Customer Reviews

The Fall Of Berlin

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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This book's title can be a bit misleading as much of the book discusses Berlin from the 1936 Olympics to the fall of the city in 1945. Reed and Fisher have written a great book here, but it does have its flaws. First, if you are looking for something just on the Battle of Berlin than this is not your book. Second, Reed and Fisher don't dive too much into the reports of Russian barbarism towards citizens of Berlin or have much to say on the immediate effects of the battle and the war in Berlin. But, this is still an excellent look at the happenings in Berlin from 1936-1945. Reed and Fisher follow Nazi bigwigs like Hitler and Goebbels, Hitler Youth members, soldiers in Berlin, ordinary citizens, anti-Nazi groups and individuals, and discuss attitudes of Berliners towards the Nazis, Nazi politicians, and the war itself. The discussion of the political, economic, and military situation in Berlin during the war is very good. The writing on the battle is good, showing both German and Russian perspectives, but may not be as in-depth as some military buffs may want. The discussion of Hitler's final days in the bunker is good too, but I would recommend "The Bunker" by John P. O'Donnell or "The Last Days of Hitler" by Anton Joachimsthaler if you want to read an in-depth look at Hitler in the bunker. Overall, the book features good research, good writing, a highly readable text, and is one of the better looks at wartime Berlin.

Starting with the Olympics of 1936, authors Read and Fisher chronicle the history of Berlin during the years prior to World War II and ending with the Battle of Berlin. Focusing not only on the known historical players such as Hitler and Goebbels, but including excerpts from diaries of every day Berliners, the book reads almost like a novel with a cast of thousands. At first, Berliners are stunned that Hitler is able to conqueror most of continental Europe through sheer bravado alone. The general consensus seems to be that eventually the world will see Hitler and the Nazis for what they really are and sanity will once again prevail. But of course, we can now look back in hindsight and realize that the complacency of the general population and the other world leaders is precisely what led to Hitler wreaking havoc on the world.

Most of the chapters are very short, no more than 3-4 pages long. This help keeps the pace of the book from bogging down into too much detail. Much information is given on the daily life of Berliners, how ration cards worked, etc. In addition, the authors do an excellent job of describing how different groups, Jews, immigrants, forced laborers, Hitler Youth, etc. reacted to the changing world as eventually Berlin spiraled into chaos. The innumerable bombings, which nightly rocked the city, are described in detail and how the city reacted, as first stunned and then eventually immune to the terror. The first 200 pages of the book cover the years from 1936 until March, 1945 while the remaining 250 pages detail the Battle of Berlin. Through complicated political considerations, the Soviets are allowed to conquer the city while the British and American troops hold back. Because the Soviet Union suffered so much during the war, especially the siege of Stalingrad, it is deemed only fitting that they make the first attempt on the city. The first wave of soldiers were professionals while the second wave of soldiers-former prisoners of the Germans, took out their hatred in raping, looting and pillaging. In the first 8 weeks after the fall of Berlin, over 90,000 German women had seen doctors due being raped by the Soviet soldiers. How many never reported this crime cannot even be estimated.

I would highly recommend this book to any student of World War II history who wants a good grasp of the social and political effects of war on a major industrialized city. Well written and well documented, the book allows readers to relive one of the most horrific time periods in modern history. It also allows the reader to better understand how the Nazis maintained their power until the very end over an educated populace. Hopefully lessons such as these will not go unheeded for future generations.

I think what I appreciate most about this book was that it didn't focus only on the battles of World War II or the major personalities, but it examines the lives of everyday Berliners and those who lived through the city's triumphs and tragedies. The book containes the narratives of Berliners from all walks of life; the factory workers, socialites, refugees, soldiers, Jews, etc. The book examines the War through the eyes of those who experienced it first hand, but whose voices have been muted in the presence of the big names in history. This certainly isn't an earth shattering revelation, but the book is a nice addition to anyone's historical knowledge.

As pointed out by some fellow reviewers, this book is arguably wrongly titled. It is actually a broader history of the European conflict commencing in 1936 with the Berlin Olympic Games. The timeline contrasts the grandeur of those days with the destruction of the capital nine years later. So I was surprised and pleasantly so because the authors do a fine job setting the stage for the apocalyptic battle.

