Overview

An account of heroism and courage in one of the Allies' biggest military catastrophes of the Second World War. Ideal for fans of James Holland, Anthony Beevor and Cornelius Ryan. Ten thousand Allied troops landed in the Netherlands in September 1944. This was the largest airborne invasion ever undertaken and it ended in utter disaster. Eight thousand men were killed, wounded, or captured during the Battle of Arnhem. Yet, what of those who escaped? And how did they manage it when surrounded by German troops? Leo Heaps's remarkable book The Grey Goose of Arnhem charts the activities of two hundred and fifty men who, with the aid of Dutch Resistance, made it back across the Rhine to Allied lines. As a member of the First Airborne, Heaps draws from his own experiences as a soldier who fought, evaded capture, and then returned to work with the Dutch Resistance, for which he was awarded the Military Cross, as well as using material from private diaries, letters, and interviews with about forty paratroopers and Dutch Resistance leaders to record a thorough account of the most amazing mass escape of World War Two.

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Leo Heaps was born in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1922, and lived his life in California, England, and finally in Toronto. His early years were in the shadow of his father, a famous Parliamentarian, followed by his service in the British 1st Airborne during World War II, where he was awarded the Military Cross. His post-war exploits took him to the war of Independence in Israel, where he trained members of the Israeli army, and finally to the Hungarian revolution where he he worked with the International Rescue Committee. In civilian life, he had an unbridled passion for adventure, fine artwork, and writing, all of which played important roles in his various published works. An accomplished ocean sailor and tennis player, he always made time for these two pursuits, while still attending obscure auctions, where he uncovered several rare works of art. His various exploits produced life-long relationships with a fascinating array of colleagues from all walks of life, many of them becoming the basis for characters in some of his published works. Leo Heaps died in 1995. Chris MacDonnell is an Earphones Award-winning narrator and a classically trained actor and voice artist whose theater credits include London's West End and the Royal National Theatre, British TV shows, BBC Radio drama, commercials, and films. He is also a published poet and has written comedy and drama for television shows.

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