Arnhem book recommendation

[Cubs]

Now ... I realise this might be like throwing a chicken carcass into a pack of wild dogs, but I'd like a recommendation for a good, factually accurate, balanced and non-judgemental modern book about Operation Market Garden. I do know that some of the established 'facts' about MG have been debunked in recent years as propaganda and based on conjecture and finger-pointing. I'm not interested in more myths and smear campaigns against individuals, just a good, accurate account.

Any recommendations from anyone?

[Panzer21]

Martin Middlebrook Arnhem 1944: the Airborne Battle.

There's been a whole series of books on various German units in recent years - expensive and OOP very quickly.
Older with some errors are "It never snows in September" ( approach with caution and cross index with newer works), likewise "German Armoured Units at Arnhem" by Michael Zwarts - updated by his more recent EINSATZ ARNHEIM : GERMAN ARMOURED UNITS AND THEIR OPPONENTS AT ARNHEM AND OOSTERBEEK SEPTEMBER 1944.

There are also specific works on the battles for Hell's Highway and the other bits outside Arnhem itself.

Neil

[PeteW]

To add to the recommendation for the Middlebrook book, I would also suggest "It Never Snows in September: The German View of Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem September 1944:" by Robert Kershaw.

At a slight tangent you might also want to check out the "Walking the Ground" videos on Youtub by WW2 Headquarters - Al Murray and James Holland.

P

[bluewillow]

For me after 15 years of reading and wargaming the operation I would put these high on your reading list

Market garden then and now, two volumes Karel Margry

It never snows in September, Robert Kershaw

Arnhem: The Complete Story – William F. Buckingham 

[rct75001]

Having read more than 70 - both at the overview level of the campaign through to detailed unit level, I would still recommend Middlebrook' Arnhem 1944 as the best across Market Garden as a whole.  For Market Garden with huge number of pictures, the Then and Now that Matt has suggested is great. 

To bring it to a personal level through veteran's words - on Arnhem specifically, there is Geoffrey Powell's Men at Arnhem or the recently released set of 3 volumes from Helion, Airborne to Arnhem (which are often on deep discount).

Richard

[Cubs]

Okay, thanks guys, looks like Middlebrook gets it.

[Harry Faversham]

Can't go wrong with Middlebrook, Cubs, it's Arnhem though, not Market-Garden.
My two favourite Arnhem books are old 'uns, but good 'uns. 'Men at Arnhem' and 'Remember Arnhem'. Another cracker is 'The Cauldon' by Zeno.
 

[AKULA]

To add to the tidewave that is Middlebrook.... MIDDLEBROOK.

Genuinely, well-researched, well-written.

 

[Cubs]

A mate's also recommended the Al Murray one, so that's on the birthday list as well.

[Rickf]

To echo everyone else, you're probably sick of hearing it now, the Middlebrook one is THE Arnhem book. I read Al Murray's one earlier this year and can't recommend it enough. Through his recommendation, I'm halfway through Zeno's,  again this is brilliant, it's written as a novel but the author was actually there in the Pathfinder Coy, like all the Arnhem books a very tiny part of me doesn't know the ending and hopes they can hang on.

[fred]

Lots of good recommendations above.

I do like the Buckingham book. Not sure I've got Al Murrays - will check the bookcase!

Zeno's is one of the most intense of the memoirs of those who were there.

[Hoagie]

I am going to cobble together a summer book order from this excellent thread, thanks everyone!

Martin Middlebrook Arnhem 1944: the Airborne Battle.

There's been a whole series of books on various German units in recent years - expensive and OOP very quickly.
Older with some errors are "It never snows in September" ( approach with caution and cross index with newer works), likewise "German Armoured Units at Arnhem" by Michael Zwarts - updated by his more recent EINSATZ ARNHEIM : GERMAN ARMOURED UNITS AND THEIR OPPONENTS AT ARNHEM AND OOSTERBEEK SEPTEMBER 1944.

There are also specific works on the battles for Hell's Highway and the other bits outside Arnhem itself.

Neil

I am completely unfamiliar with the problems with it never snows in september, any specific things that stands out or is there a review that goes through them that I can read beforehand?

[Rommel]

‘It never snows in September’, i don’t remembrer the author.

[Panzer21]

I am going to cobble together a summer book order from this excellent thread, thanks everyone!

I am completely unfamiliar with the problems with it never snows in september, any specific things that stands out or is there a review that goes through them that I can read beforehand?

It's very readable and for many years was THE source for the German perspective. Sadly, more recent research has overtaken a lot of the asserted "facts". This is especially so with regards to the OoB. I encountered this when researching the German formations for MG; there would be a contradiction here or conflicting sources. The best I can offer is this:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/6892/blogpost/138642/it-never-stops-snowing-the-historiography-of-opera

If you look at the German OoB you will find all sorts of issues and often it's not clear in Kershaw that this is so; but then he wrote it a while ago. Better research has become available. For example Michael Zwarts examined RAF photos of the Arnhem bridge and enlarged them to identify individual vehicles. It's possible to recreate part of the composition of Graebner's unit - BUT we still don't know if he was in a Humber armoured car or scout car. One veteran refers to it and that it was tipped over the bridge.
Due to the ad-hoc nature of many of the German formations, we cannot be 100% certain of their composition and thoughts on who had what are changing over time.
It's worth getting, but don't take it as the final word.
Neil

[Panzer21]

A good list (not exhaustive) is here:

https://arnhem1944fellowship.org/books/

Neil