Customer Reviews

It Never Snows in September: The German View of Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem, September 1944

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The critical difference employed in this book about Operation Market Garden is its use of the German perspective regarding the fabled and fatefully miscalculated Allied assault in the fall of 1944 in an vainglorious attempt to grab and hold several bridges leading into Germany. This book by British author Robert J. Kershaw retelling the oft-told tale of the momentous Allied miscalculation of potential German resistance and the speed with which the Allied armored forces could proceed up the one road needed to support and sustain the airdropped forces is a riveting tale. Like the most famous book yet published (a new book on the subject is due out this fall) it graphically describes the total cost in terms of human life and unnecessary destruction. This is a story told at every level, but concentrating on the faithful recollections of the German participants in the action. Thus, the reader is swept into the action to get a voyeur's view of the moment-to-moment development of the story as it unfolds to the Wehrmacht's amazement in all its horrific detail.

The title refers to a German soldier's observation of the white parachutes suddenly filling the morning sky over Arnhem; since it never snows in September, the soldier instantly realized it must mean an invasion. As mentioned above, the preponderance of attention is paid to the recollections and experiences of the German armed forces, although these are balanced with liberal sprinklings of noncombatants and Allied observations. It is clear that the author feels that earlier works on this subject leaves the reader with a quite biased view of the events, and he marshals an impressive number of impressive findings to suggest the Allies were either criminally negligent or unbelievably inept in assessing the risks associated with the operation. From the beginning they should have understood the degree of ferocity and tenacity with which the Germans would respond. Much of what is said here reflects poorly on judgments made by the Allied hierarchy, but especially Field Marshall Montgomery and also Eisenhower in allowing the raid to proceed.

At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that such decisions were often made against best judgment, and that it is far easier in historical retrospective to criticize a disastrous decision which could have potentially shortened the war by six months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. This is a provocative and absorbing book, one I am sure all WWII buffs will enjoy paging through, and one stirring the pot of expectation regarding the newest entry in the Operation Market Garden discussion due out early this fall. I highly recommend this book, and like an earlier reviewer, suggest it be read along with Cornelius Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far", which to my mind is till the standard work on the subject. Enjoy.

A fine addition to the literature about the doomed MARKET-GARDEN campaign. Kershaw does a fantastic job of gathering together information that no other MARKET-GARDEN historian has been able to do --- a knock by knock account from the German side.

The photographs that Kershaw has put in the book are amazing. Most of the photographs I have never seen before. The combat photographs are fantastic. It is rare that photographs and history blend together so well in a serious scholarly text. The book will delight any student of the MARKET-GARDEN operation.

A few words of warning. First, the book does not examine the Allied point of view at all. In fact, the book basically assumes that the reader will be familiar with the major Allied players and their objectives (ex. the book often refers to Col. John Frost's men at Arnhem bridge -- however, the book never really explains who Frost is). Given that book is probably written for people interested in the subject-matter, this criticism is minor.

Also, Kershaw's prose is not like Stephen Ambrose fo Citizen Soldiers fame. Kershaw is not a writer by trade. Nevertheless, Kershaw's personalized treatment of events will keep the reader captivated from page 1 until the epilogue.

When I picked up IT NEVER SNOWS IN SEPTEMBER it had been a while since I read a MARKET-GARDEN book. Therefore, I read Kershaw's book and Cornelius Ryan's A BRIDGE TOO FAR back to back. Wow. What a double-header that was!

Bottom line: highly recomended.

