Beevor is the author of several military history books and this is likely to be one of the best books on the airborne operation in Holland in the fall of 1944. The plan was for three airborne divisions (one British, two American) to secure several bridges in Holland to give the British an opening into northern Germany. Unfortunately, it was poorly planned: Holland was the worst terrain for tanks to follow up due to the many canals and bridges, and the officers charged with carrying out the mission were not involved in the rushed planning. Also, British commander Montgomery did not anticipate the strength of the German counterattack and refused to accept responsibility for the failure. The vindictiveness of the Nazis toward the Dutch who assisted the Allies was a further tragedy in an effort that did not bring the end of the war any closer.
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