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Pegasus Bridge (English Edition) |  |
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Pegasus Bridge (English Edition) | |
网友对Pegasus Bridge (English Edition)的评论
Before "Band of Brothers" made him famous, Stephen Ambrose wrote this little gem of a book about the British commando attack on the bridges at the north end of the allied invasion beaches on D-Day. Pegasus Bridge is to Brits what Omaha Beach is to Americans. I took my then-10-year-old son to see Normandy about 20 years ago and stopped at the bridge at Benouville. There, sitting outside the Café Gondree, was an elderly gentleman in a red beret explaining what happened in 1944 to a not-so-interested couple of young tourists. I immediately grabbed my son, gripped him by the shoulders and whispered in his ear, "Don't ever forget this moment ... we're going to talk to a veteran of a history-changing battle. This is like seeing someone with a long white beard at Gettysburg." Sure enough, this elderly veteran had been in the first glider to land at the site and described himself as a stretcher-bearer. I mentioned that I had just read Ambrose's "Pegasus Bridge" and he exclaimed, "Oh, I don't know how he got all that information, but it was SPOT ON!" We talked enthusiastically for a half-hour or so and then continued on our journey. I'll never forget that priceless moment and I'll be forever grateful for the understanding and perspective I gained in this wonderful book.
There is a lot to like about this book. It's a relatively quick read compared to most fact based books about WWII. It's very well researched (as are all Stephen Ambrose books), and it's very easy to follow most of the time. The story is profoundly interesting, about a group of elite British soldiers who dropped into enemy territory on gliders and held arguably the most important bridge in the European theater on D Day. The book is a little older than some books you can find on the subject, but Ambrose was able to interview most of the survivors of the unit before they died, which lends to the historical accuracy of the book. Ambrose always interviews the enemy soldiers as well, which provides a unique perspective on the crucial battle. The only complaint I have about "Pegasus Bridge" is minor. Since the book is about British soldiers, and the majority of the subjects interviewed were British, Ambrose attempts to slide into their vernacular (outside of direct quotes) from time to time. Sometimes it works, but oftentimes it doesn't. Hardcore British verbiage can sometimes seem like a different language altogether, and you may find yourself re-reading certain passages in order to understand what's being said. All in all, a great book on a worthy subject, and my favorite Ambrose WWII book outside of Band of Brothers!
While Stephen Ambrose has written excellent works on a variety of subjects, I think his best books have been about WW II, where he has been able to fully utilize interviews with survivors not just as an additional historical source but as his major resource. This book, which focuses on the exploits of Major John Howard's D Company and its execution of a successful, brilliant and brilliant coup de main to capture intact and then hold until relieved two extremely important bridges in Normandy shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944, joins "Band of Brothers" as Ambrose's most intimate work. In my opinion, it is a must read for all aficionados of the war fought by The Greatest Generation.
This is a well researched and well written small book about one of the smallest yet most important parts of the invasion plan, Operation Overlord. From the author's point of view, the operation was almost too smooth, as things went almost exactly according to plan. Major John Howard and Glider Pilot Jim Wallworth pulled off one the most important feats of the invasion, capturing two vital bridges on the East side of the D-Day landing area. With these bridges in British hands, the German counterattack, particularly the armored counterattack, was forced to detour many, many miles around the city of Caen, which not only slowed the attack, but exposed the German to additional Allied air attacks. The book not only covers the attack, but the struggle the British glider troopers and airborne reinforcements went through to hold the bridge until British armored units showed up to reinforce them.
Jim Wallworth deserves more credit, in my opinion, than he got. Not only did he land his glider in the exact right spot, in total darkness (they landed just after midnight), he actually managed to get the nose of the glider across a barrier of barbed wire that separated the landing zone from the bridges themselves. Howard, months before, had told Wallworth that was exactly where he wanted to end-up, and Wallworth, in what Air Chief Leigh-Mallory, commander of ALL allied air forces on D-Day, called the greatest flying feat of the entire war, literally put the glider with 2 feet of the exact spot Howard wanted. By comparison, most glider pilots used in the invasion were often off-target by many miles, yet Wallworth landed exactly where he was supposed to, within a few inches!
The book reads fast, despite the detail that Ambrose puts into it. Recommended.
In a fun aside, this attack is portrayed in the movie The Longest Day. In the movie, actor Richard Todd played Major Howard. Richard Todd was actually involved in Operation Overlord and was one of the first airborne reinforcements to reach Pegasus bridge, and played a vital role in helping to hold the bridge against German attacks!
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