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    The Fall of Berlin 1945
    The Fall of Berlin 1945
    The Fall of Berlin 1945
    Audiobook17 hours

    The Fall of Berlin 1945

    Written by Antony Beevor

    Narrated by Seán Barrett

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    "A tale drenched in drama and blood, heroism and cowardice, loyalty and betrayal."-Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post 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 are 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 16, 2016
    ISBN9781501919893
    The Fall of Berlin 1945

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    Reviews for The Fall of Berlin 1945

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      Heavy on mundane details like units and this army that army, weak on interesting details and personal stories. Then abruptly “and they all lived happily ever after the end”. Not well thought out and delivered. Yawnfest
    • 4/5
      Overall, a good explanation of the savagery of war in its waning stages. I’m still amazed the German citizens until the very end believed the BS of Hitler.
    • 4/5
      Engrossing account of the final days of Germany in World War II and the fall of Berlin to the Russians. Now I know exactly what happened to Hitler's body!
    • 5/5
      This book deals with the war on the Eastern Front from January to May of 1945. Its military historical approach was a little more technical than I like, but I appreciate it bringing to my attention the revenge that our allies, the Russians, exacted on the German civilians they encountered. A sample: "Altogether at least 2 million German women are thought to have been raped (by Red Army soldiers), and a substantial minority, if not a majority, appear to have suffered multiple rape." I am probably not the only reader who was cheering for the German attempts to break out of the encirclement of Berlin by the Soviets so that they could surrender to the comparatively humane armies of the West.
    • 5/5
      My wife bought me this on our first xmas here. There is considerable prescient symbolism by establishing those framing remarks.
    • 4/5
      The conquest of Berlin by the Soviets to end the WWII for the Germans was a horrible affair. Stalin, ever distrustful and ever deceitful, poured thousands of troops into the exercise to make sure that the Western Allies did not beat him to Berlin.Beevor's book describes the details focusing mainly on the Russian advances, and the crazy responses by Hitler and his cronies. The criminal actions of many individuals on both sides is shocking - the shooting of 'traitors', the looting, rape, wanton destruction of property, and seizure of intellectual and industrial property.He deals quite dispassionately with the deaths of Hitler, Goebbels and others. The only person who is treated with some respect is General Zuchov.
    • 3/5
      Good book. It was worth the effort it took me to get through it.
    • 5/5
      Excellent story about the final part of the 2nd world war, higly popular with history under graduate students at my university, really in-depth, if you are a fan of history and the second world war I would read this book, a five star for content, from one of my favourite authors who never fails to deliver
    • 5/5
      In two words: utterly compelling. Antony Beevor's widely praised account of the ultimate battle for the heart of the Nazi Reich, and the pure horror of it all, is a book worthy of high praise indeed. The scene is ably set in the opening chapters with the setting of the various battle orders, the intricacies of the political machinations in fearsome effect, and the descriptions of lives interrupted on the home fronts; Beevor expertly brings the reader with him into the new year of 1945 as the final battle for Europe's fate is about to play out. As the front moves ever nearer to the Reich's own frontiers the Soviet political officers and the commissars tell their charges that the Germans had -"...sown the wind, and now they are harvesting the whirlwind."The overwhelming sense is one of 'total war'. Nevertheless, his approach is one that manages to keep the facts clear and uncluttered, and the potentially complicated maneuverings of multiple military units are brought across to the reader without confusion. The book also succeeds in that it gives the reader a good impression of the human aspects of the conflict. The research for this book must have been a labour of love of sorts, as the amount of detail imparted from such a wide variety of first-class primary sources is very impressive. From the archives of the former Soviet Union and the two Germanies, as well as those of British, US, French, Swedish and countless other