Harry Kuiper

I have to admit to feeling that there are enough books on the subject of Arnhem that all aspects of this one battle have been covered. When I saw this book, I thought that this was covering an aspect of the battle not previously covered. I feel that in the U.K. we can ignore the fact that many countries in Europe were occupied during the Second World War, and that their experiences of the war are very different to British narrative of the war.

The author of this book was born in Arnhem and lived in the Netherlands throughout the Second World War. His perspective is informative and thought provoking. It ended up with the city in which he grew up razed to the ground in 1944. There are nineteen chapters in the book that begin with an introduction, and then go through the war chronologically. The author describes the reality of living in a country occupied by a ruthless and dictatorial and authoritarian regime from another country. The tensions within the occupied country within communities is described well, as well as the scarcity of food and freedom. Chapter 11 covers 1944 and what the author calls ‘The Summer of Hope’. How that ebbed and flowed over the forthcoming weeks forms the basis of the next few chapters. The last chapter ends with liberation in May 1945.

There are various photographs throughout the book, some of which I question whether they are relevant, e.g., do we need yet another photograph of CHURCHILL or MONTGOMERY. I would have preferred some more photographs to illustrate the reality that Dutch people faced in the war, accepting these are not common.

The text reads well, even though I suspect that English is not the first language of the author. I feel the book could have been improved if the timeline had continued beyond 1945 and covered the rebuilding and reconstruction in the Netherlands post-war. I have often wondered about the scene in a ‘Bridge Too Far’ when the British troops take over a house next to be bridge, and I thought about the Dutch people involved and whether they received any compensation. Sadly, this book does not answer this question.

The book manages to stand its ground because it does cover a perspective of this battle that is often ignored. With the author being Dutch and having lived in Arnhem, it does add to the authenticity of this book and the value of its content.… (mehr)