The End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945 Audiobook

" De schrijver probeert in dit boek uit te leggen waarom de Duitsers aan het eind van de 2de wereldoorlog nog zo lang zijn doorgegaan, ondanks dat ieder normaal denkend mens kon zien, dat er niets meer te winnen viel. Hij slaagt daar m.i. goed in. Hij weet toch weer veel zaken naar voren te brengen, die relatief onbekend waren en laat goed zien waarop al dat fanatisme was gebaseeerd. In het huidige Duitsland kan je dit beeld van Duitsland in 1944 - 1945 totaal niet meer herkennen. "

" Excellent read exploring a little-considered (at least in my limited experience) facet of WW2 / Nazi Germany history. It was a bit frustrating at first to read the author's caveats on his inferences of what people were thinking, but it actually reinforces the understanding of the complete terror that was the Nazi regime. Also interesting along the way was to see how the regime did have a consideration for what popular opinion was, even while they were unleashing terror upon their own people. In the end a truly mind-numbing account of the depths of Nazi depravity, and also an excellent revelation of the incompetency and venality of political partisans. "

" Excellent book - slow read, detailed - good discussion about the last year of so of WW2 in Germany. "

" A great disappointment. Two interesting questions made me buy the book- Why did the Germans carry on fighting when all was lost? Why did civillian life continue until the end? But Kershaw seemed to have found the answers almost immediatly and so told the story of the final year of the war instead- which he said he wouldn't. In itself that is a fine read but most will have already read it. So why did the Germans fight on?- simply Germans were afraid of the Bolsheviks either because they were in the party or because they believed the party line. They fought on the west because (well they could hardly not) and for some they wanted to change the allies mind and get them to help fight the Russians. Also everyone was afraid of Hitler though the book rarely explains why because Hitler seemed to leave the other political leaders almost entirely to their own devices and even the generals are rarely punished with more than a removal of post. A great tale but nothing new in this book. Stalingrad and Berlin are better reads if you want histroy of the eastern front, Alone in Berlin is a better book if you want to understand German civillian action. "

" Very in depth history of what went on behind the scenes and how things fell apart for the Nazi regime. Very good read if your into the second World War "

" A fascinating and nuanced look at the way the Third Reich crumbled under the blows of the Allies. Kershaw gives a succinct and gripping account of the bickering that filled the ranks of the Nazi Party in its last days. The only question I have is how they managed to survive as long as they did. "

" Good read, but a bit repetitive and it did not entirely deliver on it's premise. "

" "The End" by Ian Kershaw is a solidly researched book and a great piece of history writing, no doubt. After having seen "The World at War" I found however little new information in the book and was slightly disappointed at the few conclusions the book drew from its research. "

" Superb historical account of the madness of Hitler and the Nazis in the closing year of the second world war "

" A well argued, academic study of the dying months of the Third Reich. A nice supplement to Richard Evans's The Third Reich at War. "

" Superb as always from Kershaw. "

" Meticulous look at the demise of Nazi Germany... and why it took so long. Primarily for history buffs, but full of intriguing glimpses of how a nation could just keep marching in lockstep towards destruction. "

" Germany was fighting on two fronts and out numbered by men and arsenals. Why did they keep fighting to complete destruction. Kershaw examines the mentality that kept the fighting going beyond all reason. "

" One of the preeminent contemporary Hitler biographers. Why did Germany persist in fighting a lost war? There is no one answer. Kershaw explores the possibilities, noting the heavy toll that mindset took on it's country...and lives lost. "

" 400 pages focusing on one year of WW2 turned out to be extremely fascinating. "

" The final volume of Kershaw's most excellent history of WWII. It tries to answer the question of how (& why) Germany held it together to the bitter end, and kept fighting when there was no reason. "