A Bridge Too Far: The true story of the Battle of Arnhem

World War II Trilogy #2

by Cornelius Ryan

Arnhem 1944: the airborne strike for the bridges over the Rhine.The true story of the greatest battle of World War II and the basis of the 1977 film of the same name, directed by Richard Attenborough.The Battle of Arnhem, one of the most dramatic battles of World War II, was as daring as it was ill-fated. It cost the Allies nearly twice as many casualties as D-Day. This is the whole compelling story, told through the vast cast of characters involved. From Dutch civilians to British and American strategists, its scope and ambition is unparalleled, superbly recreating the terror and suspense, the heroism and tragedy of this epic operation.'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

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Military History, Military Fiction, Historical

580 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Cornelius Ryan was born in Dublin. After finishing his education he moved to London in 1940, and became a war correspondent for ''The Daily Telegraph'' in 1941.

He initially covered the air war in Europe during WW II, flew along on fourteen bombing missions with the Eighth Air Force and Ninth Air Force United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), then joined General Patton's Third Third Army and covered its actions until the end of the European war. He transferred to the Pacific theater in 1945, and then to Jerusalem in 1946.

Ryan emigrated to the United States in 1947 to work for Time magazine, where he reported on the postwar tests of atomic weapons carried out by the United States in the Pacific. This was followed by work for other magazines, including Collier's Weekly and Reader's Digest.

He married Kathryn Morgan (1925–1993), a novelist, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1951.

On a trip to Normandy in 1949 Ryan became interested in telling a more complete story of D-Day than had been produced to date. He began compiling information and conducting over 1000 interviews as he gathered stories from both the Allies and the Germans, as well as the French civilians.

In 1956 he began to write down his World War II notes for The Longest Day, which tells the story of the invasion of Normandy. Published in 1959 it was an instant success.

His next work was Last Battle The Classic History of the Battle for Berlin (1966), about the Battle of Berlin.

This work was followed by A Bridge Too Far (1974), which tells the story of Operation Market Garden, the ill-fated assault by allied airborne forces on the Netherlands culminating in the Battle of Arnhem.

Ryan was awarded the French Legion of Honor, and an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Ohio University, where the Cornelius Ryan Collection is housed (Alden Library). He was diagnosed with cancer in 1970, and struggled to finish A Bridge Too Far during his illness. He died in Manhattan, while on tour promoting the book, A Bridge Too Far, only two months after publication.

Four years after his death, Ryan's struggle with cancer was detailed in A Private Battle written by his wife, from notes he had secretly left behind for that purpose. He is buried in the Ridgebury Cemetery in northern Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Biography info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneliu...

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cornelius Ryan has a knack for writing military histories that are incredibly accessible. I'm a far cry from being an “armchair general.” I didn't grow up playing Risk, and my primary point of reference for distinguishing between aircraft carriers and destroyers is the number of pegs required to sink them in the game Battleship (and even then I manage to mix them up). Don't get me wrong, Ryan's trio of WWII accounts (The Longest Day, The Last Battle , and A Bridge Too Far ) tell you who was doing what, when, and where—there are plenty of references to squadrons, troops, battalions, and divisions. However, Ryan's works are full of smaller stories that give my mind something concrete to hold on to, and provide a ground on which to build the larger narrative.

I figure that if you really want to know the ins and outs of Operation Market Garden , there's plenty of excellent material out there (including this book); the quick and dirty version is basically that it was the largest airborne operation to-date, took place in the Netherlands and Germany and was not a success. So, I'm now gonna go with the “Jeff approach” I co-opted for my review of The Last Battle , and dish out some assorted bits and pieces that stuck out along the way.

Frenemies From Within
Working with other people is never easy. In retrospect, it's easy to think of the Axis and the Allies as unified fronts, but (as usual) there's way more nuance to the story. Honestly, it wasn't really until I read Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck that I began to consider the difference between a German soldier and a Nazi.

So, contentious relationship number one is between the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel , and der Führer, Adolf Hitler. Rommel loathed Hitler, and with good reason—because, in September of 1944, Hitler's orders to Rommel et al. in the Western front were suicidal and insane. Long of the short, Rommel was part of a plot to assassinate Hitler, and then Hitler basically “let” Rommel kill himself.

Meanwhile, the Allied leadership wasn't exactly having an easy time of things. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (aka “Monty” , above right) wasn't the only diva Supreme Allied Commander DDE had to deal with, but he definitely earns himself a nomination for Most Difficult Colleague for Market Garden (which was, after all, his show). Monty's intentions were good—he wanted to march straight into Berlin and end the war for once and for all. However, in addition to demanding absolute priority for all resources, and declaring that he simply couldn't/wouldn't work with Patton, Monty's plans were a bit “offhanded.” One Lieutenant Colonel describes the slipshod orders to the effect of:

“First, we'll take this bridge; then that one and hop this river...”

It was at Monty's HQ that Lieutenant General Frederick Browning tried to challenge the Field Marshall: “But, sir, I think we might be going a bridge too far.”
The best one-liner regarding Monty, though, definitely came from Ryan's interview with Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands who said:

“My country can never again afford the luxury of another Montgomery success.”

Yes, this LZ!
The logistics were a mess. The 82nd Airborne Division's initial success, with 89% of troopers hitting their drops, and 84% of gliders making it within 1,000 meters of their Landing Zone (LZ), proved to be the exception, rather than the rule. The 101st Airborne Paratroopers (below) had danger coming from all directions, including themselves. One Private, after dropping a match into an oil drum, was “the only member of the 101st jumping into Holland with no eyebrows.”

Oh, and by the way, gliders are not the same thing as airplanes—something that first-time glider pilots attempted to communicate with leadership without much success. But, nevertheless, their dedication was impressive. One of the pilots of the IX Troop Carrier Command even managed to get his jumpers into the green light zone despite the fact that his plane was on fire!


