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Antony Beevor
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Berlin: The Downfall 1945: The authoritative history book uncovering the final days of the Nazi Third Reich Kindle Edition

by Antony Beevor (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 3,280 ratings

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER ON THE LAST DAYS OF THE THIRD REICH

'Recounts, in harrowing detail and with formidable skill, the brutal death-throes of Hitler's Reich at the hands of the rampaging Red Army' Boyd Tonkin, Independent

'An irresistibly compelling narrative, of events so terrible that they still have the power to provoke wonder and awe' Adam Sisman, Observer
__________________
The Red Army had much to avenge when it finally reached the frontiers of the Reich in January 1945. Political instructors rammed home the message of Wehrmacht and SS brutality. The result was the most terrifying example of fire and sword ever known, with tanks crushing refugee columns under their tracks, mass rape, pillage and destruction. Hundreds of thousands of women and children froze to death or were massacred because Nazi Party chiefs, refusing to face defeat, had forbidden the evacuation of civilians. Over seven million fled westwards from the terror of the Red Army.

Antony Beevor reconstructs the experiences of those millions caught up in the nightmare of the Third Reich's final collapse, telling a terrible story of pride, stupidity, fanaticism, revenge and savagery ­- but also one of astonishing endurance, self-sacrifice and survival against all odds.
__________________

'Makes us feel the chaos and the fear as if every drop of blood was our own . . . compellingly readable, deeply researched, and beautifully written' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Spectator

'Brilliant. Combines a soldier's understanding of war's realities with a novelist's eye for detail' Orlando Figes, Sunday Times

'Startling, chilling, compelling. Beevor's writing burns like a torch at night in a landscape of ruins' Literary Review

'Powerful, diligently researched and beautifully written . . . even better than Stalingrad' Andrew Roberts, Mail on Sunday

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  1. Print length
    570 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    4 Oct. 2007
  6. File size
    14.5 MB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  1. Significantly, there has been little acknowledgement by Russian historians that if it had not been for American Lend-Lease trucks, the Red Army’s advance would have taken far longer and the Western Allies might well have reached Berlin first.
    Highlighted by 90 Kindle readers
  2. Neither Churchill nor Roosevelt could fully appreciate the shock of the German invasion in 1941 and Stalin’s determination never to be surprised by another enemy. One could well argue that the origins of the Cold War lay in that traumatic experience.
    Highlighted by 86 Kindle readers
  3. Between 12 January and mid-February 1945, almost 8.5 million Germans fled their homes in the eastern provinces of the Reich.
    Highlighted by 79 Kindle readers
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Amazon Review

Military history, even at its best, can be a cold art. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that wars involve individuals, each with their own hopes, fears and desires. Berlin: the Downfall, 1945, is Antony Beevor's account of the bloody Götterdämmerung that brought the Second World War in Europe to an end, and in which he has fused the large and the small scale effects of war. Beevor paints the broad picture of Marshals Zhukov and Konev, competing for glory and Stalin's attention, as they race their armies towards Berlin. He gives the reader a gripping account of the brutal street-by-street fighting in the German capital and provides an unforgettable portrait of the last, insane days of Hitler and his entourage in the bunker.

His attention to emotional detail is what made his previous book Stalingrad such a magnificent work, combining a sweeping hisorical narrative with a remarkable sensitivity to human drama. Yet he also highlights the small details of ordinary people caught in the nightmare of history--the sick children evacuated at the last minute from a Potsdam hospital; the Soviet soldiers shaving themselves for the first time in weeks so that they would make appropriately presentable conquerors; and the Nazi Youth teenagers peddling their bikes in despairing, last-ditch attacks against the Red Army's tanks.

The story Beevor tells is an almost unremittingly terrible one--one of death, rape, hunger and human misery--but he tells it with both an epic sweep and an alertness to individuality. The result is a masterpiece of narrative history that is as powerful as Stalingrad. --Nick Rennison

Review

'Fascinating, extraordinary, gripping' Jeremy Paxman

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002RI9KMC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 4 Oct. 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 14.5 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 570 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0141903026
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 3,280 ratings

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Antony Beevor

Antony Beevor

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A regular in the 11th Hussars, Antony Beevor served in Germany and England. He has had a number of books published and his book Stalingrad was awarded the Samuel Johnson Prize, the Wolfson History Prize and the Hawthornden Prize. Among the many prestigious posts he holds, he is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Photo by Bengt Oberger (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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4.5 out of 5 stars
3,280 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this history book to be a brilliant and entertaining read, praising its well-researched and detailed content. The book paints a vivid picture of the events, with one customer noting how it captures every emotion from terror to frustration. They appreciate the author's work, with one describing it as the best Second World War author, though some mention the maps could have been more helpful.

