We Fought at Arnhem

Operation Market Garden: a plan to capture the bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem and outflank the German front. In all twelve thousand airborne troops were to land, either by parachute or glider, at three drop zones and move towards their objective. As the world now knows the mission was to be 'a bridge too far' for the British forces. Mike Rossiter has interviewed three of the survivors of those fateful days, each involved in a different flank of the British attack, and in vivid detail reconstructs the events that lead up to this most famous of glorious defeats. It is at once a story of hubris and bad planning, but also of valiant sacrifice and inspirational courage.

Operation Market Garden: a plan to capture the bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem and outflank the German front.

In all twelve thousand airborne troops were to land, either by parachute or glider, at three drop zones and move towards their objective. As the world now knows the mission was to be 'a bridge too far' for the British forces.

Mike Rossiter has interviewed three of the survivors of those fateful days, each involved in a different flank of the British attack, and in vivid detail reconstructs the events that lead up to this most famous of glorious defeats. It is at once a story of hubris and bad planning, but also of valiant sacrifice and inspirational courage.

Préface
Three soldiers tell the true story of the mission that became known as 'a bridge too far'.

Auteur

Mike Rossiter is the author of a number of bestselling books on military history - Ark Royal, Sink the Belgrano, Target Basra, I Sank the Bismarck (which he co-authored with John Moffat) and Bomber Flight Berlin.

Texte du rabat

'In years to come, it will be a great thing for a man to say "I fought at Arnhem"' Field Marshal Montgomery

The battle over the Rhine at Arnhem lasted for nine days, and almost twelve thousand men took part. We Fought at Arnhem tells the remarkable stories of three of those men.

Ron Jordan, Pat Gorman and Tom Carpenter had all volunteered for one of the toughest jobs in the military, that of airborne troops. The battle for Arnhem would be the greatest challenge any of them were to face during the war, and for all three, it would end in capture and incarceration in a prisoner of war camp.

Arnhem has gone down in history as a glorious defeat, but it also revealed the best of the fighting British soldier. It stands as a testament to the courage, determination and valiant sacrifice of the men who fought for their country. The stories of Ron, Pat and Tom reveal the true drama of those days from the soldiers' point of view in honest, searing and inspiring detail.