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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"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!" — Phil (5 out of 5 stars)
"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!"
" Fantastic book about the final hours of World War 1 and how nothing was really properly resolved. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" The book, not the CD. "
" 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. "
" a detailed and human account of a mostly forgotten war "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" Very insightful to the details of WWI. Mostly from those that where there. Interesting, fairly easy read. "
" 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. "
" Any given chapter holds up well, but as a total narrative, a bit confused. "
" One of the best books on WWI I've read. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
" 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. "
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.
Harry Chase has over thirty years of experience in voice-overs and acting. He is most recognized as the voice of Captain Morgan’s Rum. His work includes feature film trailers as well as spots for Quiznos, Sony Vaio, Disney on Broadway, CNN, CBS, Lifetime, Sci-Fi and National Geographic. Harry’s voice can also be heard in video games such as Grand Theft Auto IV and as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. Harry won a Best Voice Over Golden Trailer Award for his work on the movie trailer for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt.
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