The Battle Of Arnhem

The nine-day battle, fought at Arnhem in September 1944, is one of the great tragedies of the British Army. Had the 1st British Airborne Division succeeded in holding the bridgehead until the arrival of the 2nd Army, Field-Marshal Montgomery’s plan of a single full-blooded thrust across the Rhine and into the heart of Germany might have succeeded, and the war ended. But, based on erroneous intelligence and characterized by a succession of miscalculations, Operation Market Garden ended instead in surrender and retreat. How this disaster could have been avoided, or at least mitigated, is revealed with masterly analysis of the strategic and tactical aspects of the action. Vivid descriptions of the daily struggle shows the Battle of Arnhem was a victory for the human spirit. “A dramatic and intelligent tale of military blunder and human courage in the heart of World War II that will resound for as long as there is war.” (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)