A thrilling description of the largest airborne operation in history and one of the most painful defeats of the Allies against Nazi Germany.
It's September 17, 1944. The growing roar of aircraft engines breaks General Kurt Student, the creator of the parachute troops of the Third Reich out of his thoughts. The sky is full of transport Dakotas and gliders carrying Allied airborne divisions. From the balcony of his Dutch apartment, the general watches with envy at the largest demonstration of parachute force in history.
Operation Market Garden is a bold concept. It is to end the war with a bold air strike. After taking over the bridges on the Rhine, the road to the heart of the Third Thing will be opened to the Allies.
No one has yet suspected that it will be a painful defeat for the Allies, which will mark the beginning of Hitler's last offensive in the Ardennes.
You can read about the participation of Polish paratroopers in Operation Market Garden in Antony Beevor's book "Arnhem" (Znak Horyzont 2018).
But Arnhem is also a glorious card written by the soldiers of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. Trained with a view to liberating their occupied homeland, they are thrown against the will of their commander over Arnhem. Despite the dramatic situation after landing, they show courage and determination, saving the British from a disastrous defeat. Meanwhile, General Montgomery accuses Poles of cowardice and blames the result of the operation.
In his latest book, Antony Beevor tells the dramatic story of the Battle of Arnhem, which was doomed to failure from the beginning. He recalls both new and forgotten sources from Dutch, British, American, Polish and German archives. It reconstructs the terrible reality of this epic clash. However, Arnhem is not only a description of a single battle. Thanks to its unique and captivating narrative style, it is an insight into the very heart of the war.