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Operation Market Garden (Hardback)

Sep-44

Military > By Century > 20th Century WWII

By Simon Forty, Tom Timmermans
Imprint: Casemate Publishers
Series: WWII Historic Battlefields
Pages: 192
Illustrations: 500 color and b/w photos throughout
ISBN: 9781612005867
Published: 6th August 2018

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The battle of Normandy ended as the Allied armies crossed the Seine at the end of August 1944, a month after Operation Cobra had broken the stalemate. The Allies harried the retreating Germans, who left their tanks and heavy weapons south of the Seine, and by mid-September the Allies were coming up against the defences of Germany itself, the impressive Westwall.As far as the Allies were concerned, the Germans were beaten. The scent of immediate victory was in the air, the only question was where to apply the coup de grace. Logistics demanded that this should be a single thrust rather than Eisenhower’s broad front approach. Montgomery—the architect of victory in Normandy—proposed a daring plan to circumvent the Westwall, thrust towards Berlin, and make use of the newly created 1st Allied Airborne Army. The plan was simple: use the Paratroopers to hold key bridges along a single route along which British XXX Corps would make an advance that would be “rapid and violent, and without regard to what is happening on the flanks.” US 101st Airborne would land north of Eindhoven; 82nd Airborne at Nijmegen; British 1st Airborne at Arnhem—the so-called “bridge too far.”Unfortunately, the plan was flawed, the execution imperfect, and the Germans far from beaten. In spite of the audacious actions of the Paratroopers who would cover themselves with glory, Operation Market Garden showed that the German ground forces would still provide the Allies with stiff opposition in the West.And then, in 1977, A Bridge Too Far came out. With levels of realism that wouldn’t be approached for twenty years, the movie produced a view of the battle that subverted reality and permeated public perception. Just as George C. Scott produced the definitive Patton, so A Bridge Too Far provided an unnuanced view of the battles that historians have battled to correct ever since.As with its companion volumes on D-Day, the Bocage, and the Ardennes battlefields, this book provides a balanced, up-to-date view of the operation making full use of modern research. With over 500 illustrations including many maps, aerial and then and now photography, it will provide the reader with an easy-to-read, up-to-date examination of each part of the operation, benefitting from on-the-ground research by Tom Timmermans, who lives in Eindhoven.

This is classed as an illustrated book with less focus on narrative, as every page is packed with photos, maps and diagrams.
From the planning to the final evacuation of those soldiers able to escape, the range of photos are extraordinary. The book doesn't forget those who were lost during the campaign too. The many memorials, both in England and the Netherlands, and the cemeteries are also included.

There are plenty of black and white photos taken at the time and in the style of the 'then and now' series, readers will find some fabulous colour photos taken more recently.
Another huge plus is the high quality aerial photos of how these locations look today, which for anyone planning to visit, will surely find this a worthy companion.

Around 180 pages and in A4 size the photos are the stars of the book.
I may have read this in one evening, but what an enjoyable evening it was.
It is a fantastic, high quality addition for the shelf and I will definitely be seeking out the author's other illustrated editions, covering other campaigns.

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About Simon Forty

Simon Forty was educated in Dorset and the north of England before reading history at London University’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has been involved in publishing since the mid-1970s, first as editor and latterly as author. 
Son of author and RAC Tank Museum curator George Forty, Simon and his brother Jonathan have continued the family tradition, writing mainly on historical and military subjects including books on Hadrian's Wall, the Napoleonic wars and the two world wars, often in collaboration. Simon's latest book, published by Historic England, is D-Day UK: 100 Locations in Britain; Jonathan's Heavyweights: The Military Use of Massive Weapons. They are also co-authors of Tank Warfare 1939-1945.


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