Myrtle the Parachick and more...
Ryan's knack for weaving anecdotes in with military maneuvers makes it all feel more real. Lieutenant "Pat" Glover had a chicken, Myrtle, who'd accompanied him on six prior training jumps. He described that

“this rather gentle pet would wait patiently on the ground for me to land and collect her.”

Though Myrtle made the jump successfully, she, like so many others, died in the trenches on the ground in the ensuing battle. Glover “buried her with honor and properly–with her badge of rank–as befitted those who died in action.” I'm never a fan of bringing birds, or any animals into battle, this story reminded me of the fact that each fallen soldier was more than just a number.

4.5/5 stars but I'm happy to round up, since the Ryan WWII trilogy was overall great (and Ryan was dying while finishing this one up).

[Checkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As others have pointed out before A Bridge Too Far was something of a ground-breaker. Operation Market-Garden was a forgotten battle in the annals of World War II. Forgotten by all except those who fought it in it (both sides) and those who survived it (soldiers and civilians). Yes there had been a few books and a couple films about the failed operation. In 1954 Clark Gable starred in a movie called Betrayed that blamed the failure on a traitor within the Dutch resistance which made for great drama, but wasn't the case. The Allies did it to themselves.

In 1974 many did not know about Market-Garden. It had been forgotten. It was acceptable to examine the many Allied defeats from the early years of the war, even required. But there was an unspoken agreement that only victories were studied from 1943. At least that's my perception as I look at popular histories (WWII) from the fifties and sixties.

Ryan ignored that "Understanding" and wrote (in-depth) about the defeat. It was his last book and one that took an almost superhuman effort to finish because of the cancer that was killing him.

The result is that Ryan's last book is his best. He examined an Allied defeat using his detailed first hand account approach. He got those people who were involved in the campaign some long overdue recognition. As Ryan was writing the book he was also fighting Cancer and I believe that the sense of his impending end gives the book a sense of gravitas that his other two books (also excellent) didn't have. The sense of doom is almost palatable which is very appropriate considering the subject matter.

A well written popular history account of World War II battle. Detailed enough for those who are oriented to military history, but not too specialized for the layperson.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a terrific rendition of a disastrous Allied campaign in World War 2 to break through into Germany at Arnheim in the Netherlands in September 1944. Prior to the time it was published in 1974, the Market Garden failure hadn’t received much attention by historians. In terms of scope, its massive deployment of over 40,000 airborne troops delivered by parachute and glider was larger than used in D-Day or in Italy. The incursion of 15-17,000 Allied casualties made it a costly disappointment to the dream of ending the war by the end of the year. Ryan masterfully presents the background planning, the efforts of commanders to fulfill the plan, and the tough realities faced by the common soldiers and Dutch civilians at the sites of battle. He obviously spend years meticulously researching available sources and he applies his journalist skills as a former war correspondent to breathe life into the stories and perspectives of many individuals caught up in this complexly evolving battle.

The plan emerged with Field Marshall Montgomery pushing Eisenhower to hold on advances toward Germany across a broad front and commit resources on a focused salient through the Netherlands, thus allowing an attack on the critical industries of the Ruhr. At that time, the Allied momentum through France after D-Day was running out of steam due to supply logistics that still depended on inadequate landing sites in Normandy, frustrating Ike’s prime eager beaver Patton. The Belgian port of Antwerp was recently captured, but the Brits failed to make it secure for use by clearing out nearby German forces. Ike apparently was swayed by Monty’s added argument over the high priority placed by the Brits on stopping V2 rocket attacks originating in the Netherlands.





The plan Monty’s generals drew up called for a simultaneous drop of forces at three sites to seize critical bridges (the “Market”) followed by sending the armored infantry of the XXX Corps up the highway from Belgium and across the liberated bridges (the “Garden”). Some armored vehicles and small artillery pieces could be dropped, but not sufficient to hold out long from major tank or artillery attacks by the Germans. The American 101st and 82nd Airborne Division forces were expected to be relieved within one and two days, but the British 1st Airborne Division target on the Arnheim Bridge across the Rhine was expected to hold for four days. The deputy commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, General Browning, is quoted as commenting to Montgomery: "I think we may be going a bridge too far."

The landings on the first day were amazingly successful, despite the bold plan of a daytime drop. The awesome spectacle of thousands of paratrooper transports, gliders, and supporting tactical fighter craft is captured well in the narrative. We get quite a human element with a “things they carried” perspective. These included cases of a pet rabbit, pet chicken, dancing shoes, and a football. The local Dutch everywhere believed total liberation from the Nazis was at hand and took to the streets in a holiday atmosphere. Things began to go to hell fast for the Brits near Arnheim. The landing zone selected was miles from the bridge so surprise was not possible. It turned out that an SS Panzer division and the headquarters of Field Marshall Model was nearby. Only about 700 men under Colonel Jack Frost were available to successfully advance and take one side of the bridge; others had to secure the landing zone and perimeters for another drop of forces planned for the next day.

Bad weather delayed subsequent drops (including the eager Polish 1st Parachute Brigade under Major-General Stanisław Sosabowski), so all forces landed had to deal with progressively more organized responses by the Germans. Intelligence had failed to predict their true capacities. A serious technical glitch in radio communications foiled effective collaboration of separated Allied contingents or guidance of supportive .air attacks. The XXX Corps advance was slow due to well defended strategic bottlenecks, the narrow two lane road, and easy targeting on flat unprotected terrain. Much heroic action is covered, but the weaknesses in the plan were fulfilled in spades. The plie-up of contingencies calling for every single bridge in a long traverse to be taken was the most telling Achilles Heel for the plan. Still, Colonel Frost held one side of the Arnheim Bridge for 8 days under hellish conditions of their buildings being bombed to rubble and wounded piled up in basements. One scene made me cry. At one point the Dutch resistance and ordinary townspeople piled up bodies in the Arnheim streets as barricades to slow the Germans down. The Dutch resistance wanted to actively help, but for the most part were snubbed by orders on high to cut them out due to fears of compromise by spies.