origins, the author manages to convey with complete authenticity the experiences of those involved at every conceivable level of the 20th century's defining event. The use of source material - a combination of diaries, letters to or from the front, memoirs written at a distance of years, interviews during PoW interrogations - is highly effective at getting across the sheer size and impact of the whole conflict in Europe. We hear the voices of individual 'normal' people (peasants, conscripts, the urban poor and the middle classes alike) as frequently as those of the generals, politicians, or the privileged few. Writers and journalists such as Vassily Grossman are often reporting from the front (or sometimes more interestingly from just behind the front). At once you are in the icy trenches or the firing positions with the Soviets' 1st Guards Tank Army, the next you are in the operations room of an opposing German Panzer division, or a retreating SS regiment. The reader has the dubious privilege of being privy to the Machiavellian orchestrations of Stalin and Beria, as they play off the competing rivalries of Generals Zhukov and Koniyev against each other for both egotistical and self-serving strategic reasons; as well of course as the persistent mutual mistrusts of the Red Army's front line units with those of the party's NKVD political detachments. I had not previously been quite so aware either of quite how much contempt Stalin had for his leading generals, and how despicably he wouldn't hesitate to treat them when he considered it politically expedient to. Obviously he shares this odious trait (along with countless others) with his opposite number in Berlin.Similarly, the chaos and mayhem afoot in the various German organisations: of the Reich, the Nazi Party, the SS, and the different branches of the armed forces becomes clear. The disorder and sense of an empire collapsing all around, while Hitler fiddles in his 'Fuhrerbunker' is at once both a fascinating and grimly captivating thing to behold. I found myself wondering quite what Uncle Dolfi (as the Goebbels children called their leader) thought to himself as he sat in his quarters, resting between blood vessel bursting fits of temper at the daily strategic conferences, staring at his favourite portrait of Frederick the Great...Less frequently we are kept reminded that this is indeed a world at war, and the picture will momentarily broaden to include aspects of the various alliances and the varying degrees of cooperation or sometimes non-cooperation. The ever-present paranoia on the part of Stalin towards Roosevelt and particularly Churchill becomes an increasingly noticeable element in the story of the race to Berlin's conquest. Nevertheless, the story of the western allies' advance across the Rhine and into the heart of Germany is referenced when relevant to the narrative. The roots of the looming Cold War face-off between the western allies and the Soviets are clearly visible here. The grisly downfall unfolds in more or less chronological order as the chapters rotate from one aspect of the conflict to the next. The now well documented horrors of the Nazi Holocaust are not a central theme in this book, as it is more a case of the different camps' liberations being acknowledged in the narrative as they occur during the course of the Germans' hasty and destructive withdrawal from the advancing armies. The book is certainly not for the fainthearted though as there are necessarily countless and almost relentless accounts of the many horrors conducted by all sides in this war - in particular the many atrocities towards the civilian populations by the Red Army. (The German forces had of course "sown their wind" as they Blitzkrieged their way across the continent between 1939 and 1942, to say nothing of their monstrous racial atrocities.) Beevor tackles the subject of rape by Soviet soldiers head on. He notes that the victims were not restricted to German women, but that many Soviet or Polish citizens, including former concentration and prison camp inmates (some Jewish survivors among them too), were also brutally attacked. He actually defines four distinct stages of this most awful of crimes: The first when the initial wave of advancing soldiers occupies a civilian area; the second when the vanguard moves on and the following wave of combat units arrives (often the most indiscriminate and horrific of the phases); the third and fourth stages as with the war's end, the horrors of survival for some women in post-Nazi Germany include committing themselves to the 'protection' of one particular Red Army soldier or other. Certainly not easy subject matter at all, and not without academic controversy either, but I think that Beevor covers the subject as