Best Operation Market Garden Books

[Bamilus]

The all too typical and cliche "Best X Books" thread had to be started. [:D]

I have not read any books that are specifically about Market Garden, but I would like too. I can't share any reviews but I can get us started by listing some books I found while searching around....

A Bridge Too Far - The most famous and well known book (later turned into a movie) about Operation Market Garden

It Never Snows In September - I'd like to see if anyone has read this book. It looks promising. It covers the German side of Market Garden

Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, 17-26 September - Looks to be a book that focuses specifically on the British landings at Arnhem

There are a few more, but they have a limited number and/or disappointing reviews (at least from Amazon). You can find them easily by looking at the similar products from some of the above links.

If anyone has any good sites or other reads, please post them. Unfortunately it seems like books on Market Garden are severely lacking, but hopefully we can all find some good resources.

[D.Ilse]

The Pen and Sword series are also very good.

I have Hell's Highway, Arnhem and Oosterbeek Landings, Nijmegen, Arnhem-The Bridge, The Island.

Also I have to 2nd the recommend on It Never Snows. great read, and interesting to see the Battle from the German POV.

[Neil N]

3rd that...It Never Snows in September is an excellent read.

Also on my recommended list, but not mentioned yet:

The Road To Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland - Donald Burgett
The Cauldron - can't remember. It's a pseudonym for a former Red Devil who wrote the book while in prison some time after the war.
Hell's Highway - George Koskimaki

[Llyranor]

Well, I would suggest...

ORIGINAL: Bamilus
A Bridge Too Far

It Never Snows In September

Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, 17-26 September

... oh, looks like you've already got them listed. Carry on.

The 3 best ones, IMO. Bridge Too Far is great for the narrative and overall story.

Never Snows in September is great for the German perspective. However, do NOT get the version you have listed, get THIS one instead http://www.amazon.com/Never-Snows-Septe ... 860&sr=1-1 (or the hardcover) It has a bunch of photos and maps that the other paperback doesn't have.

Middlebrook's Arnhem 1944 is great for focusing on the British specifically at the Arnhem sector. Good detail. The paperback is out of print, but it's been reprinted in hardcover recently http://www.amazon.com/ARNHEM-1944-Airbo ... 917&sr=1-1

On top of that, I'd also recommend Operation Market-Garden: Then and Now, in 2 volumes
http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Market- ... 004&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Market- ... =1-1-spell
Not only does it have tons of good comparison photos, but the text also goes in fairly good detail on the operation in general, including the 101st and 82nd sectors (in more detail than the other books mentioned above have). It seems pretty comprehensive. I've only read up to the 1st volume right now, though.

[jhdeerslayer]

ORIGINAL: Llyranor

Well, I would suggest...

ORIGINAL: Bamilus
A Bridge Too Far

It Never Snows In September

Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle, 17-26 September

... oh, looks like you've already got them listed. Carry on.

The 3 best ones, IMO. Bridge Too Far is great for the narrative and overall story.

Never Snows in September is great for the German perspective. However, do NOT get the version you have listed, get THIS one instead http://www.amazon.com/Never-Snows-Septe ... 860&sr=1-1 (or the hardcover) It has a bunch of photos and maps that the other paperback doesn't have.

Middlebrook's Arnhem 1944 is great for focusing on the British specifically at the Arnhem sector. Good detail. The paperback is out of print, but it's been reprinted in hardcover recently http://www.amazon.com/ARNHEM-1944-Airbo ... 917&sr=1-1

On top of that, I'd also recommend Operation Market-Garden: Then and Now, in 2 volumes
http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Market- ... 004&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Market- ... =1-1-spell
Not only does it have tons of good comparison photos, but the text also goes in fairly good detail on the operation in general, including the 101st and 82nd sectors (in more detail than the other books mentioned above have). It seems pretty comprehensive. I've only read up to the 1st volume right now, though.

I have all these and highly recommend them all. Then and Now is just awesome whether they do Market Garden, Bulge, D-Day, etc...

[D.Ilse]

http://www.defendingarnhem.com/

good site on info regarding Op.Market-Garden.

[RD Oddball]

Not sure how they're received critically but I happen to like them: The Battleground Europe series on Market Garden has some very detailed info in them. Some good then and now photos. Three in the series. Hell's Highway, Nijmegen and The Island. Looking just inside the front cover the list about 20-30 other books on WWII as well. I was only able to find the book on Nijmegen (Grave and Groesbeek) - US 82nd and Guards Armored Division.

