November 11, 1918. The final hours pulsate with tension as every man in the trenches hopes to escape the melancholy distinction of being the last to die in World War I. The Allied generals knew the fighting would end precisely at 11:00 A.M, yet in the final hours they flung men against an already beaten Germany. The result? Eleven thousand casualties suffered–more than during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Why? Allied commanders wanted to punish the enemy to the very last moment and career officers saw a fast-fading chance for glory and promotion. Joseph E. Persico puts the reader in the trenches with the forgotten and the famous–among the latter, Corporal Adolf Hitler, Captain Harry Truman, and Colonels Douglas MacArthur and George Patton. Mainly, he follows ordinary soldiers’ lives, illuminating their fate as the end approaches. Persico sets the last day of the war in historic context with a gripping reprise of all that led up to it, from the 1914 assassination of the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand, which ignited the war, to the raw racism black doughboys endured except when ordered to advance and die in the war’s last hour. Persico recounts the war’s bloody climax in a cinematic style that evokes All Quiet on the Western Front, Grand Illusion, and Paths of Glory. The pointless fighting on the last day of the war is the perfect metaphor for the four years that preceded it, years of senseless slaughter for hollow purposes. This book is sure to become the definitive history of the end of a conflict Winston Churchill called “the hardest, cruelest, and least-rewarded of all the wars that have been fought.”
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"This was very well done. Having read books on WWI before, I was happy to see a good deal of new material, and a somewhat fresh perspective on some of the more redundant facts and figures. Concentrating on the last hours of the war, Persico introduces us to certain members of each of the armies involved at the beginning of that last day, then backtracks and tells their story throughout the war, bringing them up to that fateful last day. A fascinating journey that spotlights men who had endured so much misery, courage, and hell. Then, we see these men as they struggle through one last day, as they are ordered into combat, hours before the armistice, most of them knowing it had already been signed and for the first time in the war they have both the hope of actually living through the hell around them, and the terror that they will die with only minutes left." — Jason (4 out of 5 stars)
"This was very well done. Having read books on WWI before, I was happy to see a good deal of new material, and a somewhat fresh perspective on some of the more redundant facts and figures. Concentrating on the last hours of the war, Persico introduces us to certain members of each of the armies involved at the beginning of that last day, then backtracks and tells their story throughout the war, bringing them up to that fateful last day. A fascinating journey that spotlights men who had endured so much misery, courage, and hell. Then, we see these men as they struggle through one last day, as they are ordered into combat, hours before the armistice, most of them knowing it had already been signed and for the first time in the war they have both the hope of actually living through the hell around them, and the terror that they will die with only minutes left."
“Once again Joe Persico has brought us an unforgettable moment in history. At a time when our own world is changing, Americans are increasingly understanding how we are still affected by World War I, and Persico takes us into the experience of how that war ended—the violence, sacrifice, frustration, and hope.”
“A compelling account of the dramatic final moments of World War I that not only captures the tragedy that marked the final hours of the Great War but brings to life the remarkable stories of its participants. This is a splendid book by a born storyteller and a superb historian.”
“A tight focus—the activities of the British and American troops on the final morning of WWI—has yielded a somewhat sprawling study for Persico…A good introduction to what it covers for new students of WWI.”
“For readers who may be new to the chronology and character of World War I, popular historian Persico illustrates the struggle by treating its last day as typifying the war…Effectively marshaling his source material, Persico powerfully reconstructs Armistice Day as an emblem of the war.”
“Joe Persico has done the impossible—he has written an original book on World War I. By starting with the last day, he has found a way to see the nightmare as a separate world, something that became for all the participants a totally consuming passion.”
“The days preceding November 11, 1918, featured a deadly minuet involving exhausted armies conditioned to fight, yet desperate to avoid still more futile bloodshed. Joe Persico recreates this twilight struggle with heartbreaking intimacy. His pointillist portrait is at once harrowing and heroic. Written with a narrative elegance and factual command reminiscent of David McCullough or William Manchester, this is much more than a poignant account of the road to armistice. It is the single finest work I have read on the Great War.”
