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Arnhem

By: Antony Beevor
Narrated by: Sean Barrett
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Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Arnhem by Antony Beevor, read by Sean Barrett.

On 17 September 1944, General Kurt Student, the founder of Nazi Germany's parachute forces, heard the growing roar of aero engines. He went out on to his balcony above the flat landscape of southern Holland to watch the vast air armada of Dakotas and gliders,carrying the British 1st Airborne and the American 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. He gazed up in envy at the greatest demonstration of paratroop power ever seen.

Operation Market Garden, the plan to end the war by capturing the bridges leading to the Lower Rhine and beyond, 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.

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 imposed by Montgomery and General 'Boy' Browning was doomed from the start. Antony Beevor, using many overlooked and new sources from Dutch, British, American, Polish and German archives, has reconstructed the terrible reality of this epic clash. Yet this book, written in Beevor's inimitable and gripping narrative style, is about much more than a single dramatic battle. It looks into the very heart of war.

©2018 Antony Beevor (P)2018 Penguin Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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Critic reviews

Masterly...illuminated by a host of hitherto unpublished anecdotes and quotations, together with the fruits of his own labors in Dutch archives. A meticulous, wonderfully vivid, and justly angry account of one of the great cock-ups of World War II (Max Hastings)

What listeners say about Arnhem

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Excellent narration.

Thank you Sean for getting me through this historical work. Without your pronunciation and different accents I would have never have finished, by just reading it.

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"It was quite simply a very bad plan"

There has been a long debate over whether the disaster at Arnhem was the result of a bold plan that didn't come off, or a foolish plan that was unlikely to ever work. Beevor nails his colours firmly to the latter position, and lays the blame squarely at the feet of the British senior commanders, who came up with a plan that ignored basic problems of geography and supply: and seems to have been dictated as much by political as military concerns.

I came away from this dreary story full of admiration for two groups. The British paras who showed astonishing resilience and tenacity in the face of vastly superior German forces: and the Dutch civilian population who displayed unstinting humanity and generosity in spite of the hardships they themselves were enduring. The Poles also deserve an honorable mention, despite having been unfairly blamed by some for the failure.

I expect high quality history from Antony Beevor, and high quality narration from Sean Barrett, neither disappoints here. Beevor taps non-British sources to give a wider and more complete picture of events, and combines traditional operational history with a sympathetic, but never mawkish sensitivity for the very ordinary people caught up in the vast calamity that was world war two.

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Masterful telling

The story of Arnhem is well known. This telling of the action, the planning and the aftermath is an amazing account. It paints a horrifying picture of close combat but ably introduces the mistakes of planning and strategy. The clashes of personality and ego are all here. It makes hard reading/ listening only because of the you are drawn in to the story and empathise with the soldiers. A fantastic piece of work I will come back to.

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Sublime listen

Cant recommend this book enough very sad but heroic story about the attempt to end the war in 1944

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Clear, and insightful

The truly poor quality of Britain’s senior generals beggars belief.

While the high quality of field commanders, soldiers , and Dutch civilians is the exceptional. All the more poignant for the contras between the m.

The self grandisment at one end and incredible self sacrifice at the other.

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brilliant I well read detail great i could use it

loved it couldn't stop reading in fact I will do it again now and again.
recommended

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Not for driving

A great introduction to MARKET GARDEN. However difficult to follow while driving. this is perhaps a paper copy book where the maps can be studied.

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very detailed

really good book also good to see the polish air brigade defended and more information on the impact the battle had on the local Dutch population, also recommend books with same narrator as he has a great tone and uses different accents for the nation's.

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Very dry and mostly factual but great for it

I would not say this was a story more a detailed account of events. That said as a fan of the bridge to far have religiously watched on the day off the landings remember Normandy I found it extremely interesting to hear the actual events in most cases happened. What I also find astonishing is the sheer number of individuals bravery.

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Excellent! but...

This book is absolutely amazing!
I've always been very interested in Operation Market Garden and this audiobook goes so deep into the the detail, it largely focuses on Arnhem (given the title) but it does include quite a bit of the American LZs as well, it has made me want to visit the areas too!

However, where I liked the narrator's tone as it felt like it was being told by someone who was there, I like to listen to Audiobooks when I'm on the move, on the bus, walking through town etc, but either from his tone or the volume, his voice always disappeared when there was any background noise, so I found myself having to repeatedly stop until I found somewhere quieter.
Maybe it was just my ear phones, but that was the only downfall.

all in all, I thoroughly recommend!

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