When the plug was pulled, there followed some sad scenes of retreat, surrender, and abandonment of wounded by the Arnheim forces. Small canvas boats were used to ferry men across the river at night under fire; many had to swim. Experiencing scenes like this does more for me in paying homage to the sacrifices involved in this war than famous military victories. I loved Stephen Ambrose’s “Band of Brothers” which followed a company from the U.S. 101st Airborne Division from D-Day to the capture of Hitler’s mountain lair. This read was almost as satisfying. Some of the emotional power of the former was not possible because of the broader range of figures covered in this account.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan

Trapped and cutoff an elite parachute regiment holds off against repeated attacks by determined elite SS NAZI'S longer than they should have, but in the end succumbed. A true story of heroism bravery, self sacrifice for the guy next to you.

[Sonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

― “It began to seem that the generals had got us into something they had no business doing.”
― Cornelius Ryan, A Bridge Too Far

By September 1944, the Allies were poised to enter the Netherlands, having swept through France and Belgium following the invasion of Normandy. To the south, General George S. Patton’s Third Army was pressing east along the border between France and German. Meanwhile, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery asked that the allies make a single push to the north under his leadership. General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied troops in Europe, wisely rejected Montgomery’s request. Montgomery then made a compromise proposal, which Eisenhower allowed. Codenamed Market Garden, Montgomery’s ambitious plan involved the seizure of five key bridges in the Netherlands over the branches of the Lower Rhine River by airborne divisions, allowing the British Second Army to attack the major industrial area of the Ruhr valley, advance deep into northern Germany and shorten the war.

If you have read about the European theater during World War II, you have most likely read about Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery. While he was often successful, Montgomery was also conceited, arrogant, difficult, rude and unlikeable; some would say unbearable. He famously lacked diplomacy and tact when dealing with others. Hard to like, he was equally hard to ignore.

On 10 September 1944, when reviewing the plans for Operation Market Garden at a military conference, Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning, Deputy Commander of the 1st Allied Airborne Army, reportedly said to Montgomery, “I think we might be going a bridge too far,” indicating what he thought to be overreach. Browning’s comment would prove prophetic. Historian Cornelius Ryan seized upon the phrase as the title for his book about the doomed campaign.

― “On the narrow corridor that would carry the armored drive, there were five major bridges to take. They had to be seized intact by airborne assault. It was the fifth, the crucial bridge over the Lower Rhine at a place called Arnhem, sixty-four miles behind the German lines, that worried Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning, Deputy Commander, First Allied Airborne Army. Pointing to the Arnhem bridge on the map he asked, ‘How long will it take the armor to reach us?’ Field Marshal Montgomery replied briskly, ‘Two days,’ Still looking at the map, Browning said, ‘We can hold it for four.’ Then he added, ‘But, sir, I think we might be going a bridge too far.’”
― Cornelius Ryan, A Bridge Too Far

Operation Market Garden was a bold plan that involved tremendous risk. Browning was not the only senior officer who thought Montgomery was “nuts” for even attempting this risky undertaking. Nevertheless, the plan moved ahead. The concerns of senior leaders, however, were not unwarranted. Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation in history, would prove to be one of the biggest disasters of the Allied war effort. Allied troops suffered more than 15,000 casualties and the loss of 88 tanks in Operation Market Garden. Nevertheless, Montgomery claimed that the campaign was “90 per cent successful.” In response, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, retorted: “My country can never again afford the luxury of another Montgomery success.”

When Dutch generals learned of the route that the Third Army proposed to take, they anxiously tried to discourage anyone who would listen, warning of the dangers of using the exposed dike roads. Problems arose almost immediately. The 1st Airborne Division landed some distance from its objectives and was met with unexpected resistance. Only a small British force was able to reach the Arnhem bridge, while the advance of the ground forces was stopped short in their attempt to relieve the airborne troops on schedule. After four days, the small force at the bridge was inevitably overwhelmed, leaving the rest of the division trapped north of the river. Attempts to reinforce the trapped paratroopers were largely unsuccessful, and attempts to provide supplies mostly fell into German hands. After nine days of fighting, the remnants of the division were forced to abort their mission and withdraw. The bridge at Arnhem was never captured and the inexperienced British 1st Airborne Division was decimated at Arnhem, losing nearly three quarters of its strength and did not see combat again. The failed operation meant the war would continue into 1945.

Cornelius Ryan, author of The Longest Day is a talented journalist and historian, but he’s also a gifted storyteller. What I like most about this book are the human stories that Ryan includes that add so much to the text. It’s an epic story that you are bound to enjoy.

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 5 out of 5]

The detailed, well-written story of Montgomery's uncharacteristicly daring plan to force open a path through Holland into Germany and end the war by Christmas, and how that plan failed. Montgomery, defending himself, pointed out that the Allies reached 90% of their objectives. Unfortunately, a road that takes you only 90% of the way to your destination is useless, and in this case, tragically expensive in terms of causalities. I wouldn't have minded a few more details about the 101st and 82nd airborne's corridor; Ryan concentrated, with reason, on the British 1st airborne and the Polish brigade and their actions around Arnhem.

Despite the doomed nature of the endeavor, the way Ryan writes and the courage shown by those involved means I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in WWII history. If it seems a little longer than you're wanting to tackle, at least rent the movie.

I feel the quote at the beginning of the book (from Major General Urquhart's memoirs,) is worth quoting here in full: On the narrow corridor that would carry the armored drive, there were five major bridges to take. They had to be seized intact by airborne assault. It was the fifth, the crucial bridge over the Lower Rhine at a place called Arnhem, sixty-four miles behind the German lines, that worried Lieutenant General Frederick Browning, Deputy Commander, First Allied Airborne Army. Pointing to the Arnhem bridge on the map he asked, "How long will it take the armor to reach us?" Field Marshal Montgomery replied briskly, "Two days," Still looking at the map, Browning said, "We can hold it for four." Then he added, "But, sir, I think we might be going a bridge too far."

