The second world war was in its fifth year and still going hitlers way. It introduced significant elements that cornelius ryan did not cover in a bridge too far. What an amazing presentation of the famous battle to take the arnhem bridge during world war ii. The bridge the battle of arnhem september 1944 by hennie vaessen and graeme cunningham 1 sep 2011. The first dambusters and the race to save britain, i immediately purchased it. A critical study of the last major german victory of world war ii, one occasioned by a spectacular failure on the part of the allies. Antony beevor says arnhem was a military disaster doomed. My library includes books by stephen ambrose, james holland, robin neillands and charles whiting in addition to some biographies and the huge work done by after the battle. The costly british defeat at arnhem meant that operation market garden had been a failure, but the allies had at least established a lodgement area from which to launch a. The books covers the actions of both the american and the british airborne divisions, not just the battle at arnhem. The battle of arnhem operation market garden battlefield tours.
Having studied arnhem a little over the years, watched a bridge too far many times as well, this book really put some meat to. The battle for the bridges, 1944 is packed full of detail. Weve read the book or seen the movie of a bridge too far, and know that it was the. In 1974 cornelius ryans book a bridge too far, brought the battle to a wider audience. Only the 2nd battalion under lieutenantcolonel john frost had reached the arnhem bridge itself, and was now set up in defensive positions around its northern end. How historically accurate is the movie a bridge too far. Robert kershaw is the leading uk authority for the battle of arnhem and internationally recognised as an expert for his books and. The climax combines just about every cliche in the book, with a very. Buy mark feltons new book the bridge busters, available in kindle and paperback.
This book consists of interviews, research of british and polish airborne forces involved in arnhem, german forces and dutch civilians caught up in the battle. The book is extremely well researched and filled with facts but is never dull. I s hard to remember now, but europe was like this in 1944. The burma bridge busters anthony strotman, howard bell on. We start our then and now journey in the center of arnhem, click on the images for a full size version. The battle for the bridges, 1944 1st edition by antony beevor isbn. Aerial reconnaissance photo of the arnhem road bridge taken by the royal air force on 19 september, showing signs of the british defence on the northern ramp and wrecked german vehicles from the previous days fighting. More than 70 years ago the battle of arnhem as part of operation market garden took place in the city centre of arnhem. Each of the 9 chapters is packed with pertinent pictures and a recap by target and results of each major battle.
A bridge too far quotes and trivia from this amazing movie. Only a small force was able to reach the arnhem road bridge while the main body of the division was halted on the outskirts of the town. The bridge is named after majorgeneral john dutton frost 19121993, who commanded the british forces that reached and defended the bridge during the battle of arnhem in september 1944. The author tells the story of a bridge too far, to borrow the title of cornelius ryan classic on the same battle. A bridge too far is cornelius ryans masterly chronicle of the battle of arnhem, which marshalled the greatest armada of troopcarrying aircraft ever assembled and cost the allies nearly twice as many casualties as dday. In 1944, as the allies were heading for berlin, british airborne troops were dropped in to take the arnhem bridge, and the us 82nd airborne the penultimate nijmegen bridge.
So flawed, that theres a ton of counter evidence that shows it doesnt work. In the usa, the book is published as the battle of arnhem. In the second of his two battleground guides to the epic struggle put up by the british and polish paratroopers at arnhem. So, when i saw that he had written an historical novel set during world war ii, the bridge busters. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. However, in the movie he speaks the phrase at the end of operation market garden after the allied efforts to take the bridge at arnhem had failed. Britains infamous airborne assault of wwii, major general r. Forensic is too soft a word to describe the breadth of detail he brings. To ensure the success of operation market garden, the allied forces had to capture the bridge in arnhem. The bridge scenes in the movie were shot in deventer, where a similar bridge over the ijssel was available, as the area around arnhem bridge had changed too much to represent wwiiera arnhem. The title of the book comes from a comment attributed to lieutenant general frederick browning before the operation that i think we may be going a bridge too far. The bridge busters the first dambusters and the race to. It was taken on the willemsplein, in the center of arnhem, near the railway station. Bridge busters is the authentic and gripping story of the 394th bomb group.
