Antony Beevor‘s latest book The Battle of Arnhem is yet another masterpiece from the prolific master of World War Two writing. Filled with everything from unbelievably heroic deeds to surprisingly commonplace acts of humanity in the madness of war, this is a must read for any serious student of the period.
As usual with Beevor’s writing, he brilliantly sets the scene from senior politicians to the grunt on the battlefield. In Arnhem, he looks takes Montgomery and others to task for the failure of Operation Market Garden. No incompetence is spared and no mistake is glossed over.
Beevor shows what an utter mistake it was for military leaders to insist on proceeding up the middle of the road to Arnhem with landed paratroopers while neglecting entirely the need to secure the port at Antwerp. Instead of one swift bridge crossing after another to quickly reach the Rhine, troops became bogged down with a lack of supplies, tools and necessary weapons needed for successful crossings. Primary among these was a lack of working radios which caused no end of headaches to those tasked with trying to coordinate troop and supply drops.
The faulty political calculations and erroneous strategy – which Beevor repeatedly points out ignored the rule of war that no plan survives intact after contact with the enemy – led to not only the sacrifice of British 1st Airborne Division but also death by execution of many vitally important members of the Dutch resistance as the Allies would hold and then lose important towns along the way.
The most harrowing part of the book is a detailed, high adrenaline account of the crossing of the Waal River in Chapter 17. Men had little by way of resources and many were slaughtered as they paddled for their lives with nothing but their hands, arms and helmets as fellow combatants were obliterated beside them. As is his talent, Beevor’s writing expertly pulls the reader in:
“‘In everyone’s ears’, wrote Henry Keep, ‘was the constant roar of bursting artillery shells, the dull wham of a 20mm, or the disconcerting ping of rifle bullets.’ There was also the unmistakable thwack whenever a bullet struck a body. One boat had so many holes in it that men were bailing water with their helmets. The arm muscles of those paddling screamed with the strain.”
Beevor’s gift for telling a story coupled with expertly woven firsthand accounts, historical facts and anecdotes make one utterly unable to tear themselves away from the narrative at times like this. That he is able to do this with events that have taken place over 70 years ago is even more impressive.
There is a sort of insane battlefield bravery that comes through in the book that is difficult not to admire. From transport plane captains who waited until the very last moment before bailing in order to ensure their precious cargo of paratroopers or materiel were able to make it out safely, to the paratroopers who landed in the midst of rifle fire and flak to the brave fighters of the Dutch underground who assisted the Allies on penalty of immediate death.
In addition to acts of bravery and heroism on the battlefield, Beevor never neglects to share the stories of everyday humanity and surprising acts of solidarity in the midst of the madness of war. He shares the story of an Allied fighter in a front line aid station waking in the morning to see the hand of a terrified soldier in the cot next to him that he had been holding all night for comfort was that of a German.
Stories from the aid stations on the front lines are in a similar, incredible vein as doctors of all nationalities worked desperately to save lives in the midst of shelling and horrible unsterile conditions as well as trying to ward off disease and infection. One memorable moment was when a Royal Army Medical Corporal faced down a German tank with nothing more than a Red Cross flag demanding to know why the tank was shelling an aid post. As Beevor writes: “The tank commander apologized, turned his tank around and trundled back towards Arnhem“.
Despite the incredible bravery of those who served and died, the eventual evacuation and destruction of Arnhem followed by the Nazi policy of starving the population in what became known as “the Hunger Winter” is an important historical lesson about the terrible results of poor strategy and over zealous ambition of military leaders. What’s more, it’s an timely reminder of the cost paid by innocents when those fighting for freedom lose.
WW2 Reads gives Antony Beevor’s “The Battle of Arnhem” 5 of 5 Stars and consider it to be one of the top WW2 books of 2018. Get your copy here:
