The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland

A Screaming Eagle #2

by Donald R. Burgett

In a daring plan to end the war, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne jumped into the heart of Nazi-held Europe -- and began a journey into hell....In September 1944 -- sixteen weeks after the D-Day invasion -- British Field Marshal Montgomery unleashed a daring attack aimed at the heart of Nazi Germany. For the men of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne, including nineteen-year-old Donald Burgett, the plan meant parachuting in broad daylight into Holland, securing the road to the Rhine River, and helping the British cross into Germany. It was a mission that sent thousands of young men to their deaths.In this electrifying memoir, Donald Burgett takes us into seventy-two days of close-quarter combat in foxholes and towns against brutal Panzer counterattacks and into the face of the feared German 88mm artillery as the Screaming Eagles push straight into the might of the German Army. Capturing the horror and confusion of war, as ally and enemy move within yards of each other, Burgett tells the story of a legendary fighting unit's bloody victory -- in an epic battle for "a bridge too far."

Genres: History, World War II, War, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Military History

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Donald R. Burgett was a writer and a former World War II paratrooper. He was among the Airborne troopers who landed in Normandy early on the morning of June 6, 1944 (D Day). He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division (United States), ("The Screaming Eagles"), and the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Burgett served in 'A' Company, 1st Battalion, 506th PIR as both a rifleman and a machine-gunner.

Burgett parachuted into Holland, his second combat jump, as part of Operation Market-Garden, and fought for 72 days behind the German lines. After just a few weeks rest, he was again sent into combat, this time at the Battle of the Bulge, where the 101st, along with Combat Command B of the U.S. 10th Armored Division (United States) and the all African American 969th Field Artillery Battalion successfully held out against nine German armored divisions during the siege of Bastogne. Burgett went on to fight through Operation Nordwind, on into Germany to the Ruhr Valley, the Rhineland, and Bavaria. While in action with the 101st, Burgett was wounded three times and had his M1 rifle shot out of his hands at least twice. He was one of only eleven men out of the original 200 in his company to survive from D-Day in Normandy to the war's end.

In addition to writing four books, he has also appeared in a number of History Channel specials on World War II.

Burgett's books are first-hand accounts of his time spent in the United States Army during World War II. Some were based on unpublished accounts he wrote immediately after the war, while others were compiled in later years.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Max, Rick Atkinson, James Hornfischer and many others can write great history but there is nothing better (to me) than an original source who can bring the real story to you. Donald Burgett is one of the rare writers who was there and writes a great, highly readable account of his war. This book begins as he arrives from the hospital back to the English staging base of the 101st Airborne. The base is deserted but soon the surviving members of the Screaming Eagles arrive back from Normandy. The ranks are thinned and he tells about many of his buddies killed and wounded. Soon they are given a long leave. Burgett goes to London with a bunch of battle buddies. I keep thinking I’ve heard this story before but can’t remember where. Sounds like something a bunch of young guys fresh from battle would do:
One thing I do recall was a bunch of us catching a Red Cross lady’s cat while she was hosting a dinner for us at Rainbow Corner. We tied a handkerchief to the cat like a parachute and threw it out of an upper story window to several troopers waiting in the street below to catch it before it hit the pavement.

It takes five jumps to qualify as a paratrooper, and that cat made three before the Red Cross lady saw what we were doing. Yelling something very loud she grabbed for her cat just as a trooper was getting ready to launch it out the window for its fourth jump. He pulled away from her a little too hard and wound up hurling the cat out the window into the middle of the busy street below, where it was promptly run over by a passing cab. The cat never got to make its qualifying jump and we decided not to stay for dinner after all.

Soon, the 101st receives replacements and begins training for the next outing. After many planned jumps are scrubbed due to Patton’s and the Allies success in the breakout from Normandy, Montgomery has his brilliant idea for Market-Garden. Soon we are on the C-47s with Burgett on the way to Holland. Burgett has a lot of praise for the bravery of the airlift pilots and aircrew on this campaign. (Don’t know what he said about them for the D-Day jump). His jump into Holland:
Gravity took hold, swinging me down under the canopy as I began my descent. When I looked up to check the canopy bright sunlight flashed in my eyes, Still, I was able to see that my chute was fully deployed. I swiveled my head and saw the sky filled to capacity with chutes, jumpers, exploding flak, and machine-gun tracers. My God, I thought. I had never seen so many men in the air at one time before. I could not define my own stick from all the chutes in the air.