sensitively as could be reasonably expected. I listened to the audiobook edition, read superbly by British actor Sean Barrett. His voice is somewhere between Olivier (think BBC's 1970s "The World at War") and Burton's noble authority. Never a distraction, and often enhancing somehow the authenticity of the whole production. I loved the way he says the Russian and German generals' names, especially "Rokossovsky"! Also the subtle accenting he put on occasionally when quoting the slogans of advancing/retreating troops for example. I realised early on that I would need to get out a decent map of Germany to help me picture the movement of the various events as the Germans capitulated, though a quick check online tells me that the print edition has reasonably good maps of the key stages covered.Maybe my 'review' should have ended after the first sentence, I'm not sure. But for anyone with an interest in the history of modern Europe, or in the dehumanisation that accompanies warfare - and the everyman's and everywoman's experience of that process, this book is a must.
    • 4/5
      Riveting combination of serious history writing and small details that make it all come alive. I've read Ian Kershaw's "The End" and Richard J. Evans books that cover the same period, so I wasn't expecting much initially. But Antony Beevor has combed through a multitude of sources (often private, such as diaries), and complements the usual heavy-handed military history style, in which batallions, squadrons and whole armies engage with tanks and howitzers, with gripping human-interest vignettes. He does not shy away from inserting his own opinions (on the perfidy of Stalin's Russia, for instance, or on how Hitler willingly sent another few hundred thousand people to their deaths in the last days of the Reich). A real page-turner.
    • 4/5
      This is an outstanding piece of history, written in plain language, showing the level of suffering that the people of Germany/Berlin experienced. It has an unique point of view and as always Antony Beevor excels in detailing the personal experiences and feelings. It is not a book for those that can be affected by histories of physical and psychical trauma.
    • 5/5
      Beevor doesnt disappoint, an unflinching look at the fall of Nazi Germany, the struggles of the soldiers, civilians, and politicians.
    • 4/5
      The fall of Berlin in an unbiased view. The atrocities by the red army are amazing horrific, but so is the understanding of why they came about. The German Army rampaged through Russia only a few years before, but it was more than just revenge for the Soviets. It was systematically destroying a people they had hated for a long time. The Army was an extension of a polluted government that encouraged the atrocities that occurred in Berlin and all over eastern Germany. An amazing and heartbreaking read not only for WWII buffs, but all people.
    • 5/5
      In this excellent follow up to Beevor's 'Stalingrad', Beevor details the final collapse of Nazi Germany and the Soviet advance on Berlin. This was the climax of a war of annihilation, and this is relayed in the gripping if not gruesome accounts relayed in the book. As with Beevor's 'Stalingrad', his access to formerly closed Soviet records provides this book with a depth that humanizes the battle for Berlin, from both sides, by providing a man-on-the-ground feel to the narrative. One may wonder why such savagery took place, but by the time Beevor's narrative is in full flow depicting the siege of Berlin, the motivations of the participants is understandable, as hard as it may be to relate to the degrees of animosity displayed on the Eastern Front of WWII. A fascinating illumination in this book is the inside look to the Soviet command, and the way in which Stalin's system of command motivated heartless waste of life for the sake of competition and hubris. A great book in its own right, 'The Fall of Berlin 1945' reads even better alongside Beevor's 'Stalingrad'.
    • 4/5
      Not for the squeamish. Hitler sacrifices Berlin in the face of certain defeat. I read it to try to gain some insight into what my father-in-law's experience might have been like (he was 14 years old and just trying to survive). I think it's hard for Americans to understand suffering at these levels (and did all those women and children deserve it?). Obviously, Roosevelt blew it by not letting our troops liberate Berlin -- did he realize what would happen?
    • 5/5
      Having read - and been gripped by - Stalingrad, I had to read this. Two sides of the same coin. Painstakingly researched and clearly written. This is a superb book that I heartily recommend
    • 2/5
      Absolutely incredible account of the final stages of the war on the Eastern front.

