A Bridge Too Far of Cornelius Ryan

[Tzar007]

Anybody has read a Bridge Too Far of Cornelius Ryan? Is it good? What's the strengths and weaknesses of this book?

I got a copy for 5.00$ of the latest edition (from one of these Amazon vendors, it is in top shape condition).

I'm starting to read it tonight.

[SeaMonkey]

Finished it for the second time just before HttR went gold. Well done, lots of witness interviews, but I finished wanting more. So I bought HttR, they're a perfect companion. Oh and Tzar, you may want to take notes, especially unit commander names, so you can edit them into the scenarios.

[benpark]

Good mod idea Sea Monkey.

[von Murrin]

A Bridge Too Far is classic Market-Garden history as only Ryan could write it. I own a copy that will never be given away.

I'd also recommend It Never Snows in September by Robert Kershaw. That's the only worthy companion piece to Ryan's book, IMO.

[Arjuna]

Cornelius Ryan certainly popularised this battle with his book ABTF. It's a good read but there are a number of factual errors. For further reading I would recommend Martin Middlebrook's "Arnhem 1944:The Airbonre Battle" ( Penguin 1995 ) and Robert J Kershaw's "It Never Snows in September" (Hippocrene Books 1994 ). Middlebrook's account is in our view the best on Arnhem from the Allied perspective and Kershaws's for the German perspective. The official histories are'nt too bad but are flawed by their own "spin" on events. It's more what they leave out that is cause for concern. They fail to ask or provide suitable explanations to crucial questions like why did Gavin fail to seize the Nijmegen bridge on Day 1.

[Lifer]

I've just started "The Devil's Birthday" by Geoffrey Powell. Powell was a company commander at Arnhem. According to the forward, he was the one who marched the remainder of his unit ibto the allied lines after they were extracted across the river. Looks good so far. I'm reading ABTF now and Ryan's style is a little irratating with the constant cuts to inane qoutes. To some it adds flavor I guess but I'm the type who can do without all the "" "" "" "". Distracting.

Lifer

[The_MadMan]

I've read "A bridge too far" a number of years ago, great read but it's not very detailled. It's more a book for the ones that have only general interest in what happened.

I recommend the book "Arnhem" by Christopher Hibbert and the Battleground series (all very detailled).

[Guz]

ORIGINAL: The_MadMan

the Battleground series (all very detailled).

Is that a line of books or do You mean the games?

[The_MadMan]

ORIGINAL: Guz
Is that a line of books or do You mean the games?

Its a line of books:
Hells Highway / Nijmegen / The Island / Oosterbeek & Landing grounds / Arnhem Bridge

[Arjuna]

Yes the Battleground books are good. Hibberts book is not bad.

[The_MadMan]

Every now and then I'm working on my own Market Garden website with pics of the battlegrounds as they are now. For me there is still a lot of work to be done but you might like it anyways:

http://www.nieuwint.net/marketgarden

[EricGuitarJames]

I think ABTF is essential reading for the wealth of first-person accounts in there. Much the same can be said for Charles B. MacDonalds 'The Battle of the Bulge' (plus, of course, he was there!). But any true student of any subject knows that one book on a subject can never give a 'full' picture since any author (or group of authors) will put their own 'spin' on the subject.

[dwinston]

Dave,

How about the offical US Army history series volume that includes Market-Garden?

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: The_MadMan

I recommend the book "Arnhem" by Christopher Hibbert and the Battleground series (all very detailled).

All good stuff, although Martin Middlebrook's "Arnhem" is better.

[Tzar007]

Thanks guys for the feedback.

I'll read ABTF and then I will read It Never Snows in September, a very good choice also it seems for the German perspective.

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Cornelius Ryan certainly popularised this battle with his book ABTF. It's a good read but there are a number of factual errors. For further reading I would recommend Martin Middlebrook's "Arnhem 1944:The Airbonre Battle" ( Penguin 1995 ) and Robert J Kershaw's "It Never Snows in September" (Hippocrene Books 1994 ). Middlebrook's account is in our view the best on Arnhem from the Allied perspective and Kershaws's for the German perspective. The official histories are'nt too bad but are flawed by their own "spin" on events. It's more what they leave out that is cause for concern. They fail to ask or provide suitable explanations to crucial questions like why did Gavin fail to seize the Nijmegen bridge on Day 1.

See - now you've done it! I've just gone and bought the "Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle" second hand from someone at Amazon for £6! My wife is going to chew my nuts - and it's your fault, Arjuna!

[Tzar007]

I'm halfway through A Bridge Too Far now.

So far, it has been a very entertaining read, I have quite a lot of trouble sometimes putting it down at night. He goes from one sector to another, and it is written in a very literary style, like a military-fiction book. The story is described through the thoughts and actions of the major actors.

The main weakness is a lack of a lot of operational details. The maps are awful, there is no OOB, no clear descriptions of the moves and whereabouts of the main units. The book aimed definetely for a large audience that would not be interested in operational details.

Still, it is a very good introductory book to the battle.

[Stinger22]

About halfway through The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland by Donald Burgett, Dell Press, World War II Library series. He was an 19 year old infantryman in the 101/506. A good storyteller and that's how the book is written, as more a story than as an analytical reference book (although he does offer insight to the planning and operation). I'm also running that scenario in HTTR as I read. What a MULTIMEDIA GUY!!!!! It really is a blast and the two together really compliment each other. Perhaps I'll read A Bridge to Far next to get more of the 82nd and Brit's part, but in the mean time can reccomend the book.

[Adam Parker]

I think the most interesting aspect of "It Never Snows in September" is the coverage of the end-battle, how the author contends there was just no clean and cut conclusion to the Campaign and how the German's themeselves exhausted by battle, attempted a half hearted river crossing offensive of their own only to be beaten back just as they had met out to Allies earlier.

One wonders if history ever repeats itself - how such a complex action as Market Garden could ever be devised and so boldly executed in the face of its inherent confusion and wanting intelligence? We then see parallels with the 101st's drive in to the A'Shau Valley in Vietnam, the Marine's in Somalia and the current campaign unfolding in Iraq - all behind enemy lines, thrust directly at the enemy's heart and designed to bring a quick victory. The Falklands was a similarly bold and closely run thing... Military history is painfully facinating.

How the somehow unpredicted supply line problems of Iraq 2004, reflect the drive of XXX Corps in 1944 and the failings of Napoleon in 1812...

(Btw, those into "A Bridge Too Far" should try the recent DVD re-release containing 2 exceptional documentaries in addition to the classic widescreen film.)

Adam.

[The_MadMan]

ORIGINAL: Stinger22

About halfway through The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland by Donald Burgett, Dell Press, World War II Library series. He was an 19 year old infantryman in the 101/506. A good storyteller and that's how the book is written, as more a story than as an analytical reference book (although he does offer insight to the planning and operation). I'm also running that scenario in HTTR as I read. What a MULTIMEDIA GUY!!!!! It really is a blast and the two together really compliment each other. Perhaps I'll read A Bridge to Far next to get more of the 82nd and Brit's part, but in the mean time can reccomend the book.

I read the book too and it was a great read but in the end he keeps on ranting about Montgomery whitch gets quite boring because most of it is simply not true and based on too little knowledge of the operation as a whole.