Endgame 1944

by Dimbleby Jonathan

Genres: History, World War II

Paperback

Published May 23, 2024

Reviews

[Mervyn Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not as good as the Barbarossa book (which is also based almost entirely on secondary sources, but is better written), but it's still a decent read. Dimbleby is in total command of his subject matter. And he tells a good story. And even though it feels a bit rushed and a bit episodic, it's definitely worth a go.

Actually, as I come to the end I realise that this is another one of those books where a publisher gets a prominent name to write about something they know will sell - WW2 - and counts the cash. I don't doubt Dimbleby's erudition and genuine interest in the subject. It's just that - some of the quotes from the diaries and letters aside - I've read it all before. And I'm not really a student of the Second World War. The argument that the Russians weren't able to aid the Poles during the Warsaw Uprising is novel. But not wholly convincing. And I'm sure - but might be wrong (long time since I've read it) - that in Richard Overy's book Why the Allies Won, Overy takes issue with the idea that it was Russian manpower and American industrial power that won the war. I'm not saying Overy is right (I'm not qualified to say). Or that he dismisses these two reasons completely. But obviously the reasons for victory are more complicated than presented here. The anecdote about the lemon tree suddenly appearing when a member of the Anglo-American delegation complained about the lack of lemons during a conference hosted by the Russians, I've read a dozen times. I always thought it was Churchill's daughter who made the complaint, not one of the officials, but I might be misremembering. The book ends with the Russians poised to take Berlin. My guess is they'll be a third book by Dimbleby about that. Will I buy it? Probably. For something to read quickly when I'm bogged down with something more complicated. He is a fine writer. It's just that I've read most of the story umpteen times before.

[Jonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a reasonable overview, but it suffers somewhat from the length of the narrative and it's scope... a good entry level book, but you'll need to source some further reading to get to the bones of the matter.

[Jose Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“By the time the Allies landed in Normandy, the Red Army had already advanced more than a thousand miles, liberating much of Eastern Europe in the process. The Wehrmacht was bleeding out—on the Eastern Front.”


There are many books that try to tell the story of how World War II was won, but few confront the truth as clearly as Endgame 1944. By the time the Western Allies landed in Normandy, the Red Army had already broken the back of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. This book is a rare Western account that, intentionally or not, highlights what many in the West still refuse to admit: it was the Soviet Union that turned the tide of the war—long before D-Day.

The book is a sober acknowledgment of how much of the heavy lifting was done by the USSR. Millions of Soviet lives were lost—not for conquest, but for survival and liberation. Stalin’s leadership held together a nation under siege and directed the greatest military counteroffensive in human history.

The sacrifices of the Soviet people are too often downplayed in Anglo-American narratives. The war’s outcome was decided not on the beaches of France, but in the ruins of Stalingrad, Kursk, and the vast offensives that followed.

If you believe in historical truth—and in honoring the true victors of the fight against fascism—read this book. The Red Army didn’t just push back the Nazis. They crushed them.

Long live the memory of the Soviet soldiers who paid the ultimate price.

Слава Красной Армии!

[Colm Mccrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, brilliantly written. Read a few great books on this part of the war but think this comes out on top, learnt a lot.

[Steven Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb follow up to Barbarossa. Great read for anyone interested in WW2.