Six Months in 1945

FDR, Stalin, Churchill, and Truman - from World War to Cold War

By: Michael Dobbs

Narrated by: Bob Walter

Length: 16 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the best-selling One Minute to Midnight, a riveting account of the pivotal six-month period spanning the end of World War II, the dawn of the nuclear age, and the beginning of the Cold War.

When Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill met in Yalta in February 1945, Hitler's armies were on the run and victory was imminent. The Big Three wanted to draft a blueprint for a lasting peace - but instead set the stage for a 44-year division of Europe into Soviet and western spheres of influence.

After fighting side by side for nearly four years, their political alliance was rapidly fracturing. By the time the leaders met again in Potsdam in July 1945, Russians and Americans were squabbling over the future of Germany and Churchill was warning about an "iron curtain" being drawn down over the Continent.

These six months witnessed some of the most dramatic moments of the 20th century: the cataclysmic battle for Berlin, the death of Franklin Roosevelt, the discovery of the Nazi concentration camps, Churchill's electoral defeat, and the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. While their armies linked up in the heart of Europe, the political leaders maneuvered for leverage: Stalin using his nation's wartime sacrifices to claim spoils, Churchill doing his best to halt Britain's waning influence, FDR trying to charm Stalin, Truman determined to stand up to an increasingly assertive Soviet superpower.

Six Months in 1945 brilliantly captures this momentous historical turning point, chronicling the geopolitical twists behind the descent of the iron curtain, while illuminating the aims and personalities of larger-than-life political giants. It is a vividly rendered story of individual and national interests in fierce competition at a seminal moment in history.

©2012 Random House Audio (P)2012 Michael Dobbs

great account of the end of WWII

Great account of the end of WWII and the catalysts for the Cold War. After separate books on FDR, Stalin, and Truman, this book still shed much light on events and tied them together well.

Excellent! Real-time history unfolds before us.

Those of us who experienced 9/11 may have some idea of how a world can change virtually overnight. Those involved in World War 2 may not have realized how much impact these six months would have on the world, nor may those of us living today have known how our world was shaped - or even CREATED within that same time frame.

We learn history from books written with perspecitve. This perspective changes with every person removed from the events, every decade that passes where we see consequences of the events, and with the softening of opinions about events experienced by earlier generations.

This type of history telling - with first person perspective written at the time of the events is so much more...EVERYTHING. I love the humourous events around Churchill (including FDR finding him naked in the tub); the details on the death of FDR, and the real fear of Truman as he stepped into the presidency; the nature of Stalin in his creation of his power-bloc behind the "iron curtain", all of it. Many of the details come from those we have never heard of - but who kept good diaries, who have insights we would never had discovered any other way.

This type of history can give us more depth on issues that we have a surface knowledge of. We know the Cold War developed out of the WWII end, just as WWII grew out of the end of WWI, but this book delves into the details in a way that is in-depth without being dry and boring. We know the atomic bomb race was a part of this Cold War, but this dig into the WHY and HOW in ways I have never read before. I even found out that the 38th parallel was chosen as the dividing line for Korea (an important part of the second half of the 20th Century) by two guys and a National Geographic map!

This is a credit well-used, and I share this in hopes it helps you decide if it is for you.

A Fascinating Period in History, but

But the book is not so fascinating. I've found that basing a book of history on a date (no matter how compelling the date. c.f. 1776), rather than a person or event doesn't make for a very good book.

While there were some interesting stories in this book, the overall effect was not that impressive.

Incredibly well researched, sub par reader

If you have any interest in WWII at all, this book will captivate you and provide some interesting details and insights you likely had not heard before. Very thorough and yet I did not feel the detail bogged the story down. What did however slow things down for me was the William Shatner-esque unnecessary drawing out of certain words and random pauses in every sentence.

The Cold War was just meant to be

Enjoyed the historical view of the final six months of WW2. It appears that the future Cold War and icy relations to Russia (USSR) came down to both sides views towards Poland. The west (Great Britain) had gone to war over Germany's attack on Poland, whereas Stalin viewed Poland as lands to be returned as well as a buffer against any potential resurgent Germany (the west).

I know this is simplification but this was where it a all began.

Facts stand in the way of fiction

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not worth it

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael Dobbs again?

Depends on the subject matter

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I thought the narrator did an adequate job.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

If they introduced some behind the scenes skulduggery then it might make a good movie

Any additional comments?

The subject was interesting enough and the descriptions of the eccentric requirements of Stalin and Churchill was amusing. These characters were certainly larger than life itself and considering that they held the fate of the world in their hands the portrayal in the book came over as bland. If you want a good war story you have to get onto the front line.

Unbalanced, Unoriginal, Disappointment

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The pacing is way off. The first part of the book describes the Yalta conference in excruciating detail, including anecdotes about the leaders that any reader of other histories would find familiar. When the book finally gets going on the important issues, after what seemed like hours on the minutiae of Yalta, it makes some interesting observations about the roles of the various foreign ambassadors in negotiating issues, on Truman's unpreparedness for office, on Stalin's immorality, and on Churchill's doggedly anachronistic imperial sympathies. Yet even here, most of the material would be familiar to any student of the period. The book doesn't seem to include original research.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The book needed a good editor to cut unimportant detail and elaborate sections that really move the history forward. But in the absence of original research, the book can't be more than a rehash of other, familiar works.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was painful. There is a sing song quality to the reader's voice that is the same in every sentence. I couldn't listen to much more than a half hour in a sitting.

Was Six Months in 1945 worth the listening time?

I don't think so, at least not for someone who's done substantial prior reading on the topic. As a primer, it might be fine, if you can take the narrator's odd cadences.

for those who want to go DEEP

Too much detail of food during these historical dinner! the first portion of the book was maddening because of this. however, once it gets rolling it improves greatly. the author has done a TREMENDOUS job compiling all of this additional information from the generic story we all know. well done MR. Dobbs

History comes alive

Having read One Minute to Midnight, I was looking forward to Michael Dobb's approach to this momentous half year of history. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the end of WWII through the eyes of those with whom I was not very familiar, specifically Churchill and Stalin.

History always seems so much more orderly after it has been massaged by time and culture. This book demonstrates how every meeting, issue and decision was messy, complicated and difficult.

There were times when Dobb's attention to detail seemed a bit too deep, but all-in-all I found myself glued to my headphones and, in the end, wishing for the story to continue.

Bob Walter is easy to listen to and handles various names, locations and non-English words flawlessly.

Great storytelling .

Gives you a great understanding of the personalities of all the principal characters. Well written and descriptive and makes you feel you are there. Reader of audible is great. Best I've heard yet and I listen to lots of books, Marty K