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ReadabilityHistory accuracyPacingDetailAuthorMap accuracy
192 customers mention ‘Readability’184 positive8 negative

Customers find the book well written and entertaining, particularly considering its subject matter.

"...These two quibbles aside, the book was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it, learning a lot during the week it took me to read it...." Read more

"...But these little things shouldn't put anyone off from reading this truly thrilling book. Better than a movie." Read more

"...This one is absolutely brilliant. It is better from beginning to end...." Read more

"Another excellent book from the author. A great balance of accurate historical narrative with insightful analysis...." Read more

110 customers mention ‘History accuracy’100 positive10 negative

Customers praise the book's historical accuracy, noting its well-researched and detailed content, with one customer highlighting its impressive handling of the vast panorama of facts.

"Excellent book, documenting the last few months of the European theatre/Reich...." Read more

"...For me, Beavers is the best and definitive. His blend of personal stories and political – strategic – military history is superb...." Read more

"...A great balance of accurate historical narrative with insightful analysis. Recommended for anyone interested in history." Read more

"...highly popular history of Stalingrad, his adept handling of the vast panorama of facts is again impressive and drives the narrative along...." Read more

38 customers mention ‘Pacing’30 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one review highlighting its meticulous recounting of traumatic events, while another notes how it intersperses military detail with tragic personal stories.

"...His blend of personal stories and political – strategic – military history is superb...." Read more

"Just unbelievable detail of the consequential slaughter which took place in this battle...." Read more

"...party it is very good at mixing the individual stories and the wider political story. Well worth a read" Read more

"...The book is in many parts shocking, constantly moving, occasionally humerous; but always brilliant." Read more

29 customers mention ‘Detail’29 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detailed and vivid portrayal of events, with one customer noting its lucid battle descriptions.

"...The battle is very lucidly laid out, especially considering the vast forces in motion and the complexity involved in not just entering Berlin, but..." Read more

"...continues his style of high-level strategy with a sharp eye for the human detail...." Read more

"...Beevor's writing style is unique and thoroughly enjoyable to read...." Read more

"...This paints a vivid picture as to what Berlin was like in the last throes of the war...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Author’6 positive0 negative

Customers praise the author of the book, with some highlighting their incredible work on Stalingrad, and one customer noting their brilliant performance as Bruno Ganz in a film adaptation.

"...The result is classic Beevor, a knowledgeable description and analysis of the military campaign, mostly in the East, interspersed with reminiscences..." Read more

"...Stalingrad was incredible and a huge achievement to put it into a very readable story with the word history as an aside...." Read more

"Best Second World War author by far according to my husband" Read more

"As good a movie as I have seen. The late Bruno Ganz was brilliant." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Map accuracy’0 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the maps in the book, with some finding them unhelpful.

"...two German armies to the south of Berlin confusing and the maps insufficiently detailed...." Read more

"Without easy access to maps (with Kindle version) the opposing German & Russian army movements were difficult to follow as they advance to and..." Read more

"...The book is most disappointing in the failure to use maps, diagrams throughout the course of the book to explain the progress of the conflict and..." Read more

"...The maps didn't help much. Nevertheless the research is amazing." Read more

Good but really needed more maps
4 out of 5 stars
Good but really needed more maps
Beevor writes engagingly about the many interconnected threads of the fall of Berlin and the aftermath. However, more detailed maps would have been very helpful alongside long descriptions of infantry and tank movements. He is at his best when he's discussing the personal accounts of the people involved, which are often very moving.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • 70's rock lover!
    5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5/5
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book, documenting the last few months of the European theatre/Reich. I read this book immediately after reading Antony Beevor's 'Stalingrad' book, which I loved so much I bought this one, as it is now 80 years since this battle took place. While I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I have two criticisms: Firstly, calling this book 'Berlin - Downfall' isn't strictly true. I bought the book under the notion it documented the battle, (I did wonder how such a fairly brief battle could be stretched to 430 pages) however, the first half of the book covers the events leading to Berlin; the actual battle for Berlin, with the street fighting and the storming of the Reichstag etc, only covers a small portion of the book, as the last 2 chapters covers the immediate post surrender period. I mention this as just a warning - if anyone buys this book, it does focus more on the run up to Berlin. The other criticism is surrounding the paragraphs on the Hitler's body. Since this book was written, it came out that the skull fragment the Russian's had was not actually Hitler's. As Antony Beevor did a new forward for this book, dated 2020, I was surprised he didn't cover this, pointing out that that part of his book is now in question. The last time I checked, effectively Hitler was presumed dead only, as nothing completely satisfactory has come out to suggest he was identified, post suicide. These two quibbles aside, the book was great and I thoroughly enjoyed it, learning a lot during the week it took me to read it. I still can't believe that 80 years ago, one of Europe's largest and greatest cities was mostly rubble and hollow buildings. Fascinating!
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  • R Helen
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great history of the end of Nazi Germany and the beginnigs of the Cold War!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 February 2015
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    This is a very interesting read, but it is primarily focused on the military history of the fall of Berlin. I personally prefer reading about social and political history and those parts of the book were really wonderful. However, the reason I gave this four stars is that, despite its heavy stress on battles and army movements, Antony Beevor is a great writer. I know it sounds cliche, but through his descriptions of the last days of the Third Reich, you really feel the allies closing in and the dying of an inglorious empire. As more and more of Germany falls to the allies, you feel what it must have been like for the Nazi leadership to know that their empire was slowly shrinking and closing in. You vividly picture the armies moving. It was a very moving book.

