Arnhem (Great Battles)

By Christopher Hibbert

Book Overview

The vivid account of how a brilliant plan turned into an epic tragedy - made into the BAFTA award-winning film A BRIDGE TOO FAR 'Alive with the detail that evokes the smoking background' DAILY... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1842127276
• ISBN13: 9781842127278
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: Phoenix
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.0" x 0.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Meticulous Research Into British Battle.

"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

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.