[Michael Rogers]

I read Ryan's book many years before becoming involved in any wartime experience and I was stunned to observe how accurately his vision portrayed combat. I had always heard about how our airborne units were deployed along a highway in Holland, but the true scope of the venture wasn't understood by me until I read this book. It's a true manual in large troop deployment and how things can go so terribly wrong.

[Hippo dari Hongkong · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE REVIEW
"Fantastic but unrealistic."
That's Eisenhower's first reaction and opinion upon hearing Montgomery's plan regarding Operation Market Garden.

"Fantastic and realistic!"
That's Erie's (hey, that's me!) first reaction and opinion after he finished this book :D

IMHO, this book remarkably evokes "what happened" behind one of the biggest military gambling in history. Ryan fastidiously portrays the ambitious plans which resulted in more Allies casualties than the entire Normandy landing.

In September 1944, after launching the successful D-Day, Allies assertively unleash Operation Market Garden. The successful operation will lead them directly into the rear of the German lines. The Allies could swing into the Ruhr, the industrial heart of the Reich. The object (according to General Browning) "is to lay a carpet of airborne troops down over which our ground forces can pass." That maneuver might well bring about the total collapse of Germany. Well, at least that's what Allied Commander believe (Montgomery in particular). A really (I mean, really, really) wild scheme intended to put en early end to WW2 by invading Germany.

BUT we all know that Operation Market Garden which also the greatest airborne operation of the history of war ended up in failure. Many aspects such as faulty coordination between units that involves in this operation, an unexpected rugged defense from Germany, incoherent intelligence, bad luck, and worse weather led this operation into a disaster.

Great book! I have no hesitation giving five stars for this book.


baca ulang lageeee..
gara2 secara tak terduga nemu edisi indonesianya jadi penasaran lagi baca ulang edisi inggrisnya meski pala sedikit senut2 (e-book sih)

Baca edisi Indonesianya terus terang bikin geli. ada kalimat2 ato kata2 yang rada2 aneh didengernya. Misalnya,

Betul negeri Belanda hanya kecil saja, hanya sebesar Jawa Barat, akan tetapi penduduknya padat.
prasaan cornelius ryan gak nyebut jawa barat deh di edisi aslinya:D

Pemakaian bahasa nyeletuk yang bikin geli. Misalnya, jendral anu nyeletuk, Mayor anu nyeletuk. Kesannya mereka yang lagi berperang ini suka becanda deh, hehehe

Contoh lain, percakapan antara Jendral Model dan Jendral Bittrich...
"Saya lagi mencari tempat untuk markasku yang baru. Anda tahu saya lagi diincer terus nih!"
Kesannya ini dua Jendral akrab banget deh, sosobatan ti leuleutik ceuk orang sunda mah, hehehe

Yang bikin heboh adalah pemakaian kata ini.. tentara itu berteriak,"Masya Allah! dia tertembak!"

Hahaha, "Masya Allah?" Gue sempet mikir kalo tentara2 ini lulusan pesantren :D

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

An 18 hour unabridged audiobook.

I enjoyed it to the point where I was slightly saddened whenever I stopped listening . Very well written, good coverage of backstory, views from all sides, interviews with primary sources, etc.

One of the biggest drawbacks in an audiobook is that I'm fairly certain the book had maps or some sort of diagrams which followed the progress of the battle. Without those visual cues it was difficult for me to figure distances between different towns, bridges and units. But thats not the authors fault, obviously.

This was an aptly named book, this is one of those battles where the outcome was not predetermined. If it had replayed itself 10 times I wager a few of them would have been Allied victories. Sometimes the intense and hard fought close losses are more brutal to bear than the blowouts. 4 stars.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ultimate book on that deeply flawed operation with Paratroopers that failed at the bridge at Arnhem. ANd as a consequense the Northern part of the Netherlands remained in German hands for another winter (the Hungerwinter).

About the brave men and women that lived through this chapter of WOII that is still remembered today.

The writing is a bit dry but the story is well told.

[Stefan Mitev · Rating 4 out of 5]

През септември 1944 г. германската армия отстъпва по целия западен фронт. Съюзниците вече са влезли в Брюксел и Антверпен, краят на войната изглежда съвсем близо. Река Рейн е последното препятствие пред началните граници на Третия райх. Жадният за слава и признание маршал Монтгомъри предлага смел, но рискован план за бърза победа. Неговото име е операция "Маркет-Гардън", която ще протече в два хода. "Маркет" е въздушен десант на две американски и една британска дивизия дълбоко в противниковата територия. Целта е да се овладеят и задържат достатъчно дълго ключови мостове по които да преминат наземните и танкови войски ("Гардън"). Последователно трябва да се превземат нидерландските градове Айндховен, Неймеген и най-далечната цел - Арнем. При планирането на операцията един от генералите изказва опасенията, че мостът на Арнем може да се окаже "недостижим" (a bridge too far).

Планът предполага бърза и лесна победа. Съюзниците смятат, че останалите нацистки войски са треторазрядни и неспособни на съпротива, предимно полицейски части и "ст��машни" батальони от войници с язви и хранителни заболявания. Най-големият въздушен десант ("Маркет") в историята започва на 17-и септември и много бързо всичко се обърква. Британската първа въздушнодесантна дивизия не подозира, че именно на местата за приземяване съвсем скоро и напълно случайно, в привидно спокоен сектор зад фронта, са релокирани две SS дивизии, съответно 9-а (Hohenstaufen) и 10-а (Frundsberg). Започват ожесточени и неравни боеве срещу танкове в околностите и в самия Арнем. Уличната война е сравнена с малък Сталинград - къща за къща и стая за стая. Наземното настъпление ("Гардън") също среща неочаквани трудности, защото се придвижва по един единствен път (Адската магистрала), който лесно може да бъде защитен и блокиран.

