It Never Snows in September
Author: Robert Kershaw
Publisher: Sarpedon NY
Edition: Second
Cover: Hardcover
ISBN: 1-885119-31-3
Battle
Synopsis: Robert Kershaw's detailed military history examines Operation Market Garden from a German perspective, providing crucial insights often missing from Allied accounts of the ambitious September 1944 airborne operation. Kershaw, a former British Army officer and military historian, draws extensively from German archives, veteran interviews, and battlefield archaeology to reconstruct how German forces responded to the massive Allied airborne assault in the Netherlands. The book reveals how scattered German units, initially caught off-guard by the scope of the operation, rapidly reorganized to mount effective resistance against superior Allied forces. Kershaw's analysis shows how German commanders, despite being surprised by the timing and scale of the attack, effectively used their knowledge of local terrain and defensive positions to blunt the Allied advance. The narrative follows German units from the initial shock of seeing thousands of Allied paratroopers descending from the sky to their gradual realization that they could defeat this ambitious operation through coordinated resistance. The book particularly examines the German defense of Arnhem, where SS units and hastily assembled battle groups held critical positions against elite British paratroopers. Kershaw demonstrates how German tactical flexibility and rapid response capabilities proved more decisive than Allied technological advantages and superior numbers. The work provides detailed accounts of German decision-making processes, showing how local commanders adapted to changing battlefield conditions without waiting for higher authorization. Through personal testimonies from German veterans, the book humanizes the defenders while maintaining analytical objectivity about their military effectiveness. Kershaw's research reveals previously unknown details about German intelligence capabilities, communication systems, and reserve mobilization during the crisis. The book challenges common assumptions about German military decline in late 1944, showing how experienced units could still mount effective resistance when properly led and motivated. The analysis extends beyond tactical considerations to examine how the failure of Market Garden affected German morale and strategic planning for the remainder of the war. Kershaw's balanced approach acknowledges Allied courage and professionalism while explaining why German forces ultimately prevailed in this crucial engagement.
It Never Snows in September, is one of the many primary source materials in the Army Air Corps Museum collection.
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