Bridge Too Far — Cornelius Ryan

The classic account of the Battle of Arnhem -- one of the most dramatic battles of World War II.

In September of 1944, Allied forces launched Operation Market Garden, a doomed attempt invasion of the German-occupied Netherlands. At the vanguard of this operation, British and American airborne forces were dropped into the Dutch city of Arnhem -- behind enemy lines -- to capture the crucial bridge across the Rhine. It was the greatest armada of troop-carrying aircraft ever assembled, but the massive effort cost the Allies nearly twice as many casualties as D-Day.

A Bridge Too Far is Cornelius Ryan's masterly chronicle of this important battle. Focusing on a vast cast of characters -- from Dutch civilians to British and American strategists to common soldiers and commanders -- Ryan brings to life one of the most daring and ill-fated operations of the war. This classic of World War II history captures the terror and suspense, the heroism and tragedy of this epic operation.