The Fall of Berlin 1945

By: Antony Beevor

Narrated by: 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

Critic reviews

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

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.

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.

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.

Excellent history!

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and narration. I highly recommend it to the WW2 buff.