Британската първа въздушнодесантна дивизия е напълно разбита. Загубите в загинали, изчезнали и пленени са над 70%. Малцината оцелели успяват да прекосят Рейн с лодки или с плуване под непрекъснат обстрел. Ако планът беше успешен, войната щеше да свърши много по-рано и желязната завеса щеше да е на друго място. Но Маркет-Гардън се оказва пълен провал и е последният значим успех на нацистите през Втората световна война, която продължава още осем кървави месеца.

[Bob Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic. Required reading for every military person. What's amazing is how almost this exact plan was war-gamed prior to the war and failed exactly like the real plan failed. I've been looking into Airborne operations lately as I just wrote a scene where one of my characters parachutes into France on D-Day-- the biggest drop ever. I went through jump school a long time ago-- let's say I saw Alien in the post theater at Benning the night before my first jump-- and then served in the airborne in Special Forces and was a jump master. What is surprising is how unsuccessful large-scale airborne operations have been throughout history. The Germans took Crete but their losses were staggering. For Normandy, most point to the chaos and confusion sown by the chaotic and confusing drop. Some objectives were taken and the bravery of the men can't be denied. But it appears that no one really wanted to take a hard look at how it all worked.

Which led to a Bridge Too Far. I remember traveling the attack route during Reforger with the 1st Cavalry Division. The people still loved Americans all along the way.

Cornelius Ryan's style is a great mixture of fact and story-telling. I have enjoyed all his books.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in the Late Nineties. Honestly, I used to skip over battle stories when I read history or even historical fiction. Then I had sons and could see these experiences as a part of the human story that I needed to try to understand. Cornelius Ryan turns this great sprawling disaster into a coherent narrative - well worth your time.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Cornelius Ryan notes in his Acknowledgements as an author of contemporary history even 30 years after the event it was difficult to assemble the account of the Market-Garden operation. He did an amazing job capturing individuals' remembrances and thoughts - insights that we can only dream of being able to capture today. Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Airborne Battle of World War II is a wonderfully written account of this classic airborne assault of Holland during WWII. Mr. Ryan's team interviewed more than 1500 military and Dutch civilians who participated in the Market-Garden actions. Mr. Ryan is able to convey the operational aspects utilizing the personalized stories in a way which engages the reader. He carefully steps around the question as to why the operation failed; although he makes it quite clear that there was more than enough Allied confidence and optimism prior to the operation's start. The book's final two quotes from Montgomery and Prince Bernhard in my mind sum up Mr. Ryan's opinions on subject of why it didn't succeed. If you are a history buff of any sort this is a must read.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping, compelling and well-researched history of the battle. The narrative is cohesive, easy to follow, and very readable, and Ryan moves smoothly from the highest to lowest ranks.

Ryan clearly and vividly writes how the battle was experienced by soldiers and civilians, and he really captures the drama of the battle and the courage and tenacity of the airborne troops. He also explains how Allied aerial reconnaissance was unable to spot the German panzer divisions, how the drop zones were selected, and how the Germans captured and interpreted the Allied plans.

Ryan includes lots of enjoyable firsthand accounts, but they’re mostly from the British side. Also, Ryan never analyzes the operation from a strategic perspective. Some more maps would have helped.

A rich, insightful and very well-written work.

[carl theaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tale of Market Garden. A few year later when they were filming
the flic in Holland, I just happened to be there checking out the
forrests where divisions Hohenstauffen and Frundsberg had been
hiding. I heard they were asking for extras to be soldiers and
I raced to the site, but no luck for me. Still a great related
memory.

Also check out 'It Never Snows in September' a great book from
the German perspective of this battle.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title says it all

[Christopher Carbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book written about a single operation in WWII, A Bridge Too Far chronicles the ambitious plan of Montgomery to airlift troops into Holland, capture the bridges and cross the Rhine, culminating in the defeat of the German Panzer units on the other side. It was and still is one of the greatest Allied defeats of World War II.

Many plans begin with the chilling phrase, "Home By Christmas." Well, this was the ultimate "Home By Christmas" plan and ended ingloriously. The book details the very pointed philosophy on Monty- get the troops behind German lines via paratroopers, then on the other side, crush them with armor. Sandwiched between the two sides, the Germans would be defeated in droves. The book then details the planning and the shear mass of the invasion- it was actually a bigger overall operation than D-Day. And it was as much a failure as D-Day was a success.

For starters, the book makes no bones- Monty was the wrong man to listen to in 1944 (the book, by inference, leads the reader to believe who was- George Patton). The Allies were coordinating too many troops in too many places with far far too many variables. The book does a superb job explaining these moving parts to the reader (complete with very well detailed maps) without making the reader feel overwhelmed. Its a very good and clean read.

But the book's most striking portrayal is of the enemy- the German high command in the West, reeling from a string of defeats, simply puts together its best points- a fearsome infantry backed by energetic and intuitive leaders and officers punctuated with the zeal to succeed. They then luck into many situations, most notably, the Allies ineptitude, and over-thinking.

The book details the average solider on both sides and what they went through- the sheer terror of being dropped into enemy positions to trying to defend against the might of England and the US (without any real support from back home as most resources were being diverted to the East). All in all, the stories the soldiers had to tell range from terrifying to unbelievable (there is one of a retreating American platoon zigzagging all night with what they believed was a British platoon- later they learned it was a German platoon hot on their heals).

The book also pulls no punches- this was, in part, a German success, but most notoriously an Allied failure. It had all the earmarks of a failure- too many troops, too many immediate objectives, too much considerations to commanders, too many troops fighting too many enemy troops with too many variables. The books paints a grand design in how all this went foul.

