Product Description

The battle for Berlin in 1945 was one of the most violent ever fought for a city. For Stalin, it was the ultimate prize. More than 300,000 Soviet soldiers alone died in the attack. The scene is set during the 1936 Olympics, with Berlin as the showcase of the 1000-year Reich. Then, sketching the history of this extraordinary city, the authors chart its transformation into a formidable garrison town. Seedy, yet glamorous, it fell under Nazi sway in 1933 and, with the approach of war, it became the hub of Hitler's war machine, After four years of bombing, Berlin was faced with the final battle, in which no street was left unmarked as the remnants of Hitler's army tried to hold back the Russians.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #472175 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Norman Stone, The Times
‘Very good indeed…An excellent tableau of the Berlin apocalypse.’

About the Author
Anthony Read and David Fisher had extremely successful careers in television as writers and producers before embarking on their collaboration as authors. Their bestselling books include Berlin: The Biography of a City, The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence (both available from Pimlico), Operation Lucy, Colonel Z, The Deadly Embrace and Kristallnacht for which they were awarded the H. H. Wingate Prize in 1989. Anthony Read is currently at work on a group biography of those closest to Hitler (Cape, 2003).

Customer Reviews

This is an excellent book
If you have read Anthony Beevor's book 'Berlin, the downfall 1945', you will have read everything on the final assault of the Soviet army on Berlin. Read and Fisher also cover this part of Berlin's history quite thoroughly, yet theirs is a more complete story. It almost read like a Berlin biography. They cover the story of Berlin from Hitler's rise to power in January 1933 right to the very end in May 1945. But the real marvel of the book lies in the authors' documentary of how the civilian population lived with and through this ordeal. Their stories string the narrative together and even though the war is at the center of everything, flashbacks to the happier times of the Nazi regime give you a good glimpse of what life must have been really like. This is an excellent book.

The Fall of Berlin by Anthony Read and David Fisher
This is a book that has been in print for over 10 years now, but given the recent spate of books on the subject, deserves a further visit. This book is not about war, nor is it a "war book". It is a book about the citizens and city of Berlin and the apocalytic climax to the war that ended with its almost total destruction.

The book takes the reader from the rise to power of the Nazis in 1933 up to the death of Hitler and the surrender of the city in 1945. It tells the story through the eyes and experiences of the inhabitants, defenders, attackers and the national leaders. Unlike a number of books currently in print on this subject, you do not end up thinking of the German army as the good guys, and the Soviets as the bad guys. The overriding impression that is formed, is that at this late stage in the war, the Nazis were the enemy, the Red army was the good guys: and the ordinary Germans, soldier and civilian were the victims.

The style is that of adventure novel, in spite of the 460+ pages it moves at a compelling pace and attention is maintained by the easy style of writing. It does not over sensationalise any one particular aspect but gives a balanced view of events and experiences of the people of Berlin. There is a good selection of maps and of photos that are not the usual run of the mill. The book has comprehensive bibliography, source notes and index.

If you want a book to read as an introduction to the subject, or enjoy reading social history, then I have no hesitation in recommending this one. It is also the first book I have ever read for a second time.

If you have read Beevor's book you must read this
This is an outstanding account of the battle of Berlin. Furthermore it paints a picture of Berlin from the heady days of the 1936 olympics to the tragic finale of 1945. I found this book a more fluent read than Beevor's just published 'Berlin, the donwfall', written in the accesible style of a novel. It is also very strong in dealing with the plotters against Hitler. For those interested in the battle this book is amongst the best written and certainly deserves more acclaim than it has been given. My one criticism: the abrupt ending.