Before Stephen Ambrose took center stage as the best current historian
of WWII, there was Cornelius Ryan. Mr. Ryan wrote a trio of classic
books about WWII: The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, and this book. The
first two were made into movies, and are commonly known. They cover two
of the most important European theatre campaigns that involved the US
and British forces. If you have not read either one of those books, I
highly recommend both of them.
The Last Battle is the least known
book of the trio. None the less, it is a classic. In it, Ryan gives a
gripping account of the battle for Berlin. He does an excellent job of
introducing the scenario that lead to this truly horrifying and
desperate battle. Just like his other books, he weaves a captivating
narrative that takes the reader from the planning sessions of the Red
Army, to Hitler's bunker, on to the streets of Berlin where the battle
was actually fought. He covers this conflict from many angles
(Generals, soldiers, civilians, Germans, Soviets, etc.) and gives the
reader an accurate account of what happened during this battle. As
always, the amount of research and personal interviews he did for this
book are quite impressive.
Mr. Ryan does an excellent job of
building the battle drama into the fury that erupted when the Soviets
finally rolled into the city of Berlin. The payback that the Red Army
gives the Wehrmacht, the city, and the civilian population of Berlin is
a real eye-opener. If you have never read anything about this battle
(like myself), you may be shocked when you learn the details. As Ryan
points out, the Soviets saw this campaign as the one opportunity to
avenge their losses on the Eastern Front (especially in places like
Stalingrad), and they took full advantage of the situation (to include
many heinous acts against innocent civilians). Just like when the
British and Americans bombed Dresden, the Soviets wanted to teach the
Nazis, and the German people, a lesson they would never forget.
I
first bought this book because of the author. I had some interest about
the battle because I visited Berlin as a young man back when the wall
was still in place. Once I started this book I became totally engrossed
with it, and finished in a few days. I highly recommend it to any
Cornelius Ryan fan. If you liked his other books, you will definitely
enjoy this one also. Also, this book is great for anyone wanting to
learn about the battle that sealed the fate of the Nazi regime.
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