In the interests of full disclosure, one of the reasons I love this book is because it is the story of how my grandfather got into Europe (82nd Airborne, 325th Glider), and where he did his fighting it what turned out to be the most important war in Western Civilization. I take a personal interest in the story because its his story. Therefore, view my ranking accordingly.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

The celebrated, exhaustive story of the ill-fated invasion of Holland by the Allies in September, 1944. Mr. Ryan left no stone unturned in researching this book. All written work, government records, and interviews with seemingly every living survivor he could find, both Allied and German. His work is staggering in its thoroughness, and unlike many efforts of this kind, the final product emerges as readable and even exciting. He has managed to shape all his data into a coherent narrative, and to use his interviews and anecdotes to enliven and humanize the story. No mean feat. Could it have been shorter? Yes, but given all Mr. Ryan's work, who can begrudge him a paltry 600 pages?
How Eisenhower was talked into this disastrous invasion by Montgomery is dealt with early in the book, but is worth pondering. While it may be true that many unforeseen and unforeseeable events conspired to doom the invasion, still one wonders if Eisenhower was to some extent simply worn out by having to deal with Montgomery and finally gave in to him on this idea because it was the least bad of all that he had proposed so far. Certainly he never envisioned the actual result.
At any rate, one comes away from this book with a renewed belief in the insanity of war, necessary as it may sometimes be. I was particularly struck by the numerous instances of chivalry and even fraternizing between the two sides, even in the midst of almost unbelievable carnage. Where then were the drone aircraft, which could have taken Hitler out early and spared so many lives?

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a history book that reads like a novel. Even though the battle recounted here took place well before I was born, I feel deeply indebted to the men who fought so bravely and bittered for the bad planning that led so many to suffering and death. And I also feel sad that history tends to be so quickly forgotten... I have registered this book at Bookcrossing and will release it tomorrow to a friend who happens to have family in the vicinity of Arnhem. We had plans to visit the area the next few days, but unfortunately the time available will not be enough. I hope we'll be able to make it another time!

[Dimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rightfully the Arnhem bible, not just as a battle study but also as an accuracy guide to the less believable details of the movie and a (post) background provider for the Arnhem 70th anniversary commemorations of the past weeks.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Nonfiction WWII Military History. I enjoyed this one. I loved the narrator's voice. I could listen to him all day...and well, I actually did just that. This was extremely well researched and it may have had a little too much detail in it, but it all flowed so very well. I liked the little details especially when it came to the individuals. That alone added so much life and heart to the stories. It helped it feel more personal. So 4 stars for this one.

[Phan Ba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Một trong ba tác phẩm nổi tiếng của Cornelius Ryan về Đệ Nhị Thế Chiến. "A Bridge Too Far" viết về Chiến dịch market Garden, cho tới nay là chiến dịch nhảy dù lớn nhất nhưng cũng gây tranh cãi nhiều nhất. Cây cầu quá xa là cây cầu qua sông Rhein ở Arnhem (Hà Lan) mà Sư đoàn 1 Nhảy dù của Anh quốc đã không giữ được vì không có viện quân. Chỉ riêng Sư đoàn này, trong số 20.000 người nhảy dù xuống quanh Arnhem, chỉ còn chừng 2000 người đã trở về sau chiến dịch. Quân đội Đồng Minh đã tổn thất tổng cộng 15.000 đến 17.000 người.
Đây không phải là một quyển sử khô khan. Ryan, từng là phóng viên chiến trường thời Đệ Nhị Thế Chiến, đã phỏng vấn rất nhiều nhân chứng còn sống đã khéo léo đưa những lời tường thuật ấy vào trong tác phẩm, từ những người dân Hà Lan bình thường, các du kích quân Hà Lan cho tới những người lính trong trận đánh. Với những lời tường thuật đó, tác phẩm đã mang nhiều tính của một phóng sự hấp dẫn, thu hút người đọc.
Tác phẩm đã được chuyển thể phim (1977) với sự có mặt của nhiều diễn viên danh tiếng như Sean Connery, Robert Redfort,...
Một tác phẩm đáng đọc cho những người quan tâm đến đề tài Đệ Nhị Thế Chiến. Mình thích ông này từ lúc đọc được quyển "The Longest Day" viết về lần Đồng Minh đổ bộ lên bờ biển Normandy. Phim "A Bridge Too Far" thì truyền hình Đức cũng hay chiếu lại xem đi xem lại cũng đã mấy lần. Mãi tới bây giờ mới có thời gian đọc được quyển sách này.

[Perato · Rating 5 out of 5]

A military history that most likely cannot be written today from a war long past. Relying on a lot of interviews from the actual participants from Field Marshalls all the way to privates and civilians, Ryan gives a very detailed account of the battle and how it felt. Maybe the closest thing from modern day would be Black Hawk Down, except this one gives at least some consideration to the opposing side, although not as much as you'd like. This one reads like a proper novel and comparing it to Beevor's Arnhem, I'm inclined to say that this one is the book I would recommend. Although given that I'm fairly familiar with the battle, I'm wondering if it would serve a person unfamiliar with it.

On a funny side note, my "Hodder great reads" -edition has this book as "fiction" and it includes the text "All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

(And for some reason my edition has more pages than listed here, the actual story ends at 545 and book with index and all is 576 pages.)

[Hippo dari Hongkong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edisi aslinya gue kasih bintang lima tapi untuk buku ini bintang empat aja deh. Semata-mata karena ini buku versi abridged dan unsur "fun" dalam gaya bahasa terjemahannya yang bikin nyengir. Kalo ini buku ini terbitnya tahun 2000an dijamin gue bakal ngasi bintang satu buat bahasa yang rada2 kacau balau:D Jadi inget review-nya buku perang yang laen dari seorang Jendral di rumah sebelah yang ngadat ngerasa dikibulin penerbit ampe dia minta duitnya dibalikin lagi , hihihihi *tiaraaaaaap ~ takut dilempar granat ama Jendral Pantouw*
Abis baca bukunya trus dilanjut ama nonton filmnya yang disebut-sebut sebagai.. ehm.. Film Perang Terbesar Dalam Abad Kita ehehehe. Filmnya seru! Untuk masalah "keotentikan" detail perangnya, filmnya keknya gak usah diragukan lagi bila mengingat lima Jendral yang terjun langsung dalam perang sebenarnya dilibatkan sebagai "War Consultant" ( Gavin, Horrocks, Urquhart, Vandeleur dan Frost) Blom lagi jika melihat sederet nama seperti James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan O'Neal, dan Robert Redford yang membintangi film yang disutradarai Sir Richard Attenborrough. Hmm.. nyam nyam. Eh, malah ngomongin film...

