The Fall of Berlin 1945 | Antony Beevor

The Fall of Berlin 1945 | Antony Beevor | Real History

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The Fall of Berlin...

	The Fall of Berlin 1945 Antony Beevor Penguin (Non-Classics), 2003 - 528 pages average customer review:based on 126 reviews view larger image
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Beevor makes it again!

Once again Antony Beevor makes a Marvellous Job. A must for anyone interested not only in the eastern front of WWII or the collapse of the nazi regime, but also for the one who wants to learn, by real facts, what the human herds are capable of when they are drived by an explosive mix of hatred, ingorance, fear, desire of revenge and lack of rules. Despite I highly recommend this book, it is fair to say that "Stalingrad" -Beevor's masterpiece, in my opinion- is better told in the sense that it can be read entirely like a literature novel. I do not mean by this that "The fall of Berlin" is a classic book of history. Thus, Beevor's magic talent to tell us history in the most bizarre and interesting way has not diminished in this work by a bit.
(Tip for the potential reader: Try to read "Stalingrad" before this one.)

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Real History

An Excellent book!

I really respect an author who attempts to cover both sides of a conflict, too many WWII books out there are 'one sided', either focusing on the Allies or the Germans. Beevor brings you the conflict from both the Russian and German viewpoint with detail, insight and understanding.

The book is also a good read, Beevor includes both the military/strategic information as well as the social/personal side of the conflict.

I also recommend his other best seller: Stalingrad

Full of tragedies at the end of World War II in Europe

Beevor does just as good a job in this book as his _Stalingrad_ book. Beevor shows all aspects of the end of World War II with the depth and unbiased writing as in _Stalingrad_. We see the rampant destruction and pillage of Berlin by the Russian soldiers. There seems to be very little discipline of the Russian soldiers as they advance to Berlin. I find it hard to have sympathy for the Germans for all the lives and nations they destroyed as well as causing the Holocaust.

Another aspect we see is the cowardice and hypocrisy of the German leaders and assistants around Hitler. Hitler is disconnected from reality as the Russians advance. Others around him make escape plans while they tell the citizens of Berlin to stay and fight to the last man (or child for that matter).

Beevor gives many examples of personal accounts of the events as well as the big picture view from the generals and leaders. Beevor also does a remarkable job in showing the faults and idiosyncrasies of Stalin and Hitler. Stalin is shown as having a strong jealousy of his top army officer Marshal Zhukov. Beevor rips away any glorified views of what the end of WWII was like in Berlin. One added plus is that Beevor does have more situation maps in this book than in _Stalingrad_.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about how World War II ended in Europe. Beevor paints a picture of horror, courage, jealousy, and cowardice all in one book.

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A CLASSIC ACCOUNT

Beevor's account of the last days of The Reich, because that's what this book basically covers, is in my opinion already a classic one. After its more than 400 pages, "The Fall of Berlin 1945" leaves a huge impact on WWII history writing because it contains all: personal accounts, strategic moves, Hitler's final days, the suffering of the Berlin citizens (they had their share), great pictures and much more.

The book is written well balanced as both sides (Germans and Russians) get their share of critics: the Germans for their crazy and fanatic attitude while the Russians are severely blamed for raping and looting. All in all it's another fantastic book of Beevor, after his gripping "Stalingrad".

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Captures the stories inside the story

A very well written account that perfectly blends a macro analysis of battle plans and troop movements with the personal, anecdotal remembrances of individual participants. A graphic portrayal of the most gruesome details of war and a society in collapse. Beevor alternates his focus from the Russian troops and armies to the civilian struggles to Hitler and his entourage in the bunker seamlessly. The effect is a highly readable account of the final hours of Nazi Germany. Highly recommneded.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

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