Tale of epic clash adds value to WWII genre

ARNHEM Antony Beevor Loot.co.za (R380) Viking

REVIEWER: JULIAN RICHFIELD

AFTER 73 YEARS since the end of World War II, there are still new books on the subject. Most are personal stories that have taken years to tell.

Now comes a book that adds much value to the recorded history about one of the war’s significant battles, Arnhem, by Antony Beevor, acknowledged as the best-selling historian in Britain.

In Arnhem, he tells the story of Operation Market Garden, which in 1944 was a plan to end the war by capturing the bridge leading to the Lower Rhine and beyond. It was a bold concept: the Americans thought it unusually bold for Field Marshal Montgomery. But the cost of failure was horrendous, above all for the Dutch who risked everything to help. German reprisals were cruel and lasted until the end of the war. Readers may remember the movie, A Bridge Too Far.

The British fascination for heroic failure has clouded the story of Arnhem in myths, not least that victory was possible when, in fact, the plan inspired by Montgomery and General “Boy” Browning had been doomed from the start.

In his acknowledgements, Beevor says he has added new material and human detail to the story. Using many overlooked and new sources from Dutch, British, American, Polish and German archives, he has constructed the terrible reality of the epic clash.

Beevor’s attention to detail is almost forensic and at times can feel quite overwhelming.

But anyone passionate about the military history genre will find this book a weighty, fascinating and valuable read.