Tanggal 17 Sept 1944 sekitar jam 10 pagi, rakyat Inggris dikejutkan oleh suara yang menggemuruh dan mereka ternganga menyaksikan suatu pemandangan diudara sambil berdecak kagum. Suatu formasi yang sangat dahsyat, megah, mempesona sekaligus mengerikan terhampar di angkasa. Bagaimana tidak? Sekitar 5000 pesawat secara serentak lepas landas dari 24 pangkalan udara. 1.500 pesawat pembom Halifax, Albermarles, dan Stirlings terbang beriringan dengan lebih dari 2000 pesawat angkut C-47/Dakota dan 2500 pesawat Glider/Peluncur seperti Horsa, Waco dan Hamilcars yang membawa pasukan para, tank kecil, artileri, truk dan logistik lainnya. Diatas, dibawah dan samping kiri kanan formasi itu dikawal sekitar 1500 pesawat pemburu Inggris seperti Spitfire, Typhoon, Mosquito dan pesawat pemburu AS spt Thunderbolt, Lightning dan Mustang. Formasi dahsyat ini membentang di angkasa dalam tiga kolom raksasa dengan lebar sekitar 10 mil dan panjang sekitar 100 mil di udara. Masya Allah! Yang tidak diketahui rakyat Inggris saat itu adalah bahwa hari itu sebuah penyerbuan udara terbesar sepanjang sejarah militer tengah berlangsung. Yep! Operation Market Garden.

Operasi ambisius yang dirancang oleh Jendral Bernard "Monty" Montgomery ini dimaksudkan untuk merebut sejumlah jembatan penting untuk mendahului pasukan darat dengan sasaran utamanya adalah jembatan di sungai Rein di Arnhem yang mengarah langsung ke perbatasan Jerman. Dengan demikian bisa mendobrak Siegfried Line dan menyusup ke daerah Ruhr, kawasan industri terpenting di Jerman. Montgomery yakin bila Ruhr bisa direbut maka dipastikan Jerman akan menyerah dan dia percaya bisa mengakhiri perang dunia sebelum Natal 1944. Pada saat bersamaan komandan US 3rd Army Jendral Patton mengajukan usul yang sama untuk mem by-pass Siegfried Line lewat jalur selatan melalui Metz dan Saarland. Akibat masalah suplai yang rumit, Panglima Perang sekutu, Eisenhower (dengan berbagai pertimbangan) memutuskan lebih memilih usul Monty untuk menyerbu lewat jalur utara (Belanda) dan mengalihkan seluruh suplai untuk operasi Market Garden. Kemarahan Patton meledak ketika pasukannya yang tengah merangsek maju meninggalkan pasukan yang lain harus menghentikan lajunya dan "menganggur" selama lima hari di tepi sungai Meuse akibat permintaan 40 ribu gallon bahan bakar hanya dipenuhi setengahnya saja. Jendral temperamental ini tentu saja naik pitam, "Anak buah saya bisa memakan ikat pinggang mereka kalo mereka lapar. Tapi tank2 saya tidak bisa makan ikat pinggang! Mereka butuh BBM!" teriaknya dongkol. Hehehe.. sabar Jendral.. sabaaaaar.

Operasi ini menerjunkan 35.000 pasukan para (hampir dua kali lipat jumlah pasukan para yang diterjunkan di Normandia). Divisi Angkatan Udara ke-101 Amerika yang dipimpin Jendral Maxwell D. Taylor ditugaskan merebut dan mengamankan jembatan dan penyeberangan sungai antara Eindhoven dan Veghel. Pasukan Para AS dari Divisi ke 82 pimpinan Brigjen James M.Gavin diterjunkan untuk mengamankan titik antara Grave dan Nijmegen. Sasaran utama dari operasi ini adalah jembatan utama di kota Arnhem. Jembatan yng melintasi sungai Rein hilir selebar 400 yard adalah titik terpenting yang akan menghubungkan pasukan sekutu ke perbatasan Jerman. Tugas untuk merebutnya dibebankan kepada Divisi Angkatan Udara ke-1 Inggeris yng dipimpin oleh Mayjen Robert "Roy" Urquhart yang disokong oleh Mayjen Stanislaw Sosabowsky dengan Brigade Parasut Polandianya. Operasi yang dinamai Market ini nantinya akan disokong oleh operasi Garden dari Korps ke-30 yang terdiri atas pasukan tank, artileri dan infanteri yang dikepalai oleh Letjen Brian Horrocks yang akan merangsek lewat jalur darat pada saat yang bersamaan.

Kenyataannya? Operasi itu ternyata hanya megah diawal saja. Secara keseluruhan operasi itu bisa dianggap gagal total. Jembatan Arnhem yang merupakan sasaran utama gagal direbut. Operasi ini sendiri menelan korban sekitar 17.000 tentara di pihak Sekutu. Dua kali lipat korban Operasi Normandia yang mengerahkan sekitar satu juta tentara. Banyak aspek yang "mendalangi" kegagalan operasi tsb dan sampai sekarang masih sering diperdebatkan. Seperti perencanaan yang kurang matang, lemahnya intelijen, Divisi Angkatan Udara ke-1 Inggeris yang belum berpengalaman diturunkan terlalu jauh dari sasaran sehingga kehilangan daya pukul dan elemen kejutnya, radio yang tidak berfungsi, kegagalan Korps ke-30 menembus pertahanan Jerman yang bertarung habis-habisan dan macem-macem lagi dah.

