by Sebastian Richie
ISBN 978-0-7090-2991-9
Robert Hale Ltd, Clerkenwell House, Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0HT
8 1/2in x 9 1/2in hardback; 292 pages; illustrated
£22.50

The author, an official historian at the Air Historical Branch of the Ministry of Defence, wrote this book as an entirely private project unrelated to his occupation, the basis being a thesis published in the RAF Air Power Review in 2005.

Arnhem’s Operation Market Garden has attracted a number of authors and their interest is acknowledged (Market was the airborne operation and Garden the ground), but Mr Richie considers that the scarcity of papers relating to the detailed planning has led historians to rely on source materials and memoirs. His aim here is to place Market Garden in its correct historical context, and show how many critical aspects have been misunderstood or misrepresented.

To help understand the airborne aspects, the early chapters cover these from the German and Allied experience between 1939 and 1941, then the Normandy landings and beyond, the Market Garden section beginning at page 85. Detailed coverage of the whole operation contains maps and many quotations from Operations Orders and published sources. The chapter on air support reveals that a number of Hawker Typhoons were lost to friendly fire, at least seven to American pilots who also shot down three Supermarine Spitfires and confused Typhoons with Fw 190s. This very interesting account ends with the author’s general conclusions, and is highly recommended.

MIKE HOOKS

RATING: ΘΘΘΘ