I glanced down and saw that many troopers were already on the ground, out of harness, and making their way off the DZ. Then I looked up and froze. A C-47 was coming straight at me. Its port engine was aflame, trailing black smoke. It was coming down right through jumpers hanging helpless in their chutes. The pilot was fighting to hold the aircraft on course. His eyes were wide and round as he was being shaken by the controls. There were possibly three figures visible in the cockpit as the plane bore down on me. I was going to be killed; I just knew it. Troopers were tumbling in haste out the door, one on top of the other, their chutes barely opening in time. I instinctively drew my feet up. The port wing passed just under me and the horizontal tail stabilizer came on, slicing through the air barely inches below my feet. I stared at the pilot as the big ship flashed by. Those moments are frozen in my memory. His gaze was riveted straight ahead. He knew the fate that awaited him and his crew. The plane went on, hitting several troopers lower and to the east of me, killing them with prop and wing. The plane crashed but not until all the paratroopers had gotten out.

Burgett takes you through several battles and attempted bridge captures. The Germans make several attempts to retake the Zon bridge. One soldier takes out a Panther tank and many think he should have gotten the MoH for the action. Regardless, he has a clever way to escape his predicament once he runs out of ammo.

As the Panther started to slowly advance it was struck in the right side by a 57mm antitank shell fired from the north side of the canal, again without much damage. The tank commander opened his hatch so he could look around and see where the antitank gun was located. He stuck his head out, saw Slick behind the mooring post a few yards away, and dropped back down into the tank. Seeing an opportunity to knock out the tank, Slick leaped forward, chucked a grenade into the open hatch, and dove under the tank for protection from the German machine gun that had opened up on him again. When the tank crew saw the grenade, they bailed out of the vehicle. At almost the same moment, two more 57mm shells slammed into the tank in quick succession. None of the crewmen appeared to be hit as they raced back in the direction from which they had just come. Meanwhile, a big German infantryman came running forward, probably in an attempt to get into position to shoot Slick where he lay under the tank. However, Slick shot first. The big German let out a yell and either fell or dove into the canal, disappearing from sight

Slick was in a bad position. Alone out front, caught between a squad of Germans that was firing at him while his comrades behind him at the bridge were shooting over and around him at the attacking Germans, he was caught in a deadly cross fire. Slick reached in his pocket for another grenade but discovered he had thrown his last one into the hatch of the tank. Then he felt an apple. The Dutch people had been throwing them to and at us ever since we'd landed, and we all had apples in our pockets. He raised his hands in an exaggerated way so the enemy would be sure to see what he was doing, pulled the stem, and threw the apple at the Germans, who immediately dove face first into the dirt and covered their heads with their hands. While they were waiting for the “grenade” to go off in their midst, Slick jumped up and ran like hell back toward the Zon bridge. Some of the enemy regained their senses when there was no explosion and fired at Slick, who by that time had covered some distance. He made it safely to the shelter of the houses-out of grenades, out of ammo for his rifle, and out of apples.

Burgett’s unit joins British troops for an attack on a key village and comes under artillery fire. He brings the battlefield experience to you in graphic terms:
I saw deep rutted tire tracks left by the dual wheels of a German truck that had passed through here while the ground was muddy. I crawled forward, squeegling down into the length of the track, lowering my body height about three inches. That three inches may have made the difference between a piece of shrapnel severing my spinal column or not. I called to Phillips to do the same. He did.

Most of the time I really never thought much about the shrapnel whizzing past. Just hearing it had never really bothered me, but now I could see it cutting tobacco stalks in long rows like a scythe, just inches in front of my face and alongside me. I had never before fully realized just how much shrapnel flew outward from an exploding shell. Now, with multitudes of shells hitting all around, cutting down entire rows of tobacco plants at a time in full view, I was dumbfounded-and scared.

After Burgett’s unit is relieved from duty on the line, they set up camp in an apple orchard. They had waved at the “English” troops camped on the other side of a field (the “English” had waved back):
Out in the field stood a haystack and an old hand-operated water pump. Men were going over to the pump to fill their canteens, then to the haystack to get an armload of hay for their foxholes. The English camped at the other part of the orchard were doing the same thing. It just so happened that no one from the two different camps chanced to go for water or hay at the same time.

J had dug my hole down about a foot or so when I heard someone yell at the top of his voice, “They’re Krauts!” Shots rang out, a couple at first, then a machine gun opened up, then a full-scale shoot-out erupted.

