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THIS BOOK: Categorised as VERY GOOD: The 1944 edition was first published in 1944. The cover is a dark red, bubble grain covering, with the title at the head in black ink. The inside cover and endpaper have light foxing, as does the back inside cover and endpaper. The body of the book is clean. There are various black and white photos of the day scattered within the text to enhance readability. An important and historical document of what it was then. To find one in this condition after 80 years is remarkable. OUR IMAGES: We provide at least two images of each book or map in our inventory; no stock images are used. READ ON: When you view the photos, you'll see exactly what you are purchasing, not some stock image. READ ON for more information and details about the book and publisher, where relevant.
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First published in 1945, With The Red Devils At Arnhem is Marek Swiecicki's vivid first-hand account of the Battle of Arnhem, written within weeks of the events it describes. Swiecicki, a Polish war correspondent attached to the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade, was present during the desperate fighting of September 1944, when Allied airborne forces attempted to seize the bridges over the Lower Rhine as part of Operation Market Garden. His narrative, translated from Polish by H. C. Stevens, captures the immediacy, confusion, and courage of those days with a freshness rarely found in accounts written years later. Swiecicki flew in with the Brigade expecting to witness a decisive victory, but instead found himself in the midst of a brutal and chaotic struggle. He records the Brigade's delayed arrival due to weather, their hazardous drop near Driel, and their determined efforts to cross the river to support the embattled British 1st Airborne Division trapped in Oosterbeek. The book offers a soldier's eye view of the fighting: the constant threat from snipers, the exhaustion of holding exposed positions under artillery and mortar fire, and the grim reality of mounting casualties. The author's close contact with both Polish and British troops allows him to portray the camaraderie and mutual respect between the forces, as well as the frustrations caused by poor planning and the lack of adequate river crossing equipment for the Poles. He describes the Brigades' role in covering the eventual withdrawal of the British survivors across the Rhine, a task carried out under intense enemy pressure.
Interspersed with these battlefield scenes are moments of reflection on the Brigade's formation, its training in exile, and its determination to fight for Poland's honour despite being far from home. Valso touches on the political undercurrents of the time, including the misunderstandings and misplaced blame that followed the battle, which led to the unjust sidelining of the Brigades commander, Major General Stanishaw Sosabowski. Illustrated with black and white photographs, the book conveys both the human cost and the enduring spirit of the men involved. Swiecicki's style is direct and unvarnished, shaped by the urgency of wartime reporting and the constraints of censorship, yet rich in detail and atmosphere. His account stands as an important contemporary record of Arnhem, preserving the perspective of the Polish paratroopers whose contribution was long overlooked. With The Red Devils at Arnhem is more than a chronicle of military action; it is a testament to resilience, loyalty, and the bonds forged in combat. For modern readers, it offers a rare combination of immediacy and historical significance, providing insight into one of the Second World War's most famous and tragic airborne operations from a viewpoint seldom heard at the time. ________________________________________
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