Rating: 
Summary: A great story; a clever, grippng novel.
Review: Robbins has taken the story of the closing days of WWII in Europe, which is fascinating on its own, and fleshed it out with characters caught up in the struggle so that we see and feel the personal costs of being on the wrong side of history. He takes us inside the minds of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill as they cold-bloodedly make political decisions about the fate of Berlin and Europe, then shows how those decisions play out in ordinary peoples' lives. An American photographer is caught up with US troops hoping not to be last ones killed but charging for Berlin; two Russian soldiers, also hoping to survive, are part of the last great offensive of the European war. The battle scenes are vivid and dramatic, harking back to Robbins earlier book, War of the Rats. Finally, we see the impact of the three leaders' decisions on a young German woman who litterally faces her own personal Gotterdammerung, the end of her world, in the form of Allied bombs, Russian artillery, die-hard Nazis and the approach of the Russian Army with the associated stories of rape and mayhem. A great story of people caught in a dying city, well told.
Rating: 
Summary: the Fall of Berlin: the novel
Review: Robbins'novel of the Battle of Stalingrad ("War of the Rats") received justifiable criticism for its misinformation, lack of attention to detail, poorly-developed characters, and ambiguous ending. As though in compensation, his latest work is a vast improvement. "The End of War" is an engrossing novelization of the Allies' race for Berlin. Meticulously researched consulting an impressive variety of reference sources (in particular "The Last Battle" by Cornelius Ryan and "Shadows Over My Berlin" by Heidi Scriba-Vance), the story presents the final weeks of the War through the eyes of its participants. It is written in the third-person present-tense, an unusual literary style which requires a few chapters to get comfortable with. But the style works surprisingly well with this author's penchant for delving into the intimate thoughts of his characters. Convincingly revealed are the driving forces behind the actions of Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, and their Generals. Better yet are the characters of the ordinary people affected by these leaders' awesome global struggle -- a pair of Soviet soldiers, an American journalist, a German civilian mother and daughter and the Jewish refugee they clandestinely shelter. How these peoples' destinies are intertwined and how their outlooks are changed by their experiences gives a human face to events which shaped the latter half of the 20th century. To anyone wanting a comprehensive historical account, I'd still recommend "The Last Battle" or Andrew Tully's "Berlin: Story of a Battle". But for a novel, "The End of War" is as good as it gets.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating look at the last few months of WW2
Review: Robbins's recent book, "The End of War, a Novel of the Race for Berlin" follows three people through the last few months of WW2. There is a Life photographer, possibly with a death wish, who must be up front whenever possible. There is a Russian who has found himself abruptly stripped of his officer rank and flung into a penal battalion. You know what a Red penal battalion was like? You had the Nazis dug in smack in front of you. You had the NKVD (secret police) behind you ready to shoot you if you faltered. Mine field ahead? Forward march. But I don't have a weapon! Pick one up from a corpse! The third character is a young woman cellist with the Berlin Philharmonic which continues to give concerts until the Reds are in the front room,as the saying goes.Robbins gives a fine picture of what life was like on the receiving end of the air raids. Read it. It's fiction whereas the books reviewed above are histories. They both are so exciting and fascinating to read that you could say, "The history reads like fiction and the fiction reads like history." We liked the scenes in crumbling Berlin the best.
--John Brennan, editor Vapor Trails, Massachusetts Chapter 8th Air Force Historical Society
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant piece for any non history buff.
Review: The book was riveting from start to finish. Even though the outcomes were fairly predictable (as we are all well familiar with the tradgedy that it was), the information of the progress of the war, the comparisson of all of the 4 cultures through the personalities through the worst times of human nature, cannot be taught any easier. I recommend this book to any parent that has a child like myself, who is not enthused about history. This is the way to teach it. Mine is now addicted. Next? Maybe "Berlin" by Antony Beevor, or "To Hell and Back" by the most decorated of all US soldiers: Audie Murphy. Inspirational!! Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: A Factual, Emotional Ride Through the End of the War
Review: The End of War is a great book. It Tells you how World War 2 ended, and tells you how close we came to taking Berlin instead of the reds. The book takes you into the lives of Charles Bandy who is a photographer on the western front, two Berlinner women, a Russian soldier, and of course, Stalin, Churchhill, and Roosevelt. I was only really touched by the fictional characters, the photographer, the women, and the russian soldier. Some parts are boring, mainly things that have to do with Churchill or Roosevelt. But read this book nonethless, its great!
