Fallen Eagle: The Last Days of the Third Reich - Hardcover

Cross, Robin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471164089 ISBN 13: 9780471164081

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1996

Synopsis

Critical acclaim for FALLEN EAGLE "Mesmerizing account of those final, bloody weeks of war . . . Cross's account of the Führer's final, hysterical days in his Berlin bunker is masterful." — Sunday Express (London) "A first-class work covering a subject which has fascinated military historians during the past 50 years." — Devon Herald Express "We are resolved to go the extreme," declared Adolf Hitler on January 1, 1945. With these words of chilling determination, he ensured that the final months of World War II would be marked by some of the fiercest fighting in more than four years of total war. In Fallen Eagle, distinguished military historian Robin Cross takes readers into the trenches and onto the battlefield as he paints an unforgettable picture of a world in chaos. A sweeping panorama that captures the individual human drama within the broad scope of battle, this is the gripping story of the bitter last days of the Third Reich. By the beginning of 1945, the armies of Europe were deeply weary. The Allies were determined to end the war in Europe quickly and with as little bloodshed as possible. But the Germans were by no means prepared to yield—though they could see the war was lost. Thus began one of the most crucial years in the history of the world, and its climax, the desperate battle for Berlin, brought to a close one of the darkest chapters mankind has ever witnessed. The Allied effort pushed on from all fronts. In the east, Stalin's mighty war machine began its great offensive. From out of the swirling fog and snow, the Soviet steamroller crashed through the German lines on the Vistula, 125 miles south of Warsaw. Driving across the Polish plain towards the Oder, BLA Germany's historic frontier with the east, Russia's advancing armored columns created panic in East Prussia. In the west, Eisenhower and Montgomery joined the race to destroy the heart of Nazi Germany—and defend Europe against Stalin's vaulting ambition. Through vivid, firsthand accounts from soldiers and civilians, privates, generals, and refugees, Fallen Eagle chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of the war's closing months—from the devastating, triple air raids on Dresden to "Spring's Awakening," Hitler's last offensive, with which he planned to retake Budapest and retain its oil fields; from the legendary summit in Yalta between Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill to an extraordinary account of Hitler's last days. The momentous events of 1945 literally changed the world—politically, economically, socially, and geographically. Europe would have new frontiers, friends would become deadly enemies, and an uneasy peace would threaten to transform Cold War into a third world war. Blending impeccable scholarship and skillful storytelling, Robin Cross offers a spellbinding account of how the eagle was finally toppled from the roof of the Berlin chancellery as the Russian bear stretched out its claws to seize a Europe laid waste.

About this title

Review

“This superb book is a must for World War II enthusiasts.”
Chroma

“A very detailed book about the movement of troops on the Eastern and Western fronts, and the decline of the third Reich. This is a great book for someone that is writing a thesis.”
Pamela King - Librarian

 

About the Author

ROBIN CROSS is a military historian whose books include VE Day: Victory in Europe 1945 (1985) and We’ll Meet Again, with Vera Lynn (1989) both of which were bestsellers. He is also the author The Bombers: Strategy and Tactics (1986), Citadel: The Battle of Kursk (1993), In Memoriam: Remembering the Great War (2008), Hitler: An Illustrated Life (2009) and 50 Events You Really Need to Know About the History of War (2012). He has written and directed over 150 television programmes, most of them dealing with World War II and the Cold War. He has also worked for the Sunday Express and the Daily Telegraph, for whom he reported on the first Gulf War.

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0471164089
• ISBN 13: 9780471164081
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 282