Operation Market-Garden 1944 (3): The British XXX Corps Missions (Campaign, 317)

The British Army's XXX Corps has generally taken a beating from World War II historians for its failure to reach Arnhem in time to rescue the British First Airborne Division. Operation Market-Garden has thus been famously "a bridge too far". The truth may be a bit more subtle, as historian Ken Ford suggests in this third volume of his Osprey Campaign Series on the operation.Operation Market Garden was supposed to restore the momentum of the British 21st Army Group attack across the Netherlands and into Germany. There was pressure, and an opportunity, to use the Allied Airborne Army. The XXX Corps had crossed the Albert Canal and was positioned to follow up. What was less apparent to Allied planners were Germany's frantic efforts to thicken up the battlefield in front of XXX Corps, pulling in fledgling units from Germany and retrieving bypassed units from Belgium. Attacking up a very narrow corridor to the Rhine River was going to be tougher than anticipated...Ken Ford does an excellent job laying out the opposing sides, their commanders, their forces, and their plans. His highly readable narrative spells out what went right and wrong on the ground, nicely supported by maps, battle diagrams, illustrations, and period photographs. Very highly recommended as a concise account of the Operation, to be read in conjunction with the first two volumes, covering the Airborne operations.

After three years in the making, Osprey has completed another excellent Campaign "series". This is a winning "proof-of-concept" for the publisher. Caught in a trap of their own making - specific, hard page limits for different series (e.g.; all Men-at-arms series must be 48 pgs). - they were subject to appropriate criticism for giving campaign topics very brief coverage. By splitting up Operation Market-Garden into three neat and seperate titles they gave good coverage to this perennially favored WWII topic.Ken Ford's volume on the British ground offensive is surprisingly satisfying. He strikes a good balance between command insights, operational analysis and tactical details. Even given the "expanded" campaign format, all the minutiae that some readers will lust after can't be included. For example, only brief biographic sketches of the leading commanders are provided. That is ameliorated somewhat by similar, but supplemental, sketches of other officers in the two companion volumes on airborne operations. The maps are good, with no evidence of the previous shortcomings in Osprey map graphics from a few years back. The photos are also of interest, and in this volume there are none of the too-often-seen photos that get published in every book on Market-Garden. The prose is also remarkably good, and clear. Sadly this is something that Osprey has struggled with in recent years, publishing some real "head scratchers" that were barely readable (e.g.; for some reason the American War of 1812 appears to be a magnet for bad writers ). This time the Editor gets to keep his job, perhaps even getting a Bonus!

A great portrayal of a painful advance for a Bridge too far

Good overview of this part of the operation.

thank you

This book is the third in the series. And is up to there usual standard. These books are not for the indepth seriously studying type of person .They are very good if you don't know much at all about the subject. As are all of the books by this publisher.

Engoyed this book as well fantastic

Very goid book, detailed and good photos.Very good service from seller as well.

Very good book but I feel that some of the artwork is not as good as others in the series

Reference

VERY GOOD SERVICE AAA