy
- The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943
- Thermopylae: The Battle for the West
- To Be a U.S. Army Green Beret (To Be A)
- To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13-25, 1864
Books Index
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