" A real eye-opener into the ravages of the trench warfare that occured in World War I - and into the useless and massive loss of life on both sides (Germany and the Allied nations - France, Britain and later - U. S. A.) The miseries of fighters in the trenches on both sides are well-documented by Persico who's research for the book was excellent. Since my grandfather fought in WWI, it really made me understand what he likely endured (including the dreaded mustard gas attacks) that, later, contributed to his early death when he returned home to Montana. The book also shows how Germany's defeat in WWI (and the ambitious private Adolph Hitler who was in the German trenches) caused a festering psyche of belittlement that resulted in Germany's rise and instigation of WW-II. "
" The book, not the CD. "
" The author describes World War I on the western front through soldier's memories, starting with the last day. Interestingly, many allied generals insisting on fighting for land that the Germans would evacuate under the armistice. "
" Fascinating. That they were still fighting and dying even an hour before they knew the armistice would be signed. I really enjoy reading Persico. It is a very good read. "
" Any given chapter holds up well, but as a total narrative, a bit confused. "
" My Grandfather fought in this war. Never really heard about his time there. Unbelievable how many died within the last, literally couple of hours, all because of the egos of the top brass and the corporate climbing mentality of the lower brass! "
" If you are looking for a compelling read about World War I and its conclusion, start with this. It is an outstanding work that will make the time come alive in your mind. This book was an important part of my research for Maude Brown's Baby. "
" I loved this book. Wonderful history of the end of WWI. I was absorbed in the book and learned so much from it. "
" A great book about how wasteful the last day of World War I was. "
" EXCELLENT BOOK ABOUIT THE LAST 30 MINUTES OFF WW1. Our commanders should have been arrested for war crimes. I had no idea this happened,I was shocked with disbilief, it made my stomach hurt. "
" Great book, collecting personal accounts from politicians, citizens -wives, sons, daughters- and, of course, soldiers. From all sides, ranks, races, and philosophies. Very readable, moving, and informative. "
" Fantastic book about the final hours of World War 1 and how nothing was really properly resolved. "
" Persico is a fab writer, crafting histories that read like novels. I loved Nuremberg:Infamy on Trial, and this book is at least as readable. "
" I'm giving it a five-star rating based on the jacket and a quick scan of the text. I haven't taken the time to really digest this one, but what I've read hits like a ton of bricks. "
" Good book, but felt like it was assigning too much emotion to the people involved. It felt more like a story than a work of nonfiction. I thought the information and history were presented clearly, and the presentation certainly increased readability. But the presentation did not sit well with me. "
" Very insightful to the details of WWI. Mostly from those that where there. Interesting, fairly easy read. "
" I was completely amazed how many lives on both sides were lost on the last day of the war to end all wars. Just goes to show you how worthless war of any kind at any time is worthless. "
" Shocking that Allied commanders sent soldiers "over the top" and out of the trenches to their deaths when they knew the armistice was about to take effect. They should have been prosecuted. "
" Good anecdotal history about the end of war we've mostly forgotten about . Though, it perhaps focuses a little too much on people who would be important in the next war instead of the important people in WWI, which is why you pick up the book in the first place. "
" a detailed and human account of a mostly forgotten war "
" One of the best books on WWI I've read. "
Joseph E. Persico is the author of Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage; Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918–World War I and Its Violent Climax; Piercing the Reich; and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, which was made into a television docudrama. He also collaborated with Colin Powell on his autobiography, My American Journey. He lives in Guilderland, New York.
Jonathan Marosz has narrated dozens of audiobooks throughout his career, including numerous titles by bestselling authors David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, and Tony Hillerman. He is a veteran stage performer with regional and national stage credits ranging from works by Shakespeare to modern day.
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