The Battle for the Rhine

The Battle for the Rhine - Robin Neillands

I picked up this one cheap on the Kindle some time ago.  It basically follows the North West Europe campaign from the crossing of the Seine until the end of 1944 with a focus on Arnhem and the Bulge.  Neillands does a reasonable job of defending Monty from his, mainly American, detractors while remaining reasonably aware of his personality faults.

Neillands points out that the US failure to secure the Eindhoven bridge immediately on landing was crucial to the ultimate failure of Market Garden and suggests that the amount of time XXX Corps spent assisting them was paramount, they were actually back on schedule by this point.  He also blames the choice of landing zones on US commanders while "Boy" Browning is criticised for using lift capacity landing his corps HQ instead of fighting troops.

Ike also takes some stick for failing to get a grip on his subordinates, primarily Bradley and Patton, while it is acknowledged that it is unlikely anybody else could have undertaken the role of supreme commander more effectively.  Neillands frequently points out that Eisenhower would make a decision and then alter it while failing to provide clear instructions to his army commanders.  The failure to take Walcheren and open Antwerp as a port is a recurring theme.

Bradley and Patton feature as the main villains of the book, constantly undermining their boss' decisions and strategies.  Bradley is described as out of his depth as an army commander while Patton comes across as a "flat track bully" who faces the same problems as everybody else once the German defences solidify around Metz.

Overall, an interesting read from an author I'd not been aware of before.  I have several more on the Kindle, primarily about WWI which will be moved up the queue.