More machine guns opened up as 60mm mortars began to fire. The “English” troops at the other end of the orchard were Germans! More German troops appeared to our far left, running to join the battle. There looked to be a battalion of them. Sergeant Brininstool grabbed the machine gun he had been carrying, picked it up, turned toward the enemy, slammed the gun down, and began firing. All of the troopers and Germans were now firing at each other. The sound was deafening. I could see Germans running through the apple trees and pulled out my .45. I drew a bead on a running enemy, led him a little bit, and squeezed the trigger. The man kept running.

Again and again, I fired at different Germans but not once did one fall. Damn, what I would have given for my M1 rifle right then.

After the Battle of the Apple Orchard comes to a stop, the Germans surrender and the Americans start to treat their casualties:
Germans to bring in their casualties, placing them on the grass in the front yards of the houses. Our medics began examining them and giving what aid they could. I went to help and talked some with their commander, who was more concerned for his wounded than losing a battle.

“Many wars are fought, won, and lost,” he said, “but men die only once.”

One wounded man didn’t want to take the sulfadiazene tablet a medic had given him after bandaging his wound. The German stood holding the tablet between his thumb and forefinger staring at it.

“For Christ’s sake,” I said, “take the damned thing! That’s the same stuff we take. If we wanted you dead we’d just shoot you.” He looked startled, put it in his mouth, and swallowed. I gave him some water from my canteen to wash it down.

More and more of our troopers came to see the prisoners. No one attempted to loot or harass them. In fact, most of our men were trying to help them. I have seen times when these same men were like snarling dogs, wanting to kill everyone and everything, even prisoners. What controls the mood of men?

Several of the Germans who had been camped in the orchard told us they had seen us walk by on the road and waved to us. They knew we were Americans but thought we were prisoners. The German commander admitted that he really didn’t know for sure just where he was. He had been given orders and a map and told to go on through to Nijmegen. Somehow he had become disoriented. When he heard the firing and saw that we were killing Germans, he rushed to their aid. Now he and his men were all prisoners.

Burgett has little good to say about Monty as he held onto the airborne troops long after the initial mission was accomplished. Monty used the paratroopers as infantry until they were basically chewed up. Burgett and the American paratroopers were also very critical of Horrocks troops as there did not seem to be an all out rush to get to the British and Polish airborne at Arnhem. But mostly Burgett tells the story of the close-in battle. 5 Stars Oh yeah, some decent maps too.

[Xon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like this one as much as "A Screaming Eagle at Normandy". Not that it wasn't good, but I felt like it got away from the journal like approach of the first one. This seems to be the classic movie sequel or second album that strayed away from what brought it success and moved more towards the mainstream. There were some accounts of battles that Burgett didn't even take part in. I realize they were all part of an entire mission to sieze the road to Arnem and probably only told to give the reader an overall understanding of operation Market Garden. However, Burgett didn't paint the whole picture of Normandy and that book was much more interesting.

Nevertheless, there are some amazing stories of house to house fighting and close calls with Nazi's that make the reader wonder how Burgett even survived to write these books. Then there are the true gems that make these books well worth the read. Burgett shares his accounts of what it was like to liberate small Holland cities and some interactions with the citizens. There is the clearing of houses while on patrol, the befriending of an abondoned dog, the 24 hour watch in waist deep water with a dead goat, and face to face encounters with Nazi's that yield the most unsuspecting outcomes. These accounts are what makes Burgett's books so interesting and rare, much like Sledge's "With The Old Breed". This is what you can't find in the books that give you the overall picture and strategy behind major battles.

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I promised to one of my friends in GR to make a review of this book. We’re both fans of the Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers and he would like to know how the 101st Airborne Division feat was during Operation Market Garden. Well, lucky that this book is written by a paratrooper, member of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was the same regiment as Easy Company. Different battalion though.

First I have to say that Burgett wrote his war memoir very well. I’ve read a number of war memoirs, which are usually great, but this one is unique. Somehow he managed to arrange his stories as compact as possible (Market Garden was the largest airborne operation then), but still succeeded in including all important details (combat missions, battle strategy, combined with lots of hilarious, quirky events).

Burgett recounted how the Screaming Eagles (nickname for the 101st) were deployed into a disastrous operation in Holland, courtesy of Monty (and Ike of course, as the Supreme Commander). The British higher echelons were quite the ‘antagonist’ here, not the Germans. They deliberately ignored intels about the presence of panzer divisions in the area, they overlooked the details on the terrain, roads, ferry crossing, and they refused to accept the help from the Dutch underground, which was one of the best underground forces in Europe at that time.