It wasnt until many months later that ground forces captured arnhem in conventional fighting. The story of operation market garden, a paratroopled campaign to seize bridges on the rhine river between the netherlands and germany, has been often told, notably by former war correspondent cornelius ryan in his bestselling 1974 book a bridge too far. The phrase a bridge too far accurately sums up the reason for the defeat of the allied advance. Rarely seen photos of battle of arnhem reveal terrifying. Arnhem the bridge battleground europe steer, frank on. But the lightarmed airborne forces of the 1st british airborne division stood no chance against two ss panzer divisions that happened to be in the area. Featuring extensive footage drawn from the training films and newsreel cameras of both sides, this enhanced ebook offers a powerful account of an immortal episode in the history of warfare. Written by the commander of british forces on the ground at arnhem, this is an invaluable source on the battle ryan, cornelius, a bridge too far, coronet books, london, 1976 first published 1974. As a tribute, the rebuilt bridge was renamed john frost bridge after the commander of the paratroopers.
The books will satisfy the keenest of puzzle masters, budding artists and the deepest of thinkers. British tanks of xxx corps chugging up the road as reinforcements at least that was the plan. Our list is brimming with titles to spark the imagination and encourage exploration. Each of the 9 chapters is packed with pertinent pictures and a. Cornelius ryans a bridge too far gives an account of operation market garden, a failed allied attempt to break through german lines at arnhem in the occupied netherlands during world war ii. The true story of the battle of arnhem hodder great reads. Buster books loves to create books for curious and creative children. On september 26, 1944, operation market garden, a plan to seize bridges in the dutch town of arnhem, fails, as thousands of. By july they were able to begin their own offensive. The bridge busters the first dambusters and the race to save britain mark felton productions. John frost bridge john frostbrug in dutch is the road bridge over the lower rhine at arnhem, in the netherlands. Arnhem, the battle for the bridges appeared in 2018 and because of the successful lecture he gave in that year, beevor will once again tell about his book on 15. The book also discusses britains lack of large bombs, and heavy bombers to deliver them, illustrating further the fact that most countries were ill prepared for conflict at the time.
One of the most famous pictures of the liberation of arnhem, a 6pdr anti tank gun located inside a building. Battle for the bridges sees him return to stalingrad form. Antony beevors book arnhem is good but it contains a flawed argument. A scene from the 1977 film a bridge too far, which tells the story of the failure of operation market garden. New book reveals the full horror of the battle of arnhem after four humiliating years of occupation, the german retreat through the netherlands towards the reich caused an unusual degree of jubilation, disdain and harsh laughter among dutch civilians. Sir antony describes the unfolding of the battle in marvelous detail with numerous recollections from both allied and german participants. The bridge busters is a good book for anybody interested in military history and military aircraft. Seventy years on, arnhem has never forgotten its debt to. Operation market garden was monteys grand assault into arnhem.
Seventy years on, arnhem has never forgotten its debt to the thousands of british and polish soldiers who gave their lives in illfated allied plan to deliver final blow to hitler. June 6, 1944, when the allied forces, under their commander general eisenhower, landed on the northern coast of france. Antony beevor examines the arnhem mission in a new book. Cornelius ryans a bridge too far gives an account of operation market garden, a failed allied attempt to break through german lines at arnhem in the. Daily express antony beevor deploys all the qualities in this book that have made him our preeminent historian of the second world war. The book club click to join in the discussion about this months book, harvesting by lisa harding. The movie was adapted afterward by william goldman and screened in 1977. A bridge too far is based on the book with the same title, which was written in 1974 by the author cornelius ryan.
It was the brainchild of field marshal sir bernard law montgomery and strongly supported by winston churchill and franklin roosevelt. Operation market garden was a failed world war ii military operation fought in the netherlands from 17 to 25 september 1944. This book, written in beevors inimitable and gripping narrative style, is about much more than a single dramatic battle. One aspect of the battle he covers much better than older narratives is the heavy fighting beyond the arnhem bridge, the usual focus of marketgarden histories. The movie actually used the ijssel bridge at deventer as the arnhem bridge had too much traffic to be inconvenienced by the making of the movie. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Arnhem and operation market garden a bridge too far. The true story of the battle of arnhem hodder great reads by ryan, cornelius from amazons fiction books store. Crossing the full rhine before it splits into its delta branches at wesel would have had the strategic result that montgomery was pushing for, and in fact, that is what he did some six months later. It is an excellent companion to the movie a bridge too far which does an astounding job of portraying the operation on screen. The outstanding and valiant struggle of the bridge busters is told with grit, compassion and an attention to detail. Frosts 700 men did reach their position at arnhem bridge, but the help expected within two days from the tanks.