      I was particularly struck by the scale of everything, the numbers of people killed, raped and imprisoned. The machinations of Stalin and his ruthlessness with all.

      The real horror of the end of the war really comes across, rather than a dry cause and effect teaching of history that one would maybe get from school.

      Really glad I read it.

    • 5/5
      Beevor is one of the best historians of his time. He strikes a nice balance between the staff officer’s view of things on a map and vivid first person accounts. Unlike less skilled writers (like Ambrose) he does not take first person accounts as gospel or pick sides.It is shocking to read people that call this book pro-German. He begins by saying that the true nature of a regime is clear when it ends. While some may dislike the depiction of the German’s as victims, many of them were victimized. The people of Berlin suffered at the hands of the Nazis who forced children to fight and hung anyone that tried to save themselves. They were victimized by the Soviets, even German communists released from concentration camps were abused by Stalin’s men. Beevor makes no secret, and pulls no punches. Germany started the war. Germans loved Hitler. Germany attacked Russia. German treatment of Russians civilians lead to the horrific reprisals in Germany. He inishes the book about the curious, morally corrupt explanations almost all Germans offered for the war.Simply a great book. A familiar subject but well written and enhanced with some information from Russia not available 20 years ago.
    • 3/5

      Six out of ten.

      A complete history of the last months of World War Two. As the Russians and the Allies closed in on Berlin, this book examines how it affected the lives of ordinary Berliners as well as those still clinging to the power of the Third Reich.

