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Rating: 
Summary: a classic story of escape and survival in war time Holland
Review: John Hackett was rescued in more ways than one after the failure of an airborne assault on Arnhem in Holland in September 1944. He spent around four months in the care of the Dutch resistance recovering from his wounds and hiding from the German army. The Dutch people are shown to have remarkable qualities of resilience, friendliness and community and family. Hackett mentions how he chose to abort one escape attempt. If only the same decision making skills had been shown before "Market Garden"? Hackett also makes a brief mention of Montgomery, perhaps in reconciliation.
Rating:
Summary: a classic story of escape and survival in war time Holland
Review: John Hackett was rescued in more ways than one after the failure of an airborne assault on Arnhem in Holland in September 1944. He spent around four months in the care of the Dutch resistance recovering from his wounds and hiding from the German army. The Dutch people are shown to have remarkable qualities of resilience, friendliness and community and family. Hackett mentions how he chose to abort one escape attempt. If only the same decision making skills had been shown before "Market Garden"? Hackett also makes a brief mention of Montgomery, perhaps in reconciliation.
Rating: 
Summary: The Courage and Decency of Ordinary People.
Review: Though I first read this book some twenty years ago it has remained with me ever since as a warm and generous "settlement of account for services rendered" by a wounded escapee who was sheltered and helped to liberty, at great risk to themselves, by a large number of ordinary people. In this it has much in common with that other masterpiece of the genre, Eric Newby's "Love and War in the Apennines", having the same, understated, values of compassion, humour and decency. Hackett's account of his wounding and capture at Arnhem, and of the cheerful valour with which he and his companions faced an uncertain future, is somehow typical of the spirit of all involved in that ultimately failed, but always glorious, venture. His subsequent escape from hospital and the medical care lavished on him, under the most difficult circumstances while in hiding, by courageous Dutch patriots is both exciting and inspiring. Despite severe shortages of medical supplies the treatment Hackett received for a serious intestinal wound was enough to restore him to sufficient fitness to allow an eventual escape back to Allied lines. He paints a moving picture of normal people doing abnormal deeds at great risk to themselves and to those who know and love the best in Dutch society this will come as no surprise. My wife and I remembered this book when we later made a pilgrimage with our family to the Oosterbeek Cemetery and to the areas of combat in and around the town of Arnhem itself and it served as a heartening, and often amusing postscript, to the story of the battle. In short, a delightful and noble memoir of courage, generosity and indomitability - highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Courage and Decency of Ordinary People.
Review: Though I first read this book some twenty years ago it has remained with me ever since as a warm and generous "settlement of account for services rendered" by a wounded escapee who was sheltered and helped to liberty, at great risk to themselves, by a large number of ordinary people. In this it has much in common with that other masterpiece of the genre, Eric Newby's "Love and War in the Apennines", having the same, understated, values of compassion, humour and decency. Hackett's account of his wounding and capture at Arnhem, and of the cheerful valour with which he and his companions faced an uncertain future, is somehow typical of the spirit of all involved in that ultimately failed, but always glorious, venture. His subsequent escape from hospital and the medical care lavished on him, under the most difficult circumstances while in hiding, by courageous Dutch patriots is both exciting and inspiring. Despite severe shortages of medical supplies the treatment Hackett received for a serious intestinal wound was enough to restore him to sufficient fitness to allow an eventual escape back to Allied lines. He paints a moving picture of normal people doing abnormal deeds at great risk to themselves and to those who know and love the best in Dutch society this will come as no surprise. My wife and I remembered this book when we later made a pilgrimage with our family to the Oosterbeek Cemetery and to the areas of combat in and around the town of Arnhem itself and it served as a heartening, and often amusing postscript, to the story of the battle. In short, a delightful and noble memoir of courage, generosity and indomitability - highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: WWII was something that happened to real people
Review: While it does sometimes seem to be a bit too strongly infused with the 'stiff-upper-lip', and trundles a little too steadily to its conclusion, it is a remarkably clear memoir of (then) Brigadier John Hackett's experience in hiding in occupied Holland while recuperating from severe injuries. Without ever becoming overly sentimental, he vividly describes the straightforward determination and astonishing bravery of the family who took him in, and the network of friends who helped them.
It does assume a certain amount of previous knowledge about the 1944-1945 campaigns in Holland, but if you watched Band of Brothers recently, you probably know enough to get by (and you'll have a different account of the rescue of the British forces after 'Market Garden' it portrayed). Read it, and be reminded that WWII was something that happened to people who were just like us.
Rating:
Summary: WWII was something that happened to real people
Review: While it does sometimes seem to be a bit too strongly infused with the ???stiff-upper-lip???, and trundles a little too steadily to its conclusion, it is a remarkably clear memoir of (then) Brigadier John Hackett???s experience in hiding in occupied Holland while recuperating from severe injuries. Without ever becoming overly sentimental, he vividly describes the straightforward determination and astonishing bravery of the family who took him in, and the network of friends who helped them.
It does assume a certain amount of previous knowledge about the 1944-1945 campaigns in Holland, but if you watched Band of Brothers recently, you probably know enough to get by (and you???ll have a different account of the rescue of the British forces after 'Market Garden' it portrayed). Read it, and be reminded that WWII was something that happened to people who were just like us.
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