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Arnhem: Black Tuesday

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The Battle of Arnhem is one of the best-known stories in British military history: a daring but thwarted attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas. It is always written about, with the benefit of unerring 20/20 hindsight, as being doomed 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 to 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 that 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.

Al Murray has always been obsessed with Arnhem, and in Arnhem: Black Tuesday, brings 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.

© Al Murray 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024

 Europe Military Thought-Provoking War

Critic reviews

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.
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.
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
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 Murray’s 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)
All stars
Most relevant
Al has lived and breathed Arnhem, and this book shows. Well worth a listen.

A labour of love.

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Really found this fascinating. The approach of looking at a single day was a great idea.

Excellent account

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Al takes on one of the classic battles of WWII from a different perspective just one crucial day, he covers all the interesting points and operational level to different standard.

insightful and an interesting take on a iconic battle

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Having been to Arnhem several times & read many books on the battle of Arnhem I found this book really short, very lively, well read, informative in some areas (Al Murray studied Noreen history at St Edmunds hall at Oxford so I would expect to be) & very precise on what a very short period of time. It doesn't focus on the the whole operation to take all the bridges, which I think is a good thing. Al Murray wrote & narrated this book & was very well read. I would defiantly recommend this book & would give a five star rating.

The battle of Arnhem

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Brilliant book by mr Murray yet again both very well written and read . Als knowledge has yet again been able to give us a new angle to a story we have already heard so much about using personal accounts to make you feel part of the history

Brilliant as ever

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