A Bridge at Arhnem

One of the largest military operations in the World War II European theatre was 'Operation Market Garden', an Allied offense that included a massive airborne strike against Nazi-occupied Holland. The purpose was to create a corridor through which Allied troops could bypass the German 'Siegfried Line', and invade the enemy homeland to defeat the Germans and bring down Hitler and his Nazis before Christmas. The military action was led by the First British Airborne Division (an elite unit known as the Red Devils) whose assignment was to seize the bridge across the Lower Rhine at Arnhem. But despite all the Allies could do, Operation Market Garden ended as a victory for the German forces. Now with "A Bridge At Arnhem", military historian Charles Whiting has written the complete story of this key military engagement that was to decisively affect the entire outcome of the operation. Included are the British officers who planned the operation and their assigned units who paid a blood price for the mistakes those planners made. This large print edition of "A Bridge At Arnhem" is especially recommended for community library Military History collections and would have particular appeal for older male readers who require a large print format.

The Battle of Arnhem had TWICE AS MANY CASUALTIES AS D-DAY. Think about that for a minute. How could something as bold and daring as OPERATION MARKET- GARDEN, which started with such promise, end in ignominious defeat for the Allies? Poor planning and an overstretched supply line. So what went wrong? On paper, it was brilliant, General Montgomery's plan, code-named Market-Garden, was in two phases. Phase One, Market, the airborne drop. Phase Two, Garden, the ground attack. The Allied objectives were three bridges. One at Eindhoven, one at Nijmegen, and the GRAND PRIZE. The bridge at Arnhem itself. It was smart, it was well-planned, well-executed, and doomed to failure. Why? The drop zones were too far from their objectives, the paratroopers jumped in broad daylight, something suicidal and something not done since the German raid on Fort Eban Emaile, the Germans, far from being defeated and demoralized, had regrouped and were ready to fight to the last man, and by the time it ended, General Browning said: "I think we went a bridge too far." I recommend this book.