Arnhem: Black Tuesday

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From bestselling author Al Murray comes the story of the most catastrophic 24-hours the British military faced in World War II, leading to disastrous consequences for the Allies forces. 'Utterly brilliant... this book really is the last word on the Battle of Arnhem' James Holland 'Superb... A military historian of originality and insight to compare with the best' Saul David 'This book is a revelation, not in facts delivered, but in the mood evoked. This is Arnhem unplugged By confining himself to men in and around Arnhem on that Tuesday, Murray achieves something special' The Times ___________ Al Murray has always been obsessed by this legendary battle, and in Arnhem- Black Tuesday he showcases all of his knowledge, interpretation and enthusiasm to bear to tell the story of one of history's great heroic failures differently for the first time. The Battle of Arnhem is one of the best-known stories in British military history- a daring but doomed attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas 1944. It is always written about, with the benefit of unerring 20/20 hindsight, as being destined to fail, but the men who fought there, men of military legend, didn't know that that was to be their fate. By focusing on the events of one day as they happened through the eyes of the British participants and without bringing any knowledge of what would happen tomorrow to bear, Al Murray offers a very different perspective on a familiar narrative. Some things went right and a great many more went wrong, but recounting them in this way allows the reader to understand for the first time how certain decisions were taken in the moment and how opportunities were squandered. Tuesday 19 September 1944 was the terrible day which became known as Black Tuesday. From just after 12-00 hours while plans were being made to seize the initiative and optimism reigned, to the following midnight, when Arnhem was burning and the Allied fortunes looked very different, a mere twenty-four hours changed the course of the war.

Reviews

This book is a revelation, not in facts delivered, but in the mood evoked. This is Arnhem unpluggedBy confining himself to men in and around Arnhem on that Tuesday, Murray achieves something special. * The Times *
This well-crafted, original title comes highly recommended and should sit towards the top of the pile of texts discussing the fateful engagement. Hopefully there will be more to come on the topic from Murray. * Solider Magazine *
An original and insightful account... Murray breaks the story into its constituent parts and, demonstrating a deep understanding of events, argues that had the cards fallen differently, the plan might have worked * Telegraph *
By examining the Arnhem battle in such forensic detail and delving well beyond the normal parameters on this subject, Al Murray has convincingly exposed a number of aspects that no-one has ever considered before and with highly conclusive results. This is an utterly brilliant work of history: compelling, entertaining, in parts truly shocking, profound, revelatory, full of wisdom and delivering a mass of totally fresh material. The twenty-hour timeframe is inspired, and despite focussing on only one day of fighting, this book really is the last word on the Battle of Arnhem. -- James Holland
Superb. By focusing on a single day, Al Murrays Arnhem reintroduces the element of jeopardy to this famous battle and reminds us that, for the participants, nothing was set in stone. He is a military historian of originality and insight to compare with the best. -- Saul David

Author Bio

Al Murray's alter ego, The Pub Landlord, is one of the most recognizable and successful comic creations of the past twenty years, and Murray, who has won numerous awards and accolades, continues to fill arenas and theatres around the world. He is also the author of many successful books including Watching War Films with My Dad and Command, a sharply entertaining analysis of the key allied military leaders in the Second World War. He is well known for co-hosting the hugely popular Second World War history podcast, We Have Ways of Making You Talk with fellow bestselling military author James Holland. Arnhem- Black Tuesday is his first history book about a single campaign.