I admit that a number of freakish accidents and mishaps also interfered the operation. Bad weather (delaying reinforcements), wrong drop zones (troopers jump too far from their objective or directly into battle fields, as happened to the poor Polish brigade), supplies were dropped into the German sides instead, complete communication wreck, loss of crucial officers, how could three divisions handle those. But still, undoubtedly Operation Market Garden was significantly flawed since the beginning. Its failure rest on the shoulders of the Command. Monty’s plan to make a thrust into Ruhr was a daring one, but he underestimated the Krauts’ strength and made a number of absurd strategic decisions, such as he did make the best use of the recently-captured Antwerp Port. He practically gave the way for the German 15th Army to escape from Pas de Calais and reinforce Arnhem. And mind you, those SS panzergrenadiers around Arnhem were not old men and young kids, opposite to the Allied Forces’ previous briefings.

I have two favorite events in this Operation. The first is the superb stand-off of Colonel Frost’s battalion of British paratroopers in the city of Arnhem for days waiting for the (eventually never came) British XXX Corps to relieve them. If you’ve seen the movie, Col. Frost was played by Sir Anthony Hopkins. The second is the assault done by one of the battalions in the 82nd Airborne Division to capture the bridges near Nijmegen, planned by the division commander, Gen. Gavin. The British officers were shocked to that plan since they could not imagine paratroopers (!) making a little Normandy-style assault crossing the Waal River. Unfortunately, despite the shocking success of the mission, the Americans became so pissed because the British tanks refused to pave their way to liberate their own encircled paratroopers in Arnhem, which was only 11 miles away, just because they wanted to have some tea and waiting for their infantry. The British’ text-book approaches during the Operation really annoyed me. Patton wouldn't do that.

Back to the 101st, I think their feat in the Operation was a bit lighter than the 82nd. This is probably because they were assigned in the southern part, meaning less enemy’s resistance. However, that did not stop a number of bloody battles to occur and killing thousands of its troops. The battles were so bloody, the Screaming Eagles named the corridor as "Hell's Highway".

Speaking about paratroopers, Burgett argued that the British and American paratroopers were completely misused by Monty. As paratroopers, they were supposed to jump behind enemy lines, secure the area in rapid assaults for the upcoming infantry then leave the area to go jump some place else. Burgett was once left behind to stall the German forces (an entire regiment of artillery, a battalion of engineers and an armored division) with only four other troopers.

However, despite they were being treated as regular infantry, their performance was worth applauding. Especially the Red Devils (nickname for the British 1st Airborne Division) who bravely stood up to their defense although they were surrounded by superior armor and armor grenadier forces, run over by SS panzer divisions, pounded mercilessly by artilleries and attacked frontally from all sides. Even the battle-hardened Germans saluted them for their bravery.

Well, apparently I’ve written a review about two books, LOL. It so happened that I’ve recently finished a splendid masterpiece from Cornelius Ryan, titled A Bridge Too Far. Oh well, if you want to read a more personalized, concise, easy-to-read, less technical account of the Operation, you better read Burgett’s book. Reading close-quarter combats in fox holes and towns has never been this exciting.

However, if you think you can handle all the debacles of Operation Market Garden and to look at them from all sides including the Germans, while also craving for more meticulously-researched facts (including the gruesome, frustrating ones), go read A Bridge Too Far.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

While any WWII biography automatically receives 5 stars in my book for the author's courage to write personal details, I agree with other reviews that the book in the Donald R. Burgett series is not as anecdotal as some of his others.

That's not to say that this book doesn't have some great moments. Personal memories of Burgett include bombing a haystack (Moments later the shell landed directly atop the haystack . . . scattering hay in all directions. "Not on the haystack," he yelled to Montrella. "I said behind the haystack." Montrella laughed, too, and soon we broke out laughing), and the German Shepherd the squad picked up, who the affectionately named Shrapnel, who had a knack for hearing enemy mortars launched and warning the men.

The failed Market-Garden Offensive by the Allies was much battling back and forth stalemates. Burgett writes about this from a very broad perspective. Although, you can feel the pride the paratroopers had in liberating the cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen in Holland.

Burgett, along with only four other men, was also instrumental in holding the line as the rest of the regiment pulled out from the battlefront in retreat. He was also part of an hour-long skirmish in an apple orchard that resulted in the capture and surrender of a German army and battalion commander. He was there when the Germans demolished the Wilhelmina Canal causing the allies to take refuge on rooftops. He also recounts a water patrol to rescue a number of English paratroopers who had been left behind after the first evacuation of the British Airborne Division in Holland.

