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'The most brilliant reporter now alive'
(Malcolm Muggeridge, 1973 )'I know of no other work of literature of World War II as moving, as awesome and as accurate in its portrayal of human courage.'
(General James A Gavin ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.Review
'The most brilliant reporter now alive' -- Malcolm Muggeridge, 1973 'I know of no other work of literature of World War II as moving, as awesome and as accurate in its portrayal of human courage.' -- General James A Gavin
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I agree with the sentiments of the reader from Harrow wholeheartedly. Whether Operation Market Garden was a success or a failure, militarily sound or more an expression of the ambition of some of the personalities involved, it should be remembered by generations which follow as an example of supreme sacrifice and unparalleled courage. The Operation may have failed in its goals but no soldiers have fought harder and achieved so much than the airborne forces in Market Garden.
Veterans of other brutal engagements such as Anzio and Omaha Beach attested that the fighting they experienced in Arnhem, Nijmegen and elsewhere was the most ferocious and sustained they had ever seen. These personal views of the troops merely confirm Ryan's own excellent and harrowing decriptions of the desperate and relentless fighting.
The human cost of the Operation was appalling which, since this was due largely to some really dreadful oversights made by the Allies in the planning of the operation, makes the astronomic casualty rate - and the superhuman courage of the ultimately doomed servicemen - all the more distressing.
Ryan's book is very comprehensive and expertly researched, often exclusively from the very Commanders involved in the Operation (right to the very top!). The story unfolds at pace and Ryan keeps the reader completely abreast of all the events and the situations facing all the hopeless and strewn units (as they happen simultaneously throughout the region) in a masterful way. You can feel the futility and frustration of the besieged units growing with every delay of the armoured column and every German reinforcement. Whilst maintaining this strategic overview of the implications of what was happening on the ground - and what wasn't happening back on the airfields of England and back with XXX Corps - there is room in Ryan's book for every bit of detail.
The passages describing individual skirmishes and assaults are minutely detailed and expertly described, including not only the action but also the bizarre snapshots of images and thoughts, the quirky behaviour and especially the grim humour. If you want to read about Market Garden then 'A Bridge Too Far' is a must. If you're interested in military history or accounts of the courage, resolve and success of fighting men then read this and remember them.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The battle for the Rhine bridges around Arnhem gets forgotten about because (from an allied perspective) it was a disaster and no-one likes to talk about their disasters. I found it very difficult to read this book because of the terrible things it described, but I couldn't put it down anyway. If you've seen the film and put the whole battle down as a relatively minor incident during WW2 you ought to read this book and learn just what went on. In it's way it's every bit as important as Normandy or Stalingrad and the people who were there, civilian and military, from whichever side, deserve to be remembered by us. Read it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
By taking the journalistic approach, whilst ensuring the facts are as accurate as he could get them, Ryan's account of operation market garden is fascinating, compelling and at the same time personal.
Shifting between allied and German combatants, and the civilians caught in between, we follow events by the accounts of various groups of people.
Lives are pushed to the limit. Both good and evil, honour and dishonour are done in the extremes of battle.
Reading this reminds us that real people, not so different from you and I, experienced tension, fear and stress so far beyond our own lives that I at several points wondered if I would ever have been that brave or lucid, or would i have fallen apart like some did. I suspect many readers had similar thoughts.
Particularly fascinating is the experience of war at an indivual level, and the often surprisngly matter of fact relationship between enemies. Both Germans and allies could cooperate on matters of tending to injured or making arrangements for surrender and at times each showed the other mercy and kindess in the midst of all the violence.
By 'zooming' the focus of the book in and out of various individuals and groups of people we get the bigger picture at the same time as appreciating the smaller picture. A Superbly written book.
Shifting between allied and German combatants, and the civilians caught in between, we follow events by the accounts of various groups of people.
Lives are pushed to the limit. Both good and evil, honour and dishonour are done in the extremes of battle.
Reading this reminds us that real people, not so different from you and I, experienced tension, fear and stress so far beyond our own lives that I at several points wondered if I would ever have been that brave or lucid, or would i have fallen apart like some did. I suspect many readers had similar thoughts.
Particularly fascinating is the experience of war at an indivual level, and the often surprisngly matter of fact relationship between enemies. Both Germans and allies could cooperate on matters of tending to injured or making arrangements for surrender and at times each showed the other mercy and kindess in the midst of all the violence.
By 'zooming' the focus of the book in and out of various individuals and groups of people we get the bigger picture at the same time as appreciating the smaller picture. A Superbly written book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A well written, balanced history - and a thunderingly good read
This book is fairly ancient now, and its subject is fading into the mists of time too, but it is a vital element of the library of any Second World War buff. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Mike Obermaier
Superb
This book is fantastic. It gives a detailed account from all sides of the battle with great descriptions and quotations from the men and women who were involved. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mackey
My favourite book.................
This book, amongst all of the others that I own has, for many years been my favourite read. No idea how many times I've read it but, on each reading, such is the way that Ryan has... Read more
Published 11 months ago by A. Wharton
AWESOME
Before Antony Beevor, there was Cornelius Ryan. The beauty of this book is that Ryan got to interview so many principals, who were still alive. Read more
Published 14 months ago by David P. Weber
Great introduction to Operation Market-Garden
Great introduction to Operation Market-Garden. Good overview, with lots of anecdotes from participants. Included maps are appropriate/good. I quite enjoyed the writing style. Read more
Published on 17 May 2009 by QT
A classic
One of the best books on world war two. I've own more or less three hundred books on the theme and i must say that this one it's on top ten. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2007 by Luis Miguel Vale
The worst allied disaster of the war ?
I have read many books on the many battles of World War II but this one is by far the most superior. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2003 by Mr. M. L. Evans
Great Read
If you have any interest in WWII the this book may be just what you need.Gives a great perspective of the battle from both sides and not just from the Highups but also the... Read more
Published on 10 April 2000 by tani1959@talk21.com
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