I have a different cover on my edition but it looks like the same content:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Market ... 0850528152

[D.Ilse]

ORIGINAL: RD_Oddball

Not sure how they're received critically but I happen to like them: The Battleground Europe series on Market Garden has some very detailed info in them. Some good then and now photos. Three in the series. Hell's Highway, Nijmegen and The Island. Looking just inside the front cover the list about 20-30 other books on WWII as well. I was only able to find the book on Nijmegen (Grave and Groesbeek) - US 82nd and Guards Armored Division.

I have a different cover on my edition but it looks like the same content:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Market ... 0850528152

I have books from the series for Normandy and Op.Market Garden and I like them.

[RD Oddball]

Cool. Good to know. I presume the other books were not all written by the same author? How do the Normandy books stack up? About the same thematically or do they have a slightly different approach?

[IanAM]

Hi

Anyone interested in Arnhem may like to take a look at my site too - hill107.net.

Few photos, transcriptions of historical documents and newspapers and general info there!

Self promotion now over

[SteveMcClaire]

For the American perspective, these books are decent.  Check your public library if you're in the USA, they are both pretty common items.

All American, All the Way (82nd Airborne history)

Rendezvous with Destiny (101st Airborne history)

Both give a good overview of the day to day action for the American side.  Specific details (like unit strengths) and information on the Germans is pretty sparse, however.

[chiroho]

If you're interested in the British perspective, particularly that of the 1st Airborne Division, then Arnhem by Major General Robert E Urquhart is a good book. It was a published in 1958, and has a lot of interesting personal observations by Urquhart about the battle, the events which occurred during it, and his thoughts afterwards. Definitely worth a read.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Llyranor

On top of that, I'd also recommend Operation Market-Garden: Then and Now, in 2 volumes

Second this recommendation - like the Bulge book it is definitive.

The 2-volume slip cased version is available right now from Amazon UK:

Operation Market-Garden Then and Now: Vol 1 & 2 Slip Case

The black picture btw is the slip case cover!

[IanAM]

Surprised that nobody's mentioned

Arnhem by Christopher Hibbert

Very well written and readable account of the events at Arnhem. I think that this was the first book I read about the battle and I have re-read it several times since.

[D.Ilse]

found this today book-shopping for books on German Recce units in general.

Chronicle of the 10th Waffen SS Panzer Aufklär Abt.



This exceptional volume is a comprehensive account of one small unit in the 10th SS Panzerdivision "Frundsberg". Comprising the contributions of some twenty veterans, the book contains many previously unpublished photographs of the SdKfz 250/251 and the Spahwagen (reconnaissance armored vehicles). It provides a detailed account of their training in France and of all the battles they fought from Tarnopol in the Ukraine to Normandy. The author has compiled detailed lists showing the members of each company and provides detailed biographies of each of the officers who served and fought, with particular attention being given to those who received top awards such as the RK and the DKiG. Two units in particular are singled out for special treatment: Erich Rech's Spahtrupp (uniquely Rech received the RK for the action of this unit in Normandy), his Panzerfahrer and the Panzerchef support armored vehicles. Lists of losses and honors support the study. This book is about 30% photos with many of them being studio portraits of soldiers. Text and captions are entirely in French, but you know the saying "a picture says a thousand words".

[7A_Woulf]

Talking about 10th Waffen SS Panzer Aufklär Abt.

I'm reading "Sons of the Reich, IISS Panzer Corps" by Michael Reynolds right now, I'll keep you updated on how good it is about Arnhem / Market Garden.

Otherwise, my strongest recommendation is "It Never snows..." by Kershaw; -One of the best books about WWII I've ever read! [8D]

[SkyStrike]

By far the best I've read is this: Grange Books: Military Handbooks: "Great Battles of the Waffen-SS" (General Editor Peter Darman, 2004, www.brownreference.com)

Great Battles of the Waffen-SS


Arnhem by Christopher Hibbert is also a very good book, like IanAM said.

[mooxe]

It Never Snows in September... read it... some good accounts of decimating Allied units. The title of the book was a bit wierd, based on a fleeting thought that the author thought it was snowing when he seen a bunch of parachutes.

[stolidog]

The Devils Birthday by G. Powell is a pretty good comprehensive read

[CSO_Talorgan]

Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Alternate Scenarios (Alternative history)

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Bulge-Hitl ... 1853676071

... has a chapter on Market-Garden in which the Allies make it to Arnhem, to no avail.