There's a reason they called this area "Hell's Highway" during WW2. A lot of men lost their lives on this "road." The war wasn't over yet. After Market-Garden, the men then had to stand their ground for Germany's last offensive in the Battle of the Bulge . . . but that's a story for another book.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second entry in Burgett's 4 book "Screaming Eagle" in Europe series. Much like Bugett's previous Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy, the "Road to Arnhem" is an intense ride with the 101st as it strives and succeeds in reaching its established goals in Operation Market-Garden. The problem with that however is Market-Garden, a poorly conceived brain fart from Field Marshall Montgomery, which devolves into a giant cluster-fuck almost immediately. That said, Burgett's viewpoint is mostly that of the a the ground grunt slugging out with the Germans in close quarters. Heads explode, brains splatter, friends and enemies die. Burgett does pause from time to time give you an overview of what was complicated (and botched) action. In a lengthy Epilogue Burdett provides you a more complete explanation of the battle, complete with an accusatory finger pointing at Montgomery. The book, like its predecessor, is a marvel of composition. Reportedly Burgett wrote much of the details down close to the events themselves. On top of that Burgett is a really good writer. Hemingway would have been impressed.

[Aleesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off- I have so much respect for Burgett and the men he fought alongside. The things they saw and experienced were horrific.

In my humble opinion, this book wasn't as good as Currahee. It's not that there wasn't enough "action" to keep my interest. In fact, that's quite the opposite. I was feeling anxious as I imagined myself in their shoes having to stand watch or hold the line through countless barrages of artillery and tank fire.

The problem I had, was the fact that during the first half of the book, he wasn't seeming to share his experiences. He was sharing an awful lot of other comrades' fighting and it just wasn't what I was looking for, I suppose. Things also seemed to be repeated multiple times just worded differently- I may be being a stickler, but I felt the repetitiveness was unnecessary.

Long story short...first half of book wasn't engaging. When he started bringing his memories of the missions back in during the second half, I was super engaged.

Regardless of my critiques, if you're a WWII history buff or a fan of the 101st Airborne, I'm confident this book will still strike your fancy. 😉

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.49 stars marked down to three by Goodreads. A follow-up to the author’s memoir on the jump into Normandy, this account of his experiences in the Netherlands and Operation Market-Garden is less overwrought and thus more believable than the previous book. Plenty graphic and detailed nonetheless and unsparing in its contempt for the dithering by the British commanders that resulted in a needless sacrifice of thousands of British and Polish paratroopers killed or captured.

Will read the third memoir by the author — on Bastogne.

[Grant Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, A Screaming Eagle in Normandy. This one doesn't quite have the same flow with some of the writing even coming across as stilted or, worse, incomprehensible in a few places. Still, there are some memorable first-person anecdotes, and these go a long way toward balancing out the problems.

[Iain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good account by Burgett, though I found I didn't like this quite as much as his "Seven Roads to Hell." He is still at his best when telling us anecdotes from his own experience and there are some real gems here.

[Vicente Suarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gran libro sobre las experiencias en combate durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial de Donald Burgett.
Muy detallado, fácil de leer y muy dinámico...asombrosamente realista sobre la preparación previa a la Operacion Market-Garden y sobre sus días de combates en Holanda.

[Clyde Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought a Jan.4 2014 from z.cn. Only completed it within 1 month at July 2019.

A book of interesting details and stories in the war , but lack of a full view of war except a brief epilogue.

[Beth Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first person account. A must read!

[Lyn Sweetapple · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant recount of the Market Garden disaster. He really hates Montgomery and the British Armor and I don't blame him.

[Beraud Rock · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever wanted a first-hand account of combat in World War Two this is the book for you. Incredibly Burgett survived D-Day, Arnhem, the Battle of the Bulge, and the later stages of the war. As a paratrooper this was rare, thier casualty rates extremely high.

[Kirin171 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big kudos for the author for mentioning Polish paratroopers and their sacrifice.

[John Nevola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Burgett is an American hero, not only for his service but also in recording for posterity the trials and tribulations of paratroopers in World War II. The Road To Arnhem continues the simple literary style of Currahee and Seven Roads to Hell. It is a hard-hitting, pulls no punches, detailed account of combat at its fiercest and most bloodthirsty.

