The End Lib/E: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945

From the preeminent Hitler biographer, a fascinating and original exploration of how the Third Reich was willing and able to fight to the bitter end of World War II. Countless books have been written about why Nazi Germany lost World War II, yet remarkably little attention has been paid to the equally vital question of how and why it was able to hold out as long as it did. The Third Reich did not surrender until Germany had been left in ruins and almost completely occupied. Even in the near-apocalyptic final months, when the war was plainly lost, the Nazis refused to sue for peace. Historically, this is extremely rare. Drawing on original testimony from ordinary Germans and arch-Nazis alike, award-winning historian Ian Kershaw explores this fascinating question in a gripping and focused narrative that begins with the failed bomb plot in July 1944 and ends with the German capitulation in May 1945. Hitler, desperate to avoid a repeat of the disgraceful German surrender in 1918, was of course critical to the Third Reich's fanatical determination, but his power was sustained only because those below him were unable, or unwilling, to challenge it. Even as the military situation grew increasingly hopeless, Wehrmacht generals fought on, their orders largely obeyed, and the regime continued its ruthless persecution of Jews, prisoners, and foreign workers. Beneath the hail of allied bombing, German society maintained some semblance of normalcy in the very last months of the war. The Berlin Philharmonic even performed on April 12, 1945, less than three weeks before Hitler's suicide. As Kershaw shows, the structure of Hitler's charismatic rule created a powerful negative bond between him and the Nazi leadership- they had no future without him, and so their fates were inextricably tied. Terror also helped the Third Reich maintain its grip on power as the regime began to wage war not only on its ideologically defined enemies but also on the German people themselves. Yet even as each month brought fresh horrors for civilians, popular support for the regime remained linked to a patriotic support of Germany and a terrible fear of the enemy closing in. Based on prodigious new research, Kershaw's The End is a harrowing yet enthralling portrait of the Third Reich in its last desperate gasps.

About the Author :
Ian Kershaw, author of The End, Fateful Choices, and Making Friends with Hitler, is a British historian of twentieth-century Germany noted for his monumental biographies of Adolf Hitler. In 2002 he received his knighthood for Services to History. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, of the Royal Historical Society, of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, and of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung in Bonn. Sean Pratt (AEA/SAG/AFTRA) has been a working professional actor in the theater, film, TV, and voice-overs for twenty-five years. He has been an audiobook narrator for seventeen years, has recorded over 700 books in almost every genre, and has received eight AudioFile magazine Earphones Awards and four Audie Award nominations from the Audio Publishers Association. For the last ten years, Sean has been helping actors, both students and professionals, to understand the complexities of the BIZ as well as reinvigorate and refocus their careers through his easy-to-understand, dynamic concepts. Lloyd James has been narrating since 1996 and has recorded over six hundred books. He is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner and has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award. His critically acclaimed performances include Elvis in the Morning by William F. Buckley Jr. and Searching for Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin.

Review :
"A compelling and horrifying look at the final months of World War II...Sir Ian has brought out yet another absolutely first-class work of Nazi history...brilliant deductive analysis." -- "Daily Beast" "Arguably the most convincing portrait of Germany's Götterdämmerung we have seen so far." -- "Wall Street Journal" "Ian Kershaw...has produced more than a history. Rather, he has performed a detailed anatomy of the conclusion of World War II in Europe...The book is a compelling read, far from pleasant, but superbly written, fascinating, and immensely informative." -- "Washington Times" "Kershaw describes in fascinating detail...Some of Kershaw's conclusions will be hotly debated. Nevertheless, this is an excellent portrait of the regime's death throes." -- "Booklist (starred review)" "Kershaw explains in impressive detail the factors that enabled the Germans to keep fighting...An essential work by a distinguished historian." -- "Library Journal (starred review)" "Kershaw...is unsurpassed as an analyst of the Third Reich's inner dynamics...Kershaw's comprehensive research, measured prose, and commonsense insight combine in a mesmerizing explanation of how and why Nazi Germany chose self-annihilation." -- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)" "Powerful...harrowing...No one has written a better account of the human dimensions of Nazi Germany's end." -- "New York Times Book Review"