The Fall of Berlin 1945

De: Antony Beevor

Narrado por: Sean Barrett

The Red Army had much to avenge when it finally reached the frontiers of the Third Reich in January 1945. Frenzied by their terrible experiences with Wehrmacht and SS brutality, they wreaked havoc - tanks crushing refugee columns, mass rape, pillage, and unimaginable destruction. Hundreds of thousands of women and children froze to death or were massacred; more than seven million fled westward from the fury of the Red Army. It was the most terrifying example of fire and sword ever known.

Antony Beevor has reconstructed the experiences of those millions caught up in the nightmare of the Third Reich's final collapse. The Fall of Berlin is a terrible story of pride, stupidity, fanaticism, revenge, and savagery, yet it is also one of astonishing endurance, self-sacrifice, and survival against all odds.

©2002 Antony Beevor and Artemis Cooper (P)2002 Isis Audio Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A tale drenched in drama and blood, heroism and cowardice, loyalty and betrayal." (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post)

Great Book !

Great book and loved the narrators reading of it, if anyone wants ww2 history buy this book!

Intriguing

The nearly hour by hour account is simply fascinating. The savagery of the Soviet forces, and the treatment of German women is appalling. I have read a fair amount about WWII, but this book, even more than Stalingrad, really brought the story to life. Highly recommended.

So eye-opening

It also helps you learn more about the Red Army and how their people were treated.

The Gritty end of WWII

Great book deeply exploring the gritty end of the Second World War in Europe. I definitely recommend for anyone looking for a solid book explaining how the Third Reich fell in it's very last days.

Not unbiased, but could be worse

Beevor acknowledges the brutality and genocidal intentions of the Germans when they started the war with the Soviet Union. He acknowledges that not ALL Soviet soldiers partook in rape and plunder, and closes the first chapter with an acknowledgment that the Soviets could be humane. He acknowledges that the Nazi higher-ups (and even common German soldiers) played a role in the atrocities, such as leaving large supplies of alcohol behind for Soviet soldiers to ingest; or stalling evacuations out of fanaticism, spite, cowardice, or all three. He's not bashing the Soviets here, but with that said, he should have gone a bit further in emphasizing that they were RIGHT to want revenge, considering all the Germans had done and planned to do. Overall, a good book.

great book

a true must read for any fan of military history or the eastern front. it really immerses you in the experience of the last great battle of world war 2.

amazing book performed by an amazing narrator

this book is amazingly written and amazingly performed, I'll definitely be starting it again in the near future. There's so much information to be overlooked.

horrifying but necessary read

I read a lot of World War II books, but a lot of them focus on America and their involvement. This is one of the first I've read that mainly focuses on the Russian army and the German army. It's a true eye-opening read and it does not pull back any punches.

Superior to The Last Battle

A spectacular, detailed, thorough recounting of both Russian and German side of this battle. I enjoyed this much more than the other book on Audible covering the last battle of the European war. This book covers extensively the German and Russian sides of this battle and has a balance between what is happening on the political stage, the military fighting, and the plight of civilians caught in the fray.

Thankfully the Western Allies were only briefly covered when it was relevant where as other works have focused on why Eisenhower decided not to take Berlin, the political fallouts, and only briefly describing Soviet contribution. This is why this now my go to book regarding the Battle of Berlin.

Excellent book

Good to hear about the common people along with the military aspect of the battle.