    And through the military conquest of Berlin, Beevor actually details another important story, the history of the beginnings of the Cold War. The battles and movements of the Soviet, British, and American army were extremely significant to understanding how the Cold War developed in those early years. Worth reading just for this.

    One little annoyance was his constant repetition (I didn't take an exact account, but it was at least more than ten times) that the Russians were afraid the Americans would reach Berlin first. I think after the first few times, the readers has got that theme clear!

    And an extremely annoying part is his belief that the Soviets really did find Hitler's body. I am pretty sure most historians don't agree with that. Since 2002, anyway the BBC has shown a program in which they tested the "supposed" jaws of Hitler held by the Soviets, and they were not his.

    But these little things shouldn't put anyone off from reading this truly thrilling book. Better than a movie.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Andy Blanche
    5.0 out of 5 stars A most disturbing account of the fall of Berlin
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2025
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    I have read a great many accounts of WW2 but this was extraordinary. The savagery, the waste of life and the appalling mass rape of countless women by the Red Army was revolting. What was almost as chilling was the enthusiastic participation in the defence of Berlin by French collaborators.
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  • Alun d
    5.0 out of 5 stars I think this is his best!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Over the last three weeks, I have read Beavers books on Stalingrad, Normandy,, Arnhem, the Ardennes and then this one. Prior to this, I have read his history of the Second World War and his book on the Russian Revolution.

    I have read several histories of the Second World War. For me, Beavers is the best and definitive. His blend of personal stories and political – strategic – military history is superb.

    All of his books on individual battles follow this pattern. I think Berlin is the best of all of them. With all the others, I was left with a little disappointment that they didn’t follow enough of the strategic and political and weren’t quite clear enough. This one is absolutely brilliant. It is better from beginning to end. I regard myself as a bit of an amateur expert on the second world wall and the Nazis in particular. Even I learnt things from this book. Very highly recommended!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Michael Jones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Things I always wondered about!!!
    Reviewed in Canada on 14 August 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book will take you places that if you were there probably would make you crawl into a hole and hope the world goes away. So much detail about the fighting and the plight of the people, civilians just terrible. I feel this is in some ways a reflection of what is happening in Ukraine 🇺🇦 now. Would recommend this book to all lots to learn.
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  • spikey360
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping account of the Battle of Berlin
    Reviewed in India on 28 February 2024
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    This book by Beevor is the most interesting and gripping account of all the events which transpired since the time the Germans lost at Stalingrad and went on the defensive.
    It details the brutal war, the brutal conditions during the war, the brutal toll it took on civilians Germans and refugees.
    It also details, in a heartbreaking manner, the rape of Berlin, literally and metaphorically.
    All WW2 history buffs must read it for the details, and for setting the context correctly in any discussion.
    Anyone else should read it because it describes the absolute worst that can happen to a power which wages a war without motivation and material-manpower to win it.
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  • Ax315
    5.0 out of 5 stars Klassischer Beevor
    Reviewed in Germany on 25 March 2011
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    Was Antony Beevor als Autor besonders macht, ist das er sich in die Köpfe und Herzen der Menschen hineindenken kann. Das Buch macht hier keine Ausnahme, vielleicht ist der Titel nicht ganz zutreffend.

    Das Buch beleuchtet das Ende der 3.Reiches vom Winter 1944 bis zum Spätsommer 1945, dies fast ausschließlich an der Ostfront. Nichtkennern der Geschichte (die wenigsten Leser dürften es sein) wird schnell klar dass das Ende vorgezeichnet ist.

