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1] A Bridge Too Far - Cornelius Ryan
This is the classic account, first published in 1974, from the author of The Longest Day, also adapted into a celebrated film. Ryan’s fluent telling of Operation Market Garden, based on interviews with many of the participants, is still the most enjoyable read about the failed operation which involved some 40,000 airborne troops and required seizing some sixty miles of a single highway and nine bridges – all in just 48 hours. The book’s title is inspired by an alleged comment by Lt. General Frederick Browning who was supposed to have said the Arnhem bridge was one too far. There’s no evidence to support Browning’s doubts but Ryan’s book still does justice to the drama and heroism of the battle, a race against time that ultimately ended in tragedy. The book also inspired one of the best and most accurate WWII movies ever made.
2] Arnhem: The Complete Story – William F. Buckingham
British author Buckingham’s 2019 account corrects some of the errors in Ryan’s classic and reveals the full extent of the Allied failures during the rushed planning for the operation. For those wanting an authoritative and balanced history, this is a must. You come away marveling at individuals’ incredible courage but shaking your head at the blind hubris of the Allied senior command and in particular at the arrogance of Field Marshal Montgomery – an egomaniac who never apologized for the waste of an entire airborne division.
3] It Never Snows in September – Robert Kershaw
Kershaw [no relation] served in the Parachute Regiment and therefore he knows better than any other historian of the battle what the operations actually entailed. But what makes this superb book stand out is its emphasis on the German point of view. No other gives such an intimate and arresting account of what it was actually like to fight against the Allies in September of 1944. For some SS soldiers, the battle was the last German victory on the Western Front. For others it was sheer hell, as vicious as any fighting on the Eastern Front. A must read for any WWII fan.
4] A Drop Too Many – John Frost
The legendary Frost commanded the British 2nd Parachute Regiment during the battle for Arnhem, and was brilliantly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the 1977 movie based on Ryan’s book. Frost was highly respected by his men before Market Garden and beloved after the battle – he had inspired and led his beleaguered unit with extraordinary compassion and courage, never wavering, even when surrounded, massively outnumbered, facing impossible odds. His sober tale - of how his force of around 800 men was reduced to just a hundred who could stand and fight before being taken prisoner – is utterly inspiring.
5] Angel of Arnhem – Kate ter Horst
Just a couple of weeks ago, I visited the home of Kate ter Horst in Oosterbeek, the village where the heart-rending climax of the battle occurred. It’s close to the famous Old Church where the remnants of British forces fought to the bitter end. Kate ter Horst opened her home to the paratroopers and nursed them, being dubbed the “Angel of Arnhem” by those who somehow managed to survive the war. By the end of the battle, badly wounded young men lay in every room of her house. Although she had five young children to care for, she tended to the wounded young Brits throughout the fighting. This is a deeply moving story of love and humanity at the worst of times, and of immense grace under pressure.
6] All the Way to Berlin – James Megellas
“Our ‘Military Occupational Speciality’ (MOS) became clear: kill our enemy, the German soldier; the alternative was to be killed by our enemy. To become successful in our MOS, we had to develop a profound hatred for certain other human beings.” Thus writes Magellas in this often- gripping memoir by the most decorated officer from the All American division. Magellas tells a wonderful tale, first seeing combat in Italy before slugging his way from Holland to the end of the war. His job was war – the killing of the enemy – and he excelled at it, indeed relished the challenge. For an up close and personal view of fighting in the European Theatre and during Market Garden, this is hard to beat. Magellas was even more entertaining in person, passing away in 2020, aged 102, truly a legend of airborne warfare.
7] Hell’s Highway – George Koskimaki
Koskimaki was the real deal – he actually fought with the 101st Airborne throughout the war. Those of us who love WWII history all owe him a debt because no other veteran so thoroughly chronicled a unit’s saga. With amazing diligence, Koskimaki interviewed hundreds of veterans, attending dozens of reunions, corresponding with every Screaming Eagle he could contact. This book is rather dense and not for those wanting a quick overview, but for personal accounts - of those who actually jumped and laid it all on the line - it cannot be beat.
8] Armageddon – Max Hastings
The ever-controversial Hastings, the finest popular historian of WWII of his generation, does not disappoint in this account of the defeat of the Third Reich. Market Garden is placed in the context of the broader campaign to crush Nazi Germany and is but a part of a sweeping, hard-hitting narrative in which Hastings is at his acerbic, insightful best.
9] On To Berlin – James Gavin
James Gavin was arguably the finest airborne commander of WWII, leading the 82nd Airborne Division during Market Garden when he was just 37 years old. Considering how much action he saw, this memoir is remarkably understated at times, but compelling reading nonetheless. His division’s achievements during the battle for Nijmegen and in crossing the Waal River are some of the finest in US military history and Gavin more than does them justice.
10] Lonely Leader – Alistair Horne
Horne worked with Montgomery’s son to produce this surprisingly nuanced and balanced account of the controversial Field Marshal’s last year of the war. Market Garden was Montgomery’s greatest mis-step, rushed and tragic in its denouement. It reflected Montgomery’s biggest failing – poor communication with his staff. Yet this book also reminds us of how vital Montgomery was to victory in WWII – he was, after all, commander of Allied forces on D Day and determined the outcome of other pivotal moments in the greatest conflict in history.