Under British command for Operation Market Garden, both the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions were committed to this battle to capture bridges behind German lines to allow a rapid advance of British armor to flank the Siegfried Line and sneak into Germany through the “back door”. While initially surprised, the Germans reacted quickly and fought desperately to close the single highway (dubbed Hell’s Highway by the paratroopers) leading to Arnhem. In addition, the Germans sealed off Arnhem and surrounded the British 1st Airborne Division. Even though the American objectives were captured, the British armored spearhead was neither rapid nor aggressive. As a result, the operation was a strategic failure but the bloody fighting continued for 2 more months.

Still under British command, the paratroopers suffered untold indignities by being committed to the defensive and drained piecemeal through trench warfare type attrition. The most egregious indignity, according to the airborne warriors, being the infamous British rations.

Like his other works, the maps and photos are good. However, some paratrooper veterans I have spoken to take exception to Burgett’s tendency to exaggerate and embellish his own personal valor. Having said that, he should still be commended for documenting his observations and recollections into these classic historical memoirs.

[Michiel Bon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek biedt een meeslepende en persoonlijke kijk op Operatie Market Garden vanuit het perspectief van een Amerikaanse paratroeper. De auteur weet de chaos, spanning en moed van de operatie op levendige wijze over te brengen, waardoor je als lezer het gevoel krijgt dat je er zelf bij bent. De gedetailleerde beschrijvingen van de gevechten en de strategische keuzes zijn goed onderbouwd en geven een genuanceerd beeld van de strijd. Daarnaast maken de persoonlijke anekdotes en ervaringen van de soldaten het verhaal niet alleen historisch interessant, maar ook emotioneel aangrijpend. Een must-read voor liefhebbers van militaire geschiedenis en persoonlijke oorlogsverhalen.

[Sam B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion this book was overall a good read. Coming from a family that emigrated from Holland I was immediately wanted to read this book. This book put you right into the battles and told you exactly what was going on. The author did not try to shortcut you and only tell you a little bit about what was going on. Having the photographs in the middle of the book helped me visualize what the terrain was like. The author did a great job in keeping you engaged in the book. If you are interested in a good World War 2 book I recommend this book.

[Michael Romo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burgett's continuing saga of battle with the 2nd Squad, 2nd Platton, A Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the famous 101st Airborne Division.

I found his descriptions of the following enlightening:

-The English and leave in England
-An organized airdrop
-The welcome by the Dutch!
-Fighting alongside the British
-Terrible British food rations
-Disdain of paratrooper losses by Montgomery
-Battle at the Island

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great (and easy to read) account of Burgett's daily experiences in WWII, but this time during Operation Market-Garden. Burgett describes what must have been a strange mixture of terror, grief, and adrenaline as he and his buddies did everything they could to complete their missions while staying alive. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 of 4 detailing Burgett's World War 2 experiences in the 101st Airborne Division. This one recounts relieving British troops trapped at Arnhem by the Germans during the ill-fated "Operation Marketgarden". Caution: This is hard core military history and Burgett cuts no corners. Not for the squeamish.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald continues his excellent series of memoirs chronicling his and those around him participation in one the worst Allied defeats of the war. He also takes the time at the end to explain the plight of the British Red Devils and the Polish Para's chronicling their struggle and being hung out to dry by Monty.

[David Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

right up there with the band of brothers tales. the writer covers the horror and the fear of being killed, with the constant day to day routines and the absurd situations of terror, boredom and some times gallows humor. I read all of the books by this writer and i will reread them again. Every persons account of WWII was different and this is no exception.

[Bud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been playing an historical wargame about the Market Garden operation called Where Eagles Dare (MMP publishing). This book gives a personal history by a member of the 101st Airborne Division of the battles he was involved in and, as an epilogue, summarizes the outcome of the entire operation. it's a short book, but tells the story well.

[Jonelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this the year that I went to Holland for the anniversary of Operation Market Garden, so seeing some of the places, the country..and being a granddaughter of a US paratrooper made this especially important to read.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Operation Market Garden in World War II was an attempt by the Allies to seize a pathway into Germany by going through Holland. The author writes of the struggle of the American 101st Airborne during the operation.

[truenorth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book from a personal perspective. I enjoyed the personal note to it but don't read it to get an overall picture of the battle. It's a little hard to grasp the idea of where everything is happening. Also the book is quite gory. Not suitable for younger children.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second installment. Follow the author into Holland and the disaster that was Operation Market Garden. Better than the first book-if that is possible.

[Doris McAllister]

This book is about the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airbone Division in WWII, which is my Dad.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person account of the paratroopers jump into Holland and it's aftermath.