Rating:
Summary: A Gripping Novel
Review: The novel gets you hooked the moment you finish reading the first few pages. I have seen a lot of World War-II movies but none that talks about the end of war in this detail and presents so many different view-points. I think its an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: A novel of powerful images
Review: The previous book by David Robbins, WAR OF THE RATS, based on the German siege of Stalingrad during World War II, is an exceptional war novel. THE END OF WAR, using as a backdrop the last few months of the war against Hitler's Third Reich, is equally riveting and compelling. The legions of the Western Allies are advancing to the Rhine, and the Red Army juggernaught is poised to invade Poland from across that country's eastern border. The logical goal of both: Berlin. The characters in the second echelon of this fictional work are 20th century giants of political and military history: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and generals Eisenhower and Zhukov. It is their ideology, pride, suspicion, and desire for glory that determines the paths of armies. It's history that Berlin was taken by Zhukov and the Soviets. Because Robbins apparently did extensive research from a long bibliography to recreate the high-level decisions that directed that outcome, I like to think that much of what I read was factual. But, never mind. The value of THE END OF WAR lies in its fictional characters, the first echelon, who live under the greasy arrows drawn on the warlords' battle maps. Ilya is a former Soviet Army major, a hero of Stalingrad, reduced to enlisted status in a penal battalion because an uncle, a general, angered Stalin. Lottie is a young cello player of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, cowering with her mother under the daily (and nightly) rain of British and American bombs. Charley Bandy, whose aspiration is to enter Germany's capital with the first Anglo-American force to get there, is an American photographer working for LIFE magazine. This novel is one that virtually demands to be read at one sitting. All characters are expertly brought to life, and the dialog is consistently arresting and believable. Above all else, the images Robbins brings to mind are powerful and unforgettable. It's almost as if you're there smelling Winston's cigar, or the brick dust of Berlin's rubble. Consider the scene ... Ilya commands several Red Army soldiers escorting sixty captured Germans to the rear. On a road far from anywhere, far from any witnesses, one of the POWs collapses to the ground exhausted. The Soviets gather round, exhorting the man to get up with curses and kicks. Suddenly the episode escalates as the guards begin shouting at all the prisoners. "The guards hurl more names at the Germans. Names of prison camps, Rovno, Ternopol, Zitomir; names of occupied villages, Braslav, Balvi, Vigala; names of death camps, Auschwitz, Sobibor, Treblinka; names of dead comrades ...; names of fathers and mothers, brothers, women. The Red soldiers vent themselves on the Germans ... They have debts to collect ... One of the Germans mutters in Russian, 'Bastards' ... All of these men hate. Back and forth, volleys of loathing ... Two of the Germans reach to the ground to lift their comrade. They put the man on his feet and release him with care. He stays erect, shaking. The rest of the prisoners move by instinct closer, penned animals do the same ... One of the Russians raises his rifle to his cheek, ridiculous, as though he needs to aim this close to his targets ... Ilya's mouth is bone dry. He could speak ... He could say, what? ...Another crow dispatches his voice from the trees ... Ilya turns his back." Can you see it in your mind's eye, the palpable animosity on that stretch of dusty, country road? Oh, my. If you enjoy novels of men and women in the firestorm of war, buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Skillfully Written
Review: This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys war novels, and in particular historical fiction. In my mind several things set it apart from most books in the genre. First, the characters are all complex, real people, as opposed to the cardboard characters so often found in books like this. Second, the book is clearly well reserched and while I haven't checked the accuracy of all events most seem to comport with my memory of that period. Third, Robbins does a masterful job of meshing the vast scope of WWII, geographically, militarily and politically, with the individual lives it touched so deeply. And finally, this is in some ways a difficult book to read in a positive sense. War isn't easy. The book doesn't simplify into the good guys against the bad guys. It balances the complexity of the need for violence and the excesses of violence. When the bombs are dropping on the enemy we are reminded they are people. The well-drawn graphic desriptions put you in the center of the action on and off the battlefield. This book is a rare accomplishment. I look forward to David Robbins next effort.
Rating:
Summary: A Good History of World War II
Review: This book was a good coverage of the end of World War II. You are given a front row seat in the race for Berlin. There is also a revealing coverage of the relationship between the three Allied leaders Stalin,Roosevelt, and Churchill. The secondary characters definitely add to the telling of the story. The Russian soldiers, the Life magazine photographer,the celloist in the Berlin orchestra,and Dwight Eisenhower are top of the line characters in this book. You are taken through some of the actual events that marked the end of World War II. This is a classy read.Every bit as interesting as the "War of the Rats". Buy this and read it. You will not be dissapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Workmanlike Historical Fiction
Review: This historical novel takes as its setting the final months of WWII in the European theatre, as Allied forces converge on Berlin. Robbins attempts to capture both the high-level machinations of Allied statesmen and commanders, as well as the trials and tribulations of those "on the ground." While the intent is certainly admirable, the story just can't hold up to the switching between the perspectives of six different characters, especially as three were real people. President Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Stalin play the role of Olympian gods in this tale, as Robbins recreates their interactions from documentary material and supplements it with internal speculations. This is predictably flat, as their sections come across as historical re-enactment, rather than anything truly alive. However, it is truly illuminating material for anyone interested in history, as it highlights as critical time in the birthing of the Cold War. The high level diplomacy, bickering, and trickery drive the events on the ground, viewed through the eyes of Life combat photographer Charles Bandy, two Russian army buddies Ilya and Misha (who together represent the Russian character), Lottie (a cellist in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) and her mother. These characters are naturally more engaging than the historical figures, but still walk predictably through the situations set up for them. What Robbins is good at is capturing the mood of everyone involved. The yearning to finish off the German war machine felt by the Russians, the almost cheery feeling of the war being won by the Americans, and the dread of the Berliners as they prey the Americans come to capture the city, rather than the Russians. While the Berliners' situation is well-rendered, it's not remarkably different from that of any city being strangled by war (Robbins somewhat heavy-handedly works in Wagner's Gotterdammerung as a metaphor for the fall of the Third Reich). The themes here are no different from those in countless other novels on war: vengeance, the emotional toll of killing, the destruction of civil life, the psychological toll on non-combatants, rape in war, etc... While this will never be confused for good literature, it's an effective, workmanlike piece of historical fiction which covers some important terrain. To that end, he should be commended for bringing this story to a wider audience than would be likely to pick up a history book. However, if you are looking for a straight-up history book to complement the novel, check out Cornelius Ryan's "The Last Battle." A really good grunt-level novel set just before this book, as the Allies attack the Siegfried line, check out Richard Matheson's recently republished "The Beardless Warriors."
|
