The Last Battle

By: Cornelius Ryan

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The classic account of the final offensive against Hitler’s Third Reich.

The Battle for Berlin was the culminating struggle of World War II in the European theater. The last offensive against Hitler’s Third Reich, it devastated one of Europe’s historic capitals and marked the final defeat of Nazi Germany. It was also one of the war’s bloodiest and most pivotal battles, whose outcome would shape international politics for decades to come.

The Last Battle is Cornelius Ryan’s compelling account of this final battle, a story of brutal extremes, of stunning military triumph alongside the stark conditions that the civilians of Berlin experienced in the face of the Allied assault. As always, Ryan delves beneath the military and political forces that were dictating events to explore the more immediate imperatives of survival, where, as the author describes it, “to eat had become more important than to love, to burrow more dignified than to fight, to endure more militarily correct than to win.”

The Last Battle is the story of ordinary people, both soldiers and civilians, caught up in the despair, frustration, and terror of defeat. It is history at its best, a masterful illumination of the effects of war on the lives of individuals, and one of the enduring works on World War II.

©1966 Cornelius Ryan; 1994 by Victoria Ryan Bida and Geoffrey J. M. Ryan (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A rare accomplishment…Will be of interest to generations to come.” (James A. Michener, Pulitzer Prize–winning author)

Utterly Fascinating

What did you love best about The Last Battle?

Cornelius Ryan is one of the best writers on WWII ever. His ability to bring disparate material together cohesively to paint a clear picture of otherwise chaotic events is heroic. He mixes the great (figures of history) with the small (folks in the towns and villages) to fantastic effect. You often feel that you were there yourself. The excitement, and impending doom, of the times is clearly carried through.

It is easy to understand that the outcome wasn't always certain, when the mistakes are made clear in the cold light of history.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simon's dulcet tones brought the historical figures to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many. The greatest were descriptions of how the civilians in and around Berlin survived, and the Allied liberations of the camps.

Any additional comments?

I would (and will) read anything by Cornelius Ryan.

An older but still good book.

A slightly out of date, but excellent account of the battle for Berlin.

The author writes a fairly compelling account of the final official battle of the Third Reich. He covers all angles including the Soviet and Western Allies side. It is filled with a lot of information and is not a quick read, although it is entertaining as well as informative.

Most of his data still stands up in time, and to my knowledge it is accurate. There is a bit of a difference now on some details but it is close enough from where I stand to continue to be a book I recommend to people interested in the war in Europe during World War II.

Great History

Would you listen to The Last Battle again? Why?

Yes, because of the wealth of personal accounts from those who lived through the Last Battle

Who was your favorite character and why?

No single character, but rather the German People

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Once again, The Germans themselves.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last few pages as the battle begins to wind down.

Any additional comments?

If you like military history then I would recommend this book very strongly.

Awesome!

There is alot of unknown history a out the people and citizens who lived through this battle, and the book makes their individual stories known.

Captivating from beginning to end.

The book had me engaged, fascinated, shocked for the most part. Was not very interested in the parts on politics. However the testimonies were so detailed and engaging, it had me at the edge of my seat often rewinding just to listen again.

excellent book

amazingly, the author claims he did personal interviews of the various generals and players on both sides of the battle. the anecdotal nature of how the story was told kept my interest throughout. I listen to a lot of books, but rarely twice. this one I may listen to again. fantastic job

Collapse of the Third Reich

Deeply researched and well told. There are some surprises depicted that might surprise the curious.

Outstanding!

If you have read any of Ryan's books you should expect nothing but the best. This account is amazing. Though the Nazi's were likely the most evil of governments that have ever existed, you find yourself either feeling sorry for the Berlin population or simply pitying them. Hitler expanded the German empire to its greatest but then it all collapsed. This book emphasizes the total collapse of Nazism and the German Nation. It was totally destroyed! Simon Vance is a born narrator. No wonder he is an acclaimed talent. You won't be disappointed in this choice.

Fantastic story told by a superb narrator.

Cornelius Ryan's tells the real story of Berlin's last days (and that of the Third Reich) through memoirs, personal interviews and painstaking research. What you get is insight into the thinking of everyone who participated in this tragic and yet triumphant tale. Simon Vance is probably the best narrator on audible and brings his heightened narrative style to an already exceptionally taunt story.

Excellent book

I was riveted to this book from the start. The story builds nicely and the narration is excellent, well besides one slight problem. Simon Vance narrated Interview With The Vampire and the follow on books. His haunting term of phrasing and style was great, but just after listening to him on that book made it feel a little weird. Still he did a fantastic job. The book I think was published in 1966 and so some information is missing, but the benefit was the author Cornelius Ryan was able to interview key players long before they were history themselves. This book is a keeper. Thank you Dan Carlin from the podcast 'Hardcore History' for recommending this book.