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Arnhem
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins
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Arnhem
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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 aeroplane engines. He went out onto his balcony above the flat landscape of southern Holland to watch the 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 this massive demonstration of paratroop power.
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 could it ever have worked? The cost of failure was horrendous, above all for the Dutch, who risked everything to help. German reprisals were pitiless and cruel and lasted until the end of the war.
The British fascination with heroic failure has clouded the story of Arnhem in myths. Antony Beevor, using often overlooked sources from Dutch, British, American, Polish and German archives, has reconstructed the terrible reality of the fighting, which General Student himself called 'The Last German Victory'. 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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs S Weatherburn
- 08-06-21
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mr
- 07-07-18
"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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Steve Hocking
- 20-03-19
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 25-04-19
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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- Amazon Customer
- 23-05-18
Sosabowski and the Poles vindicated
For years a lot of shameful nonsense had been written about the role of the Polish brigade and Gen. Sosabowski. In recent years it was the veterans of the British 1st Airborne that led the way in restoring the unfairly tarnished reputation of the General and his men (ironically Sosabowski was at one point asked to lead the division, but refused as he felt it would compromise the potential use of his brigade in Poland). This book does them justice.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Seayeaitch
- 26-06-18
Time for the Truth....
Incredible story that portrays, the execution and the unfolding of Arnhem brought to life by Sean Barrett ( I can listen to this man all day). For all interested parties American, English, German and Polish this epic story presents all sides and worts an all, compelling listening, I loved it.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Meatball
- 27-08-18
excellent if you have not read other accounts
very good performance, well researched and written but as I have read many account previously, this only added a little to what I had already read.
So if you are new to the story - it is excellent
if not then it will be enjoyable rather than revalatory.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- E P
- 17-09-20
Hubris and Folly
This is a sad book about military hubris and folly of poor military planning and a tragic loss of life in the last year of WW2. It corrects the deformation of the brave Polish paratroopers, let down the British High Command. Mr Beevor is excellent on both the grand strategy and the small details of fighting. Where the book excels is the description of the aftermath for the battle and the conditions in the Netherlands up to eventual liberation
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Matt.G.
- 09-06-20
Brilliant
This was my first audible book so I chose a subject that I knew well. I was not disappointed. thoroughly enjoyed it.
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- Miketawe
- 25-05-19
A Good Book
Good narration a well researched. and presented book. Recommend to buy a compelling account of Operation Market Garden.
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