In this compelling study Max Hastings addresses the big human and military questions. Why did the Allies not win the war in 1944, when they were vastly stronger than the Germans? Why did the Russians produce the best generals? What was it like to fight the British, American, German and Soviet armies?
Armageddon embraces the fates of more than a hundred million people, from the tragic teenage fanatics who died in the ruins of Hitler's Reich to the British 'Tommies' who simply yearned to finish a painful job and go home. Few books on the Second World War have so vividly brought together the story of the battlefields, east and west, with the decisions of the generals and the impact of great events upon ordinary soldiers and civilians. Sir Max Hastings, author of numerous books including Armageddon, Going to the Wars, and Das Reich, was editor of the Daily Telegraph for almost a decade, then for six years he edited the Evening Standard. In his youth he was a foreign correspondent for newspapers and BBC television. He has won many awards for his books and journalism, particularly his work in the South Atlantic in 1982. He was knighted in 2002 for services to journalism. Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-45 tells the story of the climatic months of the Second World War and the destruction of Hitler's Germany.