I have read many books on `the last battle' as it continues to fascinate. As such, there is familiar ground in each offering (like Beevor's recent effort). However, Read and Fisher have an approachable narrative style and use the stories of real people experiencing unimaginable hardships to hold the book together.

It takes them awhile to get to the actual fall of Berlin but along the way I was amazed by new content that I had not come across before. Such as, the much debated decision of the Soviets to halt outside of Warsaw during their advance. This allowed the Nazis to crush the resistance efforts. The authors argue that this was a military decision to rest the Soviet troops and consolidate their gains rather than a political one orchestrated by Stalin.

The final battle, whose statistics of men, arms, and casualties is incredible, is painted appropriately as a nightmare for all involved. As expected, we get the perspective from the Fuhrer bunker, the hardships of the female population, and fanatic but futile resistance. I continue to be amazed by stories of the Volkssturm, Hitler Youth, foreign SS units, and thrown-together Nazi forces all battling the overwhelming Soviet army. This account does not disappoint and I recommend it to both those new to this period of history and to those who, like me, have read every account they can get their hands on.

The Fall of Berlin is a magnificent account of the last days of the Second World War and the German surrender of their nation to the Soviet Union. I just read it for a second time and think it a valuable contribution to our overall history of that horrific era. No, it is not a comprehensive tale of the Russian 1945 spring campaign, but it certainly provides readers with a dense, richly textured portrait of one of the world's most famous cities and its obliteration from bombing and invasion. Anthony Read is a fine historian and despite my being familiar with several accounts covering the exact same events, most of its stories and first-hand testimony was new to me. The Fall of Berlin is strong on fact but is also a great story...which is precisely what draws us to devouring history in the first place.

This is a superb book. I read it in a single (long!) day, found its narrative totally absorbing. So many facts, observations and recollections of life in Berlin both before and during the war. Such a book could have been a dry listing of events, but the authors do the subject credit and make it an excellent read. I remember visitng East Berlin in the late 70's and seeing the still ruined Imperial Capitol buildings. Just like the war had ended yesterday. Its all fixed up now (I assume; haven't been back there since the wall fell), but this book answered many questions I had from that time as to what life there must have been like during wartime. This book proves that good historical scholarship does not have to be boring.

This is an interesting read but the book is not what I expected. From the title, I thought it would be about the military fall of the city and the end of the war. It does have that coverage but its so much more. Half of the book is about the near term history of the city and its effect on its people from Nazism. The book is just as much about the fall of the city starting in the 1930s as it is about the military conquest of 1945. There is mention of the key engagements of entering the country by the Russians and even a little of the Allies crossing the Rhine and of ending the war but don't buy the book solely for that military aspect; you might be disappointed. If you're interested in the human interest aspect of what the civilians endured or individual soldiers fighting in the war for the first time went through or about some of the actions and life styles of key Nazis then this book is for you.

The authors went to great lenghts to include German civilian accounts and soviet common soldier accounts, as well as the now oft referred to grist from the mills of the principals. When read in conjunction with O'Donnell's seminal work, The Bunker, the reader will know much of what is worth knowing about this event

This book is superb! Because I am researching a novel set in Berlin in the Third Reich, I bought countless other books on the subject. Practically all of them were weary going, at best written competently, while most spat out a mind-numbing recitation of the same old dates and the same old facts that put you to sleep within minutes. Not THIS one! From literally the first page describing the obese Goering wearing a white uniform as he sits on a tiny toy horse which spins round and round on a carousel as he waves to crowds (during the opening of the 1936 Olympics), you are hooked! Unlike most historians, these authors - Read and Fisher - are writers of such incredible skill that you read this book for the beauty of its writing as for its information. And what information! Only after reading this book did I finally grasp how superficial the other books on Berlin were, how paltry their facts and scanty their research. This book is an encyclopedia, a gold mine of facts! When I highlighted them all, the pages turned bright yellow! Trust me, if you were studying for your Ph.D. on Berlin in the Third Reich, this book would be THE definitive source!

This is a must read. It gives you a real feel of what is was like for Berliners. The writers take into account the stories of a lot of people who were living in Berlin and their stories of survival. As you keep reading you can almost feel the noose tightening around Berlin and it's inevitable fall to the Russians.