With the Red Devils at Arnhem: Personal Experiences with the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade 1944

by Marek Swiecicki

The Battle of Arnhem remains a much-studied and discussed battle, with an uninterrupted flow of books being published about it. Helion are bringing back into print a fascinating eyewitness account that has remained overlooked since it was last published shortly after the battle itself. The 1st Polish Parachute Brigade played both an important and controversial role at Arnhem. The author, a Pole himself, was attached to the Brigade, saw action at Arnhem and managed to escape capture and return to Allied lines. He penned his account within weeks of returning, and as a result With the Red Devils at Arnhem has a tremendous freshness and appeal sometimes lacking in material written years afterwards. He offers a vivid insight into the experiences of the Poles at Arnhem, written in an exciting and lively manner.

The Helion reprint has been expanded by airborne forces' expert and author Niall Cherry's additional notes providing further information and context. This book is a forgotten gem within the canon of Arnhem literature.

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Davina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the first published accounts of the Arnhem battle so lacks perspective, and has a number of inaccuracies. English is clearly not the author's first language, so the grammar is a bit odd for time to time. It is an interesting account. It's also quite brief, so overall, a quick read. Certainly not a definitive account such as It Never Snows in September, or as comprehensive as A Bridge Too Far, nor is he a major figure with an intimate access to the battle as with Urquhart's Arnhem, written by the 1st Airborne Division Commander.