While Robert Kershaw's "It Never Snows in September" doesn't read like C. Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far", it is a wonderful complement and serious study. Kershaw's book details the Battle for Arnhem and associated actions of the Allies Operation Market-Garden from the German perspective. As such this book is in many way the mirror image of Ryan's book, told from the Allied side of the fence. Where "A Bridge Too Far" is wonderful literature on its own right, independent of its value as a historical work, "It Never Snows" is a more difficult read from a pure reading pleasure standpoint but is a WONDERFUL historical treatise. Kershaw uses both historical documents and first hand accounts from interviews of surviving German soldiers to weave an intricate story of the German's surprise to Market and subsequent response to Market and Garden that ultimately stop dead the push Monty thought could go all the way to the Ruhr and beyond to Berlin. While there are no real surprises in terms of the battle perspectives themselves the vantage point provided from looking back at the Allies rather than the traditional way (we Americans) look out at the Axis armies is very refreshing. Another aspect of "It Never Snows" that makes it a really nice piece of work is its thorough documentation of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps' role that was critical to the German blunting of Market-Garden. "It Never Snows" is possible one of the most thorough studies of the 2nd SS (aside from Michael Reynold's "Sons of the Reich") out there that is also enjoyable to read.

Certainly "It Never Snows In September" is not written a la Ryan or Ambrose - so if you need your history slick and stylish this is probably not for you - but it is readable and fun to read. Kershaw is a military man by training not a writer like Ryan or Ambrose and given that fact "It Never Snows" is actually a quite good read. It's not simple a dry treatise of facts, there is heart and sole. If you want to know more about Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem, and want to have fun learning about it, I suggest combining "A Bridge Too Far" and "It Never Snows in September" as a tag-team. These two books alone will give you your fix and them some. "It Never Snows" is currently out of print and getting a copy will cost you (unless you can find one in a library somewhere) but it's worth every cent!!!

As somebody else mentioned here, Cornelius Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far" and this title are the best combination; Market-Garden viewed from both sides...This book offers many photos as well; a must for anyone researching this part of the history...

This book's great blend of eye witness accounts, documentary of the German general staff and photographs is highly recommended. Well researched details of the frantic german effort to scrape together units and battlegroups, set aside the myth of the allies bumping into 2 complete, high quality SS panzer divisions, that "only" had to be refitted before being thrown into action again. Excellent book !

Mr Kershaw's account of the Market Garden operation from the Wermacht viewpoint is an exceptional complement to Cornelius Ryan's "Bridge Too Far". The details illustrate the German Army's ability to improvise in the face of incredibly daunting odds. Ad Hoc units scraped from anywhere and everywhere were welded together as kampfgruppen under seasoned leaders and thrown in first to surpress the allied airborne forces, second to prevent the linkup of heavy forces trying to punch through the airborne corridor with the final airborne objective, and finally establish a viable defense west of the German border area. All in the face of powerful allied air and land power. Mr Kershaw's research provides new perspective and insight on a subject which has been covered in exhausting detail by other authors. Unique photography and situation maps enhance the quality of an already exceptional presentation.

This is one of the better books you'll find covering the famous WW2 battle at Arnhem. The author covers the fighting from the German perspective and covers the battle in great detail. The excellent maps and numerous photos, some not published before, make this a must have book for the historian or anybody interested in this battle. Well worth the money.

this is a good book to read if you have also read A Bridge Too Far or any of the other publications on this subject. It is full of info about the various German outfits involved in the battle along with how they happen to be assigned there. It would be a welcome addition to any library of those who enjoy WWll history. A rare look at a famous battle from the other soldier's point of view.

Received the book I ordered on time and in good condition. The book itself is very well written. Service from Amazon is always good.

For anyone interested in a comprehensive understanding of how the Market Garden campaign was fought by the German forces, this book is essential. It provides a thorough analysis of the units that fought the battle, their individual strengths and compositions, in addition to the roles they played in the actions at Arnhem, Nijmegen, and other sectors of fighting.
Kershaw's book is concise and objective. He clearly illustrates the actions fought, and draws sound conclusions on how and why German successes were achieved, as well as failiures. It is one of the best chronicles of battle at the Kampfgruppe level that this reader has encountered.
Numerous personal recollections are drawn upon, enlivening the academic recital of operational details. It is also supported by a generous selection of maps and photos that complement the text.
Detailed and very readable at the same time, it must rank among the foremost works on the battle for the crucial bridges targeted in Market Garden.