Disini Ryan mendokumentasikan cerita ini dengan bagus. Dia menuliskannya dari perspektif Sekutu, Axis (bukan operator seluler, ya!) dan penduduk sipil. Kita seakan diajak berada dalam situasi chaos sebuah pertempuran yang mengerikan. Pertempuran jarak dekat ala koboy, diberondong ketika menyebrangi sungai, ikut merasakan kepedihan seorang Urquhart yang harus menyaksikan satu persatu anak buahnya kehilangan nyawa dibantai Jerman tanpa bisa berbuat apa-apa. Ikut menyaksikan perjuangan Kolonel John Frost bersama pasukannya yang berperang dengan heroik mempertahankan bagian utara jembatan Arnhem sampai titik darah penghabisan meski pada akhirnya mereka "disapu bersih" oleh Jerman.Kelak jembatan ini oleh pemerintah Belanda dinamakan "John Frost Bridge" untuk mengenang kepahlawanan Kolonel Frost dan anak buahnya. Divisi Angkatan Udara ke-1 Inggeris yang dipimpin Urquhart menjadi "tumbal" untuk operasi ini. Hanya sekitar 20 persen dari 10.000 anak buahnya yang selamat, sisanya tewas, hilang dan ditawan Jerman. Perintah awal mereka hanyalah ditugaskan merebut dan mempertahankan jembatan Arnhem selama dua hari (empat hari paling lama). Tapi kenyataannya mereka harus bertempur habis-habisan selama sembilan hari tanpa suplai makanan dan amunisi dalam posisi terkepung sampai akhirnya ada perintah dari Letjen Browning untuk mundur karena sampai hari ke sembilan Korps ke-30 masih tertahan di Nijmegen.

Adegan favorit gue ada di akhir chapter buku ketika ketika Mayjen Urquhart setelah mundur dari Arnhem dan dalam perjalanan menuju Driel ia mampir dimarkas Jendral Thomas untuk meminjam jip untuk pulang. Ia menolak ketika dipersilakan masuk dan tetap berdiri tegak diluar dibawah guyuran hujan menunggu jip datang. Pun demikian ketika ia berada di markas Letjen Browning. Dengan sabar ia tetap berdiri sekian lama menunggu Browning yang sedang... molor! Dengan tegas ia menolak tawaran ajudan Browning untuk mengganti bajunya yang dekil, bau dan basah. "Tidak usah." tolak Urquhart, "Saya ingin menemui Browning dalam keadaan basah kuyup ini. Persis seperti keadaan kami yang sebenarnya." Ketika Browning bangun pembicaraan pun berlanjut. Gue embat dari adegan filmnya aja, kurang lebih sama sih ama yang dibuku. Urquhart dengan jantan meminta maaf atas kegagalannya. "I'm sorry about the way it worked out."
"You did all you could." kata Browning mencoba menghibur. Urquhart dengan dingin berkata, "Yes, but did every one else?"
Tak kuasa menjawab pertanyaan itu Browning mengalihkan pembicaraan.
"They've got a bed for you upstairs, if you want it."
Urquhart menjawab tawaran itu dengan nada getir.
"I took 10.000 man into Arnhem. I've come out with less than 2000. I don't feel much like sleeping."

Koq susah ya bikin review pendek? :D

[Relstuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

History if written without care can be terribly tedious. This person on this date at this time did this thing and that other person over at this place at another time did that thing etc. The author here does and excellent job connecting you to the people that went through the events he writes about. He puts it into context of the broader picture of the war and yet while understanding the big picture you feel what the man on the ground feels and experiences along with them in little stories scattered through the book.

One of the stories that is going to stick with me is the story of the cargo planes coming in to resupply allied army troops on the ground. They were surrounded by the German army and taking a terrible beating. The rest of the army was trying to push through to them but they didn't know what was happening and were facing a lot more resistance than expected. So the army flew in a resupply mission to airdrop them ammo, food, water, the things they had to have to have a chance to continuing to survive.
The Germans knew the airdrop was coming. They lined up anti-air artillery and turned the drop zone into a shooting gallery. The airdrop crews knew how desperate the army on the ground needed the supplies they were bringing them. The men on the ground later told the story of one cargo plane going over the drop zone and getting hit. On fire, it turned around and came back over the drop zone a second time. The men looking up in the air could see the loadmaster pushing out supplies. Like portions of the plane, he was literally one fire, but he kept pushing out cargo. The pilot kept the plane steady going over the narrow zone so their supplies would go were they were needed, making himself an easier target for the Germans. The plane was shot down but no one could say the crew didn't do all they could for the men on the ground.

The invasion effort of Holland into Germany using airborne troops was much less successful than planned. In part, because after the plan was given the green light and success was imagined, obstacles to success were minimized and not given the weight they should have been given. A sobering problem only recognized in retrospect. Those who raised concerns in the planning stage were not taken seriously. Often there comes a point in a decision making process where only yes men are wanted. In planning Operation Market Garden that point arrived early enough to lead to sub-optimal decisions and outcomes.

[Daniel Millin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The winner writes history so this battle is glossed over alot. Reading this it felt like I was there with the commanders in their headquarters as it's so well researched. Field Marshals from the German army speaking for the first time as well as all the British/American/Polish giving their endeavours.

The greatest air assault in history and it ended in disaster.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars - Nederlandse hardcover
Recensie volgt later. Op een of andere manier zijn veel recensies verdwenen. Ik ben op zoek naar mijn aantekeningen. Ik vind ze wel weer.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the right mix of micro- and macro- level look at this campaign. Hard to put down!

[Marijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zo droog geschreven dat ik bijna twee jaar twee jaar heb gedaan over dit boek. Desalniettemin! Heel bijzonder en leerzaam en gek om te lezen over de oorlogstijd in Nijmegen en Arnhem en zelfs Son en Breugel