A truly wonderful, in-depth analysis of Operation Market Garden. From the first page one gets a true sense of the panic that gripped the German Reich in late August/early September 1944, before the parachute landings by British and American airborne. There is a genuine sense of the rush to finish the war that led Montgomery to expedite the planning of this attack and the political desire to use the parachute regiments in a show of strength, regardless of the risks associated. Cornelius Ryan is a brilliant author, sowing together his meticulous research, along with his narrative, to ensure that the reader is gripped by the various stories of each of the individuals, as well as the detail of the battles. Operation Market Garden is in so many ways one of the most fascinating battles of WWII, combining the incompetence of the British High Command with the gung-ho attitude of the Allies. Ryan does this justice and opens the reader's eyes to what was eventually an all mighty bloodbath.