    • 4/5
      You really feel the despair of the Berliners in this book. After a lifetime avidly consuming films and books celebrating the battle with the Nazis where 1945 was the sensational finale it was a slap in the face to see the view from the other side. I really empathized with the Berliners and could sense the 'end of the world' that they were facing. The book also conveyed a sense of the pathetic as the mighty war machine that threatened us all could hardly manage to find the fuel for a single tank leading escaping civilians to safety. This book affected the way I think and feel about our security.
    • 5/5
      A nightmare account of revenge and how two systems can clash in a way that causes the destruction of civilian life. Great on characters and tactics. And, as with Stalingrad, the big picture is effortlessly infused with small details that make it breath.
    • 5/5
      Another brilliantly managed & expertly detailed study by Beevor. I read this after being so impressed by his books on the Spanish Civil War & Stalingrad & wasn't disappointed. 26/3/08
    • 5/5
      I have read 3 of Beevors books, all of which are comprehensive in their ability to describe battles from the level of the leaders and strategic planning down to the experiences of the individual soldiers. I have enjoyed them all. I gave this a 4.5 and not a 5, not because of the writing but because the subject matter is not as intriguing to me as in his book 'Stalingrad'. This book doesn't have the ebb and flow of a hotly contested battle, but is more the continued destruction of the German army along the eastern front, and for that reason is a bit less gripping than 'Stalingrad'.
    • 5/5
      This is a thoroughly gripping account of the final few months of the Third Reich. It focuses in particular on the advances of the Red Army, which undoubtedly bore the major burden of bringing about the death throes of the Nazi regime, but many of whose members also committed atrocities against the civilian populations of Poland and Germany as they advanced westwards, including the rape of some 2 million women. In short it shows the horror and bestiality of the fighting on the Eastern Front, including the appalling and often unnecessary loss of life on both sides, even when the eventual outcome was assured. As well as the grand sweep of events, Beevor also mentions many small incidents involving individual German civilians or Russian soldiers, thus adding human colour to the grim military and political events. A tremendously dramatic and tragic piece of writing.
    • 4/5
      A gripping and detailed account of one of the most apocalyptic periods of 20th Century history. It especially recounts the needlessly tragic loss of life on both sides during a period when Germany's military defeat was already inevitable.
    • 5/5
      Very good indeed and well balanced despite what a previous reviewer may have thought. Im not quite sure what sympathising with human tragedy has to do with being pro-Nazi but, hey, maybe thats just me. I suspect not though...
    • 4/5
      A chillingly readable glimpse into a different world.
    • 2/5
      Sprechen Du Russki?'The Fall of Berlin 1945' by A. Beevor suffers from two major maladies: an absence of thorough editing and proofreading attention complicated by an infection of overzealous German sympathizing tendencies.First, a few examples of the former. Misspelled Russian names abound—Kovakchuk instead of Kovalchuk (p. 170); Tsynbaluk instead of Tsymbaluk (p. 244); Kovaleski instead of Kovalevski (p. 306). East-West and eastward-westward are transposed (pp. 16, 256, 258–259, 328). The author demonstrates an inability to combine text fragments borrowed from diverse sources. Take, for example, the paragraph that begins "The fortunes of war still favored . . ." (bottom of p. 238). What have dirty weapons to do with the rest of that paragraph? Another lapse: Soviet Ambassador V. Dekanozov returned to the embassy just after dawn on 22 June 1941, not 1942, as the author states (p. 304). Finally (sadly not least), a bibliographic snafu: Nikolai Vasiliev is listed twice—initially under his first name (p. 471), then under his surname (p. 474).Taken individually, perhaps, these errors could slide under the editorial radar as "minor" oversights. Collectively, however, they bespeak gross journalistic and historical neglect. So much for accuracy.The book's more damaging weakness lies with Herr Beevor's flagrantly biased German sympathizing. (No, not Nazi sympathizing, Gott behüte!) Clearly the book is written from the German point of view. In a (token?) nod to journalistic balance, perhaps, the author mentions atrocities committed by SS and Wehrmacht on occupied Soviet territories. But wait, read more carefully: The SS "liberated" a town "occupied by" the Red Army. Katyusha strike was "akin to shooting hostages in response to a partisan attack" (p. 321)—excuse me? Here's another bit of objectivity that missed its mark: French POWs were "reluctant to work" and were "escaping their camps, usually to visit German women" (p. 179). (Those Frenchmen, what one can expect!) It gets better: Zhukov didn't care about Hitler's birthday (p. 255). Why should he—to send a postcard? And better (or worse): Who cares what dress Eva Braun was wearing or whether Adolf gave her a big sloppy kiss? Coincidentally (??!) all German names are spelled correctly. Dankeschön!Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Beevor failed to do what his beloved Germans call Quellenkritik (that is, criticizing the source). Take the above-cited passage about the French prisoners. It sure sounds like somebody's personal opinion, spell that s-t-e-r-e-o-t-y-p-e. (Frenchmen are lazy and think of nothing but you-know-what.) By invoking such a prejudiced view, the author further casts his bias into sordid relief. Does he really believe such allegations? Does he have evidence to support such rumors (police reports, for example)? Even if true, why should French prisoners work enthusiastically for their captors? The author's compassion seems clearly aligned with those gallant and virtuous Frenchmen from the "Charlemagne" SS division. Here we have true representatives of the Arian race, indeed! No doubt Communism should have been stopped . . . but with SS?!Sadly, the author appears overdosed on Zhukov's "memoirs," and, consequently, overrates his popularity after the war.In another anti-Russian diatribe, Mr. Beevor obsesses over looting and rape committed by the Red Army. Indeed, Soviet soldiers were no knights in shining armor. But then, neither were American, British and French soldiers. (Only once does he allude to looting Americans.) Were no German women raped in the West part of Germany? (Haven't you heard about the incidents of NATO-led peace force soldiers in Kosovo accused of rape?) On the other hand, what gave Americans cause for revenge in 1945? Germany neither invaded the United States nor bombed Washington, D.C. But, again, what about the Brits and the French?Overall diagnosis of 'The Fall of Berlin'? It's not the work of a historian but, rather, the misbred product of a biased journalist. The whole book could be summarized by its single quote: "My God!" said a companion of Kee [the British POW]. "I'll forgive the Russians absolutely anything they do to this country when they arrive. Absolutely anything" (pp. 41–42).
    • 5/5
      Anthony Beevor excels himself once more with this excellent account of Berlin during the terrible days of 1945. He expertly captures both the view from inside the city, and within the advancing Russian and American troops, without ever sensationalising, nor playing down the tragedy. The human cost is counted as much as it ever can be, and the book abounds with vignettes of 'everyday life' for those trapped in the city. An absolute must-read.