A Bridge Too Far (book)
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Cornelius Ryan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | War |
| Published | 1974 (Simon & Schuster, New York; Hamish Hamilton, London) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 672 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-684-80330-5 |
Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far gives an account of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied attempt to break through German lines at Arnhem in the occupied Netherlands during World War II. The title of the book comes from a comment made by British Lieutenant General Frederick Browning, deputy commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, who told Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery before the operation, "I think we may be going a bridge too far."[1]
Drawing on a wide variety of sources, Ryan also documented his account of the 1944 battle with pictures and maps and included a section on the survivors, “Soldiers and Civilians – What They Do Today”. One particular focus was on the tactical mistakes made in planning the operation. Until Ryan's book, Market Garden had been a classic example of victors writing the history. Popular accounts of World War II usually tended not to mention the battle at all or put Montgomery's spin on it as being a "partial success".[2]
The 1974 book was published by Simon & Schuster in New York and by Hamish Hamilton in London. There were frequent later editions, and a film based on it was released in 1977.[3]
References
- ^ Ryan, Cornelius (1974). A Bridge Too Far (first ed.). London: Hamish Hailton. p. 67. ISBN 0-241-89073-X.
- ^ "The Battle for Arnhem". The Parachute Regiment. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Goldman, William (1977), William Goldman's Story of a Bridge Too Far, Coronet Books, ISBN 0-340-22340-5
{{citation}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) [NB: Book has no page numbers]