A review by jcal9
Arnhem: the battle for the bridges, 1944 by Antony Beevor

3.0

I probably show unjustified ignorance by stating that before reading Beevor's "Arnhem" I knew next to nothing about the World War 2 operation Market Garden. This is despite the key role the operation played in the development of the Western front and a key reason the Germans subjugated the Dutch to the hunger winter of 1944-1945. Beevor provides a great blow-by-blow account of the battle, mixed with personal anecdotes so the reader does not lose track of the personal tragedies or gets too bogged down in the details. Unfortunately, the micro-focus on battle dynamics means that the broad picture of the battle and its implications for the war is lost for the majority of the text in the nitty-gritty details. A good summary chapter at the end of the novel would have helped put the whole text in perspective. The novel is also great at providing a balanced opinion of the activities and role of the Dutch resistance. If you are a World War 2 buff, or connected to the Netherlands in some way, "Arnhem" is right up your alley.