Customer Reviews

The Last Drop: Operation Varsity, March 24-25, 1945

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

a book on Varsity, in English, that covers the exploits of both airborne divisions. I read this author's previous book and it's pleasing to see that the use of veterans' accounts (well over fifty) has, similarly, been made good use of in this book. Yes, there is more on 6th Airlanding Brigade's tasks, but the discrepancy in coverage is, honestly, explained by the author in his introduction. I find it difficult to see how the previous reviewer can say that `most of the book is taken from the magazine The Eagle' (it's the journal of the Glider Pilots Regimental Association). The author received permission to quote from it, and what he did quote were veterans' accounts. It is quite obvious that the book has been well researched to give the reader a balanced account of this rarely covered operation. I also think that the separating of the divisions' tasks into different chapters makes it easier to follow what happened in each divisional sector. All in all, it's a solid read and author and publisher should be congratulated.

I was excited to finally see a book on Operation Varsity, which has not really been covered before in any great detail, I am still waiting. In all fairness Varsity did not have a lot of appeal for a book before since the whole operation took about two days however the drop (still the biggest in history) is worth a good look.

The book is very focused on the British glider landings and if you are interested in the use of gliders at war, this book is a solid 5. Most of the book is taken from the magazine The Eagle and some first person accounts. The accounts are mostly British and the US chapters are rather slim. The fact the book is broken up by nationality and by glider/parachute and not in chronological order makes the book a tough read.

For glider and hardcore airborne enthusiast I would recommend.

Very much enjoyed this book and its coverage of an operation that has received little in the way of books about it. The detailed writings about the glider operations were most enjoyable to me. What made it even more enjoyable is that I had visited the area of the drops during a visit to Germany in 2007. I highly recommend this book to those interested in airborne operations and the battles of the closing days of WWII in Europe.