It Never Snows in September by Robert J. Kershaw

It Never Snows in September by Robert J. Kershaw is a highly regarded study of Operation Market-Garden and the Battle of Arnhem, presenting the campaign from an unusual and particularly valuable perspective: that of the German forces who faced the Allied airborne invasion in September 1944. Originally published in 1990, the work was based on extensive research, including interviews with German survivors and examination of German operational records. The 2001 edition was published by Sarpedon in association with Ian Allan.

Kershaw’s approach distinguishes It Never Snows in September from many conventional accounts of Arnhem. Rather than concentrating exclusively on the Allied experience, he reconstructs events through the testimony of German soldiers ranging from ordinary infantrymen to senior commanders. The result is a detailed reassessment of the circumstances surrounding Market-Garden and the failure of the Allied attempt to secure the Arnhem bridge.

It Never Snows in September examines the airborne landings, the fighting around Arnhem and Oosterbeek, the advance towards Nijmegen, and the wider Allied effort to establish and maintain the corridor through the Netherlands. Kershaw also challenges several established interpretations of the battle, including assumptions about German preparedness, the strength of the defending formations and the reasons for the eventual Allied defeat.

Particularly valuable are the firsthand accounts gathered by Kershaw while serving with the British Army in Germany. His research began after he encountered German eyewitness reports while working with the Bundeswehr, eventually leading him to interview surviving participants across Germany. Among those interviewed was Generalleutnant Heinz Harmel, commander of the 10th SS Panzer Division.

The title itself comes from the dramatic opening of the Allied airborne assault, when German artillery officer Joseph Enthammer reportedly mistook descending parachutes for snowflakes before realising that the Allied invasion had begun.

For readers interested in World War II, airborne warfare, Operation Market-Garden, Arnhem and military history, It Never Snows in September offers a compelling alternative perspective on one of the most controversial Allied operations of the war. It is an especially worthwhile addition for collectors of Arnhem literature and serious students of the 1944 campaign.

Condition: Near Fine – Plastic covered with little notable wear, foxing on half title page.