    Die Tragödie der deutschen Ostgebiete, der Fanatismus und militärische (Selbst-)Vernichtungswahn der Nazi Führungsspitze, die Rache der Sowjets für 3 Jahre Besatzungsterror, die Not der Zivilbevölkerung sowie das Denken der Allierten Führer sind die Kernthemen des Buches, abgeschlossen durch den brutalen Kampf um Berlin.

    Das Zitieren Tagebuchaufzeichnungen, Nachkriegserzählungen und Kampfberichten Soldaten geben ein sehr lebendiges Bild der Geschehnisse. Das Leid wohl ohne Beispiel. Viel wird auch vom Buch Vitaly Grossmanns entnommen, Beevor hat seine Kriegsberichte in einem anderen Buch zusammengefaßt und kommentiert, man erkennt hier klare Überschneidungen. Es wird viel von Vergewaltigungen erzählt, Beevor berschreibt in diesem Kontext auch mit den Verbrechen und vorangegangenen Massakern/Vergasungen der Nazis in den Jahren zuvor und der Wut der Sowjets, ohne zu werten.

    Spannendes Buch.
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  • Giampiero Caragnano
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo libro, come mi aspettavo!
    Reviewed in Italy on 17 March 2018
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    Libro stampato in Gran Bretagna dalla celebre casa editrice Penguin, di uno storico controverso, che ha fatto parlare molto di sé per aver posto l'accento sulle violenze commesse dall'Armata Rossa sui civili a Berlino. Ovviamente, Beevor è stato subito attaccato ferocemente dagli intellettuali comunisti e accusato di "revisionismo". Tradotto in varie lingue, ma da leggere preferibilmente in lingua originale, per chi conosce l'inglese.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Joe Owen
    5.0 out of 5 stars The sobering end to World War II in Europe
    Reviewed in the United States on 17 March 2014
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    Throughout history many, many accounts of savagery and brutality has existed in war. At the end of World War II in Europe this occurred on a wide scale by both the German and Soviet Armies. Anthony Beevor in this outstanding book describes the brutality of war upon the citizens of both the USSR and Germany in "The Fall of Berlin 1945". When the Soviet Army entered former German territory, they unleashed a "revenge brutality" upon German citizens whether they were die-hard NAZI'S or plain civilians who happened to live in the territories. A "they did it to us, so we will do it to them" mentality was enforced and encouraged for Soviet soldiers to commit countless acts of brutality, rape, pillaging, torture, and murder on a scale not easily imagined. When the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS troops invaded the Soviet Union in 1940, there were massive accounts of destroying villages, soldiers raping Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, and other ethnic Russian women on a wide scale, murdering wounded disabled soldiers, and other atrocities on a massive scale.
    The Soviet Army felt it was time for "payback". Mr. Beevor, from interviews with former Soviet officers, records, archival reports brings the "ugly side" of liberating Germany by the Soviets into a full account. When both the Soviet and German empires are run by total psychopathic, egomaniacal, tyrants as Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin were, this massive brutality by both armies will occur. These 'leaders" allowed the "raping and destruction of Europe" to commence with approval by the senior officers on both sides. As a result, the men and women of Europe felt the wrath. Not only civilians were killed and brutalized, but prisoners of war. When a Soviet Soldier was "liberated" by the Soviet Army, they were considered traitors and weak to be allowed to be captured. They were often sent to the "Gulags" and forced into hard labor. Such great treatment of soldiers isn't it by the "glorious Soviet Army". NAZI Germany was in its "death throws" and Adolf Hitler and his henchmen militarized every able bodied man from the age of 15 to 55 and older to be sent to the front to defend Germany. Often this proved disastrous to these civilians turned soldiers. The Soviets showed NO MERCY to anyone caught with a weapon. There are numerous accounts of brutality and raping in this well researched book.
    Mr. Beevor is presenting the facts, and they are sobering to say the least. He has been criticized by many of today's Russian historians for being "pro-NAZI" and spreading vicious lies and how "dare" he criticize the liberators of NAZI Germany? Mr. Beevor is just showing the facts of history. By providing the interviews, records, great research, and archival reports from the former USSR he has shown he definitely does NOT have an anti-Russian bias. The NAZI regime, army, and Waffen-SS were just as guilty (the holocaust, the destruction of entire cities and villages, the raping and killing of millions by the SS and Wehrmacht.
    This is WHAT HAPPENS when to truly evil empires fight one another, millions upon millions will be killed, brutalized, and raped.
    The end of World War II in Europe was a short era of countless evil acts by the Soviets and NAZI Germans and the whole of Europe suffered from it since the beginning of the war. May we NEVER FORGET the lessons from this terrible time, lest we repeat it (and unfortunately and undoubtedly we will). This is a World War II history book that is a MUST read for those who want to know what happened realistically to the millions who perished under the leadership of Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.
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