The Last 100 Days Part 1 of 2

Rating:
Summary: A Psychological Eye-Opener!
Review: This book has been a real pleasure to listen to. The focus is less on gritty combat and more on the psychology of real people who were involved directly in the war. At points the descriptions the capacity of human beings to be cruel to each other made me want to cry. The sheer hopelessness that the Germans of eastern Europe felt as the invading Russian armies raped, murdered, and pillaged their way to Berlin. Not that the Germans had been much better on their way East, but that is beyond the scope of this book.

One particulary bright point for me was the description of the desparation of the German high command. On one hand, everyone knows that the war is lost, but everyone is afraid of defying Hitler and afraid that Hitler might be right, that somehow the Anglo-American Alliance will split with the Soviets and join Germany in a fight against Bolshevism.

The book's portrayal of Hitler I found the most interesting (covered more in Part 2 than Part 1). He is portrayed as more a human being (with severe problems of megalomania) and less as a mythic malevolence. I felt I have gained a real understanding of why Germany continued to fight despite the obvious futulity of further resistance.