* First full-length history of the largest and most successful airborne offensive ever * Scores of eyewitness accounts from paratroopers, glidermen, pilots, and infantrymen plus details on planes, gliders, and equipment * Recounts the actions for which participants won two Medals of Honor, a Victoria Cross, and a Conspicuous Gallantry Medal Operation Varsity was the last major airborne offensive of World War II. Conducted primarily by the British 6th Airborne and American 17th Airborne Divisions, and including Canadian elements, the goal of Varsity was to cross the Rhine River and gain a foothold for the final Allied drive into Germany. Drawing on war diaries, unit histories, after-action reports, and interviews with veterans, The Last Drop details the horrors of parachuting through flak-filled skies, the dangers of piloting a glider safely to the ground, and the struggles of infantry combat, and shows how thorough training, extensive planning, solid execution, and sheer guts combined to make Operation Varsity a stunning victory.