Countdown to Victory: The Final European Campaigns of World War II

by Barry Turner

When does a war end? Is it the day the treaties are signed? Is it the day the last soldier falls? Or is it the day the enemy finally realizes he is fighting a lost cause? In standard histories of the Second World War, the last six months in the western European arena invariably make a short epilogue. After the German failure in the Battle of the Bulge, Hitler's bold counterattack across the Ardennes, the war is often assumed to have been over, bar sporadic shooting. As Countdown to Victory shows, this is a long way from the truth.The German army, far from being beaten, fought hard for every inch of ground. This in-depth look at those final months reveals many individual acts of great courage and recaptures the excitement of victory and the despair of the defeated, told by the people who were eyewitnesses to these momentous events. Countdown to Victory also examines many contentious the race between Montgomery and Patton to become the first to cross the Rhine; the rarely discussed Hunger Winter in Holland, in which the Dutch people were left to starve by the Nazi administrators under the knowing eyes of the Allied forces; the destruction of German cities; Eisenhower's decision to leave Berlin to the Russians and the disagreements between British and American generals; the concentration camps and the question of German collective guilt; and the drama of the last days of the Third Reich. The memories and reflections are set in the wider context of the political struggle among Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill, with Stalin winning on points for dominant say in planning a postwar Europe. Drawing on a wealth of previously unpublished American, British, Canadian, German, Dutch and Scandinavian sources, Countdown to Victory is a reinterpretation of those final months through he eyes of ordinary people forced to experience the trauma. These memories and reflections of the soldiers and civilians in the front line will make us rethink the popular images of the last stage of the war. Searing and indelible, this riveting history puts a spotlight on a transformative moment in the twentieth century, from a historian whose page-turning style will have readers transfixed.

Genres: World War II, History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

512 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Barry Turner has been a full-time writer for 30 years. He has worked as a journalist and broadcaster in the field of politics, biography, travel and education, and is the author of over 20 books. He is a regular contributor to The Times as a book reviewer and serializer, and is the editor of the annuals The Writer's Handbook and The Screenwriter's Handbook.

Reviews

[David Vernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an excellent read. So many books about World War 2 ignore or minimise the work the Allies had to do after D-Day to achieve victory and so this book fills in that information gap. Turner's selection of personal testimonies from both the Allied and German side make this a very personal and immersive read. I really was sorry when it was over.

Unfortunately the battles on the Eastern Front were nearly completely ignored and this is my biggest grip about an otherwise marvellous piece of historical research.

[Tomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an excellent read! Turner included many personal accounts by people in all areas...soldiers, prisoners, ordinary people. This made the book an easy read and made me feel as if I were a part of the story. The story begins in 1944 and ends with the signing of the armistice (and its impact) on May 8, 1945. There is a good balance between the soldiers and the hardships they faced and the civilians and their difficulties.

The only complaint I have is that occasionally I wasn't sure who the narrator was; the authors of the personal accounts were not always identified. It's really didn't detract from my reading experience, however. I definitely recommend this book!

[Lee Scordis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great primary sources of the Western front in WW2 that give us a real picture of the frontline. Also an interesting chapter on Yalta.

One